Sales Careers, Challenges and Opportunities, Are You Ready

Sales Careers, what are they, how to get in

Sales Careers, Challenges and Opportunities, Are you Ready

Sales career is perhaps one of the most challenging and interesting careers in the world I think. What are the reasons? Many reasons are there.

First it is a test for your ability to approach someone you don’t really know at an odd time that he may not appreciate and convince the person to spend money on something that he may need now or in future. This is quite a challenge in this period of highly individualistic world where people want their own space and would not like to be disturbed.

It is also challenge for your endurance to take “no” for an answer and keep convincing the other person until he is convinced and sends you out the door politely?

It is career where you don’t know where you will be next day in totally unknown territory in the middle of people that you never met before, but you must now make friends with and you are only looking at the family pictures of the kids and spouse tucked away in the digital.

Yes, that is what is about, or, is it better to say it has been about. Can we say that it has all changed completely now? Has it changed so much that the sales person needs entirely new skills? He need not have that good old friendly smile on his face, and a communication?

Things have changed in sales careers; new ways of selling have come along with new technologies to use, new ways to communicate and new ways to analyze.

Should you get into sales career?

It is the right career for you if you can communicate very well, explain to the other person what you want to say and convert it into what is most relevant for him to know at that time. It is a career that requires you to do some home work on the market you are working with who are the buyers, what do they want to buy, how much are they willing to pay for it, how to make them trust what you say. If you have tested your persuasive power you should do well in sales.

You must also like to meet people you never met and be ready to develop a relationship in a gradual way. This needs patience and the desire to do things that build other people’s trust in you.

You must like to go to new places, not the comfortable five stars for vacation, but to travel to the remote places too where everything is difficult and less developed. In sales you don’t travel once a year or month but you travel most of the time. This means you are away from the family.

These are just a few tough arenas of sales, but why do so many people get into it? Because it pays well and can make you rich. The more you can sell the more money you can make and the more important you become to the company. You also get incentive trips and holidays and special honor of your name getting posted up with a star in the very front lobby of the Company, something even the President does not get.

Is the Sales Career Changing Now?

The basic nature of sales career cannot change. There is a consumer, who is human and there is a Client who is human too. Therefore, in sales a human has to interact with another human so all the human needs will remain. But there are many systems and computer skills needed by a sales person than ever to increase the work efficiency. Sales people now need to be familiar with handling customer relation packages, like contact planning, call analysis, reporting, prospect qualifying, demand estimation, data base usage, e mailing, conferencing and all telecom and computer based technology. Knowledge of web based selling and e- commerce, telemarketing and sales force automation tools are very useful

The consumer goods sales people must be familiar with supply chain management tools, merchandising tools and the retail technology. There may be an increase in the inside store sale than door to door in consumer goods. Micro retailing is growing because retailing is an attractive employment with comparatively less risk and investment needs.

In business to business transactions product knowledge, negotiating skills and relationship management skills and account management skills occupy a very important position. For technical products product knowledge is very critical.

These skills are imparted and fine tuned on the job. At the entry level little awareness of the above often found among business administration and engineering graduates is adequate. Those who have humanities back ground need to get familiar with these as employers are now keen on hiring persons with humanities only if they are familiar with such areas.

Qualification and Experience Needs

For the entry level positions like sales assistant, sales persons and sales representatives the degree and familiarity with the above is adequate. What is important is skill in communication, personality and confidence.

Engineering industry requires the appropriate engineering qualification. Pharmaceutical industry requires pharmacy graduates, medical graduates and science graduates. Generally business degree along with scientific familiarity may also be preferred.

As the higher level depending on the level demonstrated ability to lead a group or team, communication abilities, planning and organizing abilities, market analysis, competitive intelligence information gathering, profiling, mapping and maintaining client relationships, account management, receivables management, ware house and depot management, channel planning and management are the needs. Leadership and ability to motivate subordinates is very essential.

Resume Writing Tips

If you are a beginner and this is your first job make sure you emphasize the communication qualifications. If you did not have computer courses as a part of your curriculum you may be better off by taking one or two basic level computer certificate programs. You will also be at advantage if you had taken any short training in communication, both talking and writing skills. Your resume must show that you like to work hard, you enjoy working with people, you are analytical, you like traveling and you are a potential leader.

When you are looking at levels like area supervision, territory supervision, regional management and country management, you need to focus on planning, organizing and control aspects. Your total familiarity with systems and systems utilization, your ability to develop new accounts and take up new challenges, develop and maintain relationships with key accounts and channels, budgeting and cost control, account profitability control are critical. You need to be a good leader and motivator too.

For any one I would recommend you make a summary box on the front page showing you aims, qualifications, experience and strengths. All in about15-20 lines.

Interview

At the entry level there are generally aptitude tests and subject knowledge tests. In the interview your communication confidence and attitude count a lot.

At the senior level your understanding of the market, your enthusiasm, confidence and sincerity matter. Don’t brag about your achievement. You must come across like firm go getter but not a tyrant. You must show spirit of flexibility and creativity. Your deep product knowledge of the interviewer’s company their products and the competition matters substantially. Planning and organization are critical.

Illustrative designations and Salary range

Level 1 channel sales representative in USA

Median salary US$ 49,000 per year, range: $33,000 – 60,000

Bonus 7-8 percent Benefits plus bonus gross on basic $49,000 is $78,000

Sales Analyst $46,000, range$ 27,000-59,000, Benefits plus bonus gross on basic

$46000 is 67,500

Chef Division Sales and Marketing Executive

Median Salary $189,000, range: $111,000-304,000\

Bonus 14.percent, Benefits plus bonus gross on basic $194,000 is 309,000

India

Senior Manager Sales Rs 40,000 per month to 1,15,000 per month

Manger sale Rs 25,000 per month to 66000 per month