Are you interested in a career in sales and marketing? It takes a special kind of person to thrive in a career in sales and marketing, and those people truly aren’t happy doing any other kind of work. If a career in sales and marketing sounds appealing to you, ask yourself if the following qualities apply to you:
Five Signs That You Were Meant for a Career in Sales and Marketing
- You like having control over your income.
Do you pour your heart and soul into your job, for little appreciation or personal gain? Many jobs pay what they pay, and your only hope of getting more is if you are lucky enough to get a raise with your annual review. Sometimes, hourly jobs give you the opportunity to get some overtime, but that’s not a guarantee.
Meanwhile, the sales career path allows you to have complete control over what your paycheck looks like. Most sales jobs are based on commission, so the harder you work, the better your paycheck looks. However, keep in mind that the opposite is also true; if you are not a person who likes to hustle, you might end up with a few lean paychecks. Ask yourself if the chance to make more money by working harder is the incentive you need to give a job 110%. If the answer is yes, then a sales career might be right for you! - You have a “glass-half-full” outlook in life.
As the old proverb goes, “Every battle is won or lost before it even begins.” The only way your clients will have confidence in the product or service you are selling is they gain the sense of confidence that you have in it that it is the best product for them. You must have a strong sense of optimism to be successful in the sales industry.
If you go into a sales opportunity with a mindset that it probably isn’t going to go well, your clients will smell it on you and get cold feet. Ask yourself if you are drawn to look for the best in the situation or the worst. A good sales person always sees the silver lining and presents it so. - “Determination” is your middle name.
As a sales person, you’re going to hear no quite often. You might have disappointments and set backs. However, what makes a person good at sales is having the work ethic to pick themselves up and keep trucking. Eventually, as you stay on the path, the wins will outweigh the losses and you’ll find success. This is not possible if you’re the type of person who gives up as soon as something is disheartening. Ask yourself how you handle setbacks, sometimes more than one setback in a row. If your losses are just motivation to work harder and stronger, then you might be perfect for a sales career. - You don’t like every day to look the same.
If the thought of a cubicle job that never changes makes you die a little inside, you might find a career in sales to be a good option for you. When you work in sales, you constantly our building relationships with new people in new environments, with very little time to get bored. When you do happen to have a slow day, you probably have a long list of old contacts to reach out to to strike up some new business. Ask yourself if your ideal work environment is routine and consistent, or if it involves excitement and challenges. If the answer is excitement, a job in sales might be right for you. - Communication is one of your strong points.
Being successful in sales isn’t just about being good at talking. You need to be good at hearing your client’s challenges and understand how to convey to them that your product or service will make their lives better. This requires being both a good listener and a good communicator. If you were that child that was frequently in trouble for talking to your friends in school, because socializing is where you get energy, you might have the natural people skills needed to forge relationships with clients and be successful in a sales career.
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