Is sales a good career path for you? Understand if being a sales rep is the right move, what your career options are, and how to break into the sales world.
Maybe you’ve dabbled in sales or have watched someone carry out tasks in a sales role. Whatever the case, you’re curious if sales could be a good career path. It interests you, but you are just not sure if it will be right for you in the long run. Everyone has their own opinion about what sales are.
The reality is that most people don’t fully understand sales unless they’ve done it themselves. School can only teach you so much until real-life experience needs to kick in.
So, let’s talk about everything you need to know before pursuing a career in sales. Naturally, understanding the heart of sales is the perfect place to start.
Sales In a Nutshell
This is what most people think of the industry: an outgoing person who is too enthusiastic about whatever they are selling. The individual pushes you to purchase for the sake of making money. And you’re left annoyed and feeling pressured.
The image above is why the sales industry gets a bad reputation. But the truth is that salespeople are literally just trying to solve problems for people. Their purpose is to find the people who have a need or problem and then solve the issue or satisfy the need.
That’s it.
Now, there are two primary B2B types of sales jobs you should understand: inside and outside sales reps.
What Does an Outside Sales Rep Do?
To put it simply, an outside sales rep meets with potential customers face to face. They will travel to conferences, speaking events, and somewhere with the potential to sell “outside” the office.
If you prefer making your own schedule and working rather independently, this might be a good fit for you. You will likely spend half of your time selling remotely. Outside reps also keep physical products or demos on hand to present to the client.
What Does an Inside Sales Rep Do?
Like you might have guessed, an inside sales rep spends most of their time in an office setting. Instead of traveling around to meet clients, they will leverage video calls and emails. Inside representatives must have an in-depth knowledge of the product or service since they won’t be demoing it face-to-face with a client.
Also, your days will be much more predictable and based on a schedule if you work as an inside rep. You will almost always work with a team of people to accomplish the day’s tasks and meet specific quotas.
Why Sales Is Still a Good Career Path
Did you know that 1 out of 8 jobs in the US are full-time sales positions? That’s about 13% of all jobs in the states. This industry is far from dead; it’s just evolving. Traditional door-to-door methods have been diverted to virtual means considering the boom in e-commerce.
The high-earning potential is also why sales is a good career path. If you are working in the B2B sphere, it’s not uncommon to earn a commission worth thousands of dollars from one sale. It’s an incredible way to make money with a bachelor’s degree- or lower. However, how much you make depends on the effort you put in.
Sales is an industry that has a direct correlation between results and salary. If you put in the hours and work your tail off, you’ll see the results and paycheck you want.
Aside from salary, sales will also help you develop a lot as a career professional. You’ll be pushed beyond your comfort zone and experience growth in return.
10 Signs You Should Pursue a Sales Career
A lot of people consider sales as a career, but they are left wondering if sales is the right career path to choose. So, how do you know if sales is or is NOT for you? Read through this quick list and see if anything resonates.
10. You Have Patience
While the sales industry can be quite fast-paced, patience is still required. Customers are not always ready to make a purchasing decision. People are more informed these days and require thoughtful consultation rather than hard selling. You might also be faced with a deal falling through at the last minute. This definitely takes patience.
9. You Are Outgoing
Not EVERY salesperson would label themselves an extrovert. However, you would be hard-pressed to find a sales rep who cannot hold a conversation with a client. To close a deal, you must know how to banter and when to ask questions. If you can fake it till you make it, then by all means, go for it.
8. You Enjoy Psychology
Do you enjoy diving deep into the human mind? Do you like figuring out what makes people tick? Then sales might be the right career for you. There is actual psychology behind making a sale. And it’s quite fascinating. Many of the methods people use today are rooted in basic psychology.
7. You Love Accomplishing Goals
Consider a sales career if you are a goal-oriented individual. If you like to work towards goals and exceed them, you might be a perfect fit. The driver of sales is hitting quotas and exceeding those set numbers. Does your heart beat a little faster when you know you’re about to hit a milestone?
6. You Have an Internal Drive
A strong internal drive will be a must-have trait for any sales position. You’ve likely seen it listed on job descriptions and talked about amongst career professionals. The reason why the internal drive is important is because the industry has a lot of autonomy. You’ll be in charge of hitting your goals, and you’ll need motivation and desire to achieve success autonomously.
5. You Can Handle Rejection
One of the not-so-fun sides of sales is rejection. Not every interaction will end in a closed deal. In fact, the national sales closing rate is 27%. Most people naturally have a hard time dealing with rejection, which is normal. No one wants to be turned down for any reason. But it is part of the job and not something you should take personally.
4. You Are Willing to Work Hard
Sales is a difficult industry. Everyone is trying to outsell the other. If you want to make the big bucks, you need to be willing to work hard. Expect to work long hours, hit your quota, and manage expectations from your buyers. It’s not glamorous, and it requires a dedicated work ethic. But the rewards can be worth it.
3. You Want to Manage Yourself
Now, we’ve already mentioned the autonomy in the sales industry. But we must bring it up again to elaborate on the importance. In sales, you are expected to be a fully functional machine without your boss looking over your shoulder. Selling might be a good career path for you if you love managing your own time, schedule, and having flexibility.
2. You Love Solving Problems
Are you a natural problem solver? A sales rep job involves solving other people’s problems. Your goal is to create solutions, using your company’s product or service, that can put a smile on the customer’s face. Either via technology or on paper, a sales role would be an excellent medium to flex your problem-solving skills and think deeply.
1. You’re a Natural Business Person
Probably one of the biggest signs you should consider a sales career path is your natural business-oriented personality. Were you setting up lemonade stands or trying to make extra cash in your youth? Do you have side hustles? Then you’re already engaging in the buy/sell business structure. A lot of people go into sales because it’s something they’ve been doing since childhood, and it’s something they are naturally adept to.
If that sounds like you, then you should at least try it.
Types of Sales Positions You Should Consider
If any of the signs above ring a bell for you, then you should look more deeply into the types of sales positions available out there. The beauty of sales is that there is a wide variety of roles, and you don’t have to be stuck behind a desk. In the meantime, read up on all the positions out there. And don’t forget to learn what questions to ask a sales recruiter before your job interview.
- Cold Call Sales
- Medical Sales
- Industrial Sales and Manufacturing
- Retail Sales Associate
- Retail Store Manager
- Inside Sales Representative
- Retail Buyer
- Outside Sales Representative
- Sales Director
- Wholesale Sales Manager
- Wholesale Sales Representative
Sales Recruiters Chicago- Hire & Get Hired
Are you looking for a job in the sales industry in Chicago? Our team can help you find the perfect sales position that aligns with your objective, future goals, and current skill set.
If you are trying to fill a sales-based role within your Chicago company, Sales Recruiters Chicago can also help you hire the perfect candidate. We also have a Dallas location if you live in Texas.
Learn more about us to hire talent or get hired sooner rather than later.
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