For anyone just out of school or considering a career change, it is hard to go wrong by choosing to work in sales. There are few jobs that will offer you the chance to earn a good income based solely on how hard you work and your determination level while giving you the opportunity to perfect highly transferable skills you will need for your future.
Here are six life-long skills you can hone from a stint in sales:
Also Read: How to Get a Job in Sales Without Experience & Traits of Good versus Bad Salesperson
Why Everyone Should Work in Sales at Least Once in Their Life
1. Develop ways to overcome rejection working in sales
Things aren’t always going to go your way. The truth is that you are probably going to hear a whole lot of ‘no’ in your life. The sooner you learn how to deal with rejection and failure without letting it affect your outlook or job performance, the better. For many people, especially those who grew up in a non-competitive culture, failing can feel devastating the first few times.
To succeed in sales and life you need to learn how to brush off rejection and move on to the next opportunity with the mindset that the next one will say ‘yes’. This helps to build your confidence.
After a few months working in sales, not only will the word, “no” no longer make you cringe, but it will motivate to just try harder.
2. Discover how to forge real connections
A career in sales provides plenty of practice for you to learn how to build rapport with a broad spectrum of people within a business setting.
Millennials were the first generation to be raised in the era of Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. As a result, many of them are more comfortable staring at their smartphones and communicating in memes and emojis than speaking with people face-to-face. Interacting and finding ways to connect in person is a critical skill everyone needs to master, no matter which career path one winds up following.
A career working in sales provides plenty of practice for you to learn how to build better rapport with a broad spectrum of people within a business setting.
3. Learn how to listen actively and ask the right questions
While everyone believes that they already know how to listen, the vast majority of people don’t have a clue how to truly hear what others are really trying to say to them. A successful person working in sales is someone who not only knows how to stay quiet and listen but someone who then has the ability to identify potential sales obstacles and opportunities. By taking the time to listen attentively, the salesperson is then in an excellent position to ask targeted questions which address the possible customers fears and desires.
The ability to truly listen to what your prospect/ life partner/ boss is saying will help you lead a happy life at home and at the office.
Once you know how to listen and ask insightful questions, you automatically set yourself apart from others. As the saying goes, to get the right answers, you need to ask the right questions. Artful questioning is an important part of sales.
4. Gain the skills most CEOs posses
CEOs of companies are often the company’s best salespeople who can persuade the public, investors or partners to buy into their ideas.
5. Master the art of persuasion working in sales
When you want to get buy-in on an idea you are proposing or get that raise or promotion you’re after, you’ll need to sell yourself or your ideas.
Whether you continue your career working in sales or switch to another role, there is a good chance you will continue to sell for the rest of your life. When you want to get buy-in on an idea you are proposing or get that raise or promotion you’re after, you’ll need to sell yourself or your ideas. CEOs of companies are often the company’s best salespeople who can persuade the public, investors or partners to buy into their ideas. Steve Jobs has been described as one of the world’s best salespeople. So if you want to join the ranks of Steve Jobs and other successful people in the world, get a job working in sales and master some of these skills that will help you excel in life.
6. You’ll be selling your whole life
Whether you continue your career in sales or switch to another role, you will continue to sell for the rest of your life. Get a head start on this lifelong skill now.
Is sales a good career?
First and foremost, similar to any career, Sales will always be what you make of it. Your drive, passion, motivation and mindset are all vital to your success. However, the thing about sales is, it’s not just a job or career – it’s a profession.
Many people complain that they don’t have enough opportunities to prove themselves. In sales, you’re the one in control of your paycheck – which means you’re entirely dependant on yourself to produce results from your efforts.
For this reason, many find sales to be a rewarding career, on the other hand, working in sales can be like riding a constant emotional roller-coaster. If you have a tough time dealing with rejection, a career in sales may not be for you. Because you can’t rest on your laurels – you have to push yourself to be successful every day, week, month and year.
Tom Abbott founder of SOCO/ Sales Training is the creator of the award-winning online sales training program SOCO Academy and author of ’The SOHO Solution’, and ‘Social Selling’ books.
Also read: Sell Yourself: 10 Expert Tips For Acing Your Next Sales Interview
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