Why everyone should work in sales

When people think of sales jobs, many are left with the impression that it is anti-social hours, ringing people and getting shouted down, and generally being quite a demoralising environment to work in. However; that could not be further from the truth, and we believe that everyone should work in sales at least once. The skills you learn and develop in a sales environment are so transferrable; you will be able to use every single one in a later job, even if it is completely unrelated. In truth, a sales environment is actually a really fun one to work in, and can be as beneficial as you choose to make it. Just like any other job, there are always going to be disadvantages, but, in our opinion, the advantages far outweigh these.

Let’s start by highlighting the skills that you can take away from a sales job, and how these can help you in other fields. It is not a case of manipulating the customer, and tricking or even pressuring them into buying something that they do not completely understand. Instead, you will learn a set of skills in order to effectively sell your product to your customer to gain sales. No, good sales person will ever fool their customers into believing they are getting a different product to the one you are trying to sell. Very quickly you will learn to be both patient and persistent. Although the first time you hear the word ‘no’ you might feel rejected and set back, give it a couple of months and you will hear the word ‘no’ and think of it as a challenge, not a rejection. This can be applied to your everyday life, as well as other career choices should you decide to move on from sales. You will stop seeing temporary setbacks as a reason why you can’t do it, and merely see it as a hurdle that you need to cross.

You will learn to negotiate, which is useful in any job; whether you have to negotiate with peers, departments, or customers. Negotiating within the sales environment will help you find out what your customer wants, and how assessing how your product can meet those needs. Obviously in any sales job, you want to be able to secure the sale at the end of your pitch, and in order to do that, you will have to compromise and negotiate to create a sale that is best for your customer. It is about finding that professional level, which will allow you to communicate in a way that you can achieve your sale without burning any bridges. This brings us on to communication, and the skills that you will learn surrounding that. Every job requires some form of communication, and you will very quickly learn about effective communication skills if you work in sales. It is ultimately your communication skills that are going to convince someone to buy your product or not, so you need to be concise, persuading and informative. Although this might sound strange, a sales environment is the perfect place for a shy, introverted person to work; or someone with low confidence. You will be forced to sell your product and the more sales you achieve, the more confident you will become and the better you will be at communicating your ideas.

At times, sales work can be demanding, and in many sales environments, there are targets to meet; however, without realising, you will very quickly develop self-discipline skills that you will use for the rest of your working life. Unlike many roles, you cannot bumble through the day, without really knowing how you have filled it. You have to be enthusiastic and give the impression that you want to be there, even if you cannot think of anything worse. The only person who will secure those sales is you.

A sales environment really is what you make it. The skills we have mentioned above are merely a few that you will pick up without even knowing it. Many successful business owners will have completed some of their working years in a sales environment, and you will easily be able to spot the ones who have. Working in sales you learn how to get what you want. After all, you want to secure a sale. You subconsciously use all of the above to make your pitch sound as appealing to the customer as you can. Not only is this a good stepping stone for your own business, after all, regardless of what you offer you will have to start somewhere which will include pitching your company, it is also a good anchor if you are to have people working under you. As an active business owner, you will have to be authoritative, and be able to give orders effectively, as well as close a deal. A job in sales will prepare you for this well.

They are the transferrable skills that you can take away from a sales job, and apply it to any. Now, let’s focus on why you would want to work in a sales environment. Firstly, you get rewarded. Yes, you work hard for your rewards, but a hefty commission for meeting your daily target will not only make you feel good about the job, but will make it worth it at the end of it. It is a well-known incentive measure, but one that works, and if you’re benefitting from it, does it matter? It also stops any gossip surrounding pay in the office, as everyone is paid equally, and any bonuses are because of what you have achieved. A sales environment is also one that you can truly be yourself in. not only do you get to meet people from all walks of life, you can also express your personality fully. Depending on what sales job you are in, you might have to build up a relationship with your contacts, and that means that you have to be yourself in order for them to build up trust with them. Not all jobs allow for this completely, which makes a sales environment extra special.

Perhaps what makes a sales environment just so special is that ultimately it is a lot of fun. No two days are ever the same, and you get a great sense of teamship when you are comparing stories at the end of the day. There is plenty of room to grow in the business, and this makes coming to work enjoyable. Like any job there will be days that are more stressful than others; however, the majority of people who do work in this environment do get a sense of joy out of it. So, if you have never worked in sales before, do consider it. It is something that everyone should do at least once.