Finding your calling is one of the most difficult challenges we face in life. The profession we choose influences nearly every part of our destiny, from income to work satisfaction. Sales, as one of the fastest growing job fields, attracts a lot of young, ambitious men and women who are determined to make it in this highly competitive field. But how well does a job in sales fit your character? We have a couple of tips that will help you make this decision!
Sales is not an easy job
If you’re thinking about going into sales because it will bring you fast and easy money, you’d better reconsider your choice, since it takes many years of hard work to succeed in sales. Hard work will be expected of you by anyone, from your employee to your customers, which is why you can’t do your job half-heartedly and think that success will come on its own. As a salesperson, you will need to face lots of obstacles, and that’s the first thing to think about when weighing the pros and cons of working in sales.
Can you handle rejection?
An average person doesn’t take rejection lightly even when it happens rarely or has nothing to do with their profession. Working in sales is a completely different story, as rejection will be part of your life no matter what kind of job you have. Sales assistants in stores will have to deal with rejection from customers who don’t want any help on choosing the product. Phone sales managers need to make hundreds of calls to potential customers a day, and only one or two of them will be productive, while other calls will bring no results whatsoever. Rejection is an inevitable part of working in sales and something you’ll need to get used to.
Economic freedom
A career in sales doesn’t only consist of challenges and drawbacks, and one of the best things about being a salesman is the level of economic freedom you can achieve. Sales jobs can be based on several financial models; the most popular ones are working on commissions and bonuses. No matter which model is employed at your workplace, your income will be limited only by how well you do your job. If you have what it takes and aren’t afraid of working hard, very soon you will advance in your career and financial wellbeing, which is something that other people work for years and decades to achieve.
Which skills do you need?
The most important skill to have for a career in sales is the communication skill, as communication with customers, partners and bosses will be a vital part of your job. Build relationships, learn to listen to people, find out how to ask the right questions at the right time, and you’re guaranteed to have the time of your life in sales. Successful salespeople are also goal-oriented, know exactly what they want to achieve, care a lot about their personal and professional development, and are never afraid to admit they don’t know something, but are always ready to learn right away.
