According to ZipRecruiter and the Wall Street Journal, people are hesitant to go into sales for a career. ZipRecruiter shows the number of sales roles advertised has risen steadily this year, up 65% to more than 700,000 open positions around the U.S., after big layoffs decimated the field at the outset of the pandemic a year ago.
Many young workers erroneously assume that sales work means convincing customers to buy with high-pressure tactics and are turned off. In recent years, the sales profession has dramatically changed from cold calls to potential customers to consulting with companies that often seek out products.
It’s time to rethink the way you think about sales. The new template for a salesperson is not about cold-calling. You have to be empathetic and deeply curious about your clients’ businesses. Sales is not about high-pressure cold calling techniques, but rather it is about understanding your clients and using your products to achieve their goals.
Sales is not about high-pressure cold calling techniques. Sales is about building relationships with people. If you are looking to grow sales, stop focusing on the trade tricks and start focusing on understanding how to sell effectively. According to top influencers in the field, the best way to do this is by listening more than talking and asking open-ended questions that allow for two-way communication.
Sales is a profession that helps businesses and people solve problems. As salespeople, managers, or executives, you help your company make more money. You also help customers find solutions to their problems. Sales is about solving problems for the betterment of both parties involved in the transaction. The skillset and mindset needed for this profession are not innate but can be learned with hard work and practice.
To establish yourself as an effective salesperson, manager, or executive, it’s important to know how sales works from all angles – customer-facing interactions and internal processes alike. It is also important to always be curious about your company, product, and prospect’s business.
After 36 years in Sales (and God willing many more to come), this is the greatest career in the US industry. I encourage all bright, young professionals that want a daily mental challenge to go into Sales.