Whether you are looking for your first job after education or you’re currently working within a completely different industry and you are considering making a career move into sales, here are some great tips and things to consider – as my colleague Ben would say, the good, the bad and the ugly!

The good

Commercial benefits:

• Most entry-level sales jobs will have a relatively low basic, but the earning potential within a sales role can be the most attractive aspect of the job. Ultimately, in sales, the harder you work, the more money you will earn – and this will keep you very motivated! Your payday every month will really depend on the graft you have put in the month before, keeping you on your toes, eager to learn more and stay hungry! When you achieve this you will feel rewarded for your hard work, which in some jobs may not be recognised or seem as fulfilling as you earning commission.

Opportunities:

• The opportunities within a sales job can come by very often, but I would really advise pushing in these areas and showing your employer that you are hungry to achieve more and be the best. For example, networking is a fantastic opportunity to really enhance your profile and in a room full of business owners, this could be hugely beneficial for you!

Independence:

• Although you are still an employee, you will often have a lot of independence within a sales job. As mentioned, you can have control over your earning potential and it is purely down to you what you sell and the revenue to generate! Most employers will set out targets and KPI’s for you, but as a salesperson, you should always be working to exceed these!

Sense of achievement:

• As mentioned, earning commission is a fantastic way of recognising your achievements every month! Additionally, hitting your targets every month will make you feel a sense of achievement and help you stay really motivated, as you know that next call/meeting could make you money!

Development/Progression:

• There are so many sales jobs being advertised, in fact, most businesses will have a sales department and therefore, career progression comes by often. In sales it’s so much easier to quantify your hard work, thus creates a level playing field based on results – if you sell more than a colleague with 10 years more experience than you, you will normally earn more and progress more quickly.

The bad

Long/dedicated hours:

• Like every job, sales jobs have their downfalls – it is not always 100% positive! Take recruitment for example, it is so competitive and often, you are not the only consultant/agency working on a role, therefore, employees are willing to work longer and harder in order to sell, win clients, make a placement and ultimately, hit their targets! So be prepared – if you want to be the best, you need to do everything in your power to work harder, which may include longer hours!

Pressure with hitting targets:

• Sales are the driving force of a company – both the quantity and quality of a sale directly adds to the profit of the business. Therefore, employers will set you targets (often individual) which will be very challenging and you will often feel pressured to achieve these targets! Another factor to remember is that if you don’t achieve your targets you won’t normally earn commission.

The ugly

Rejection:

• In sales, you will deal with a lot of rejection! There will be days when you achieve nothing and you will feel so deflated. In any sales job, you will get so many no’s, so you need to be thick-skinned and not let anything affect your goals. Additionally, having experience in dealing with rejection, can be a great skill to have!

Unpredictable weeks:

• As mentioned, some days everything you touch will turn to gold and more and other days, you will not achieve one thing. This can be very demoralising, so it is important that you stay motivated and constantly have a plan to ensure you hit those monthly targets. Please remember every call you make could be the next big deal!

On balance

Sales is a great career to consider, although you may feel pressured to hit targets and have to deal with unpredictability and rejection, you can open so many doors and progress really quickly. In my experience sales really develops you professionally and allows you to have control over your income – in a sense, you have control over your earnings every month – if you sell more, you earn more!

If you are considering a career move, then read our blog full of tips on how to find your next role.

Here at Thompson & Terry Recruitment one of our specialist areas is sales recruitment, so if you are interested in learning more please email your CV to jobs@thompsonandterry.co.uk