Are you looking to land a job in sales? As the lifeblood of any organization, sales are a promising field. Canada’s Job Bank projects a total of 126,500 new job openings for retail salespersons from 2019 to 2028. Meanwhile, the projected number of new job seekers is 117,100, indicating high demand.
What does this mean for you? If you’re someone who wants to build a career in sales, the job outlook is good. But the labour market remains competitive. Companies may still get swamped with resumes after posting a job ad for a sales position. What can you do to get their notice?
Knowing what it takes to be a successful salesperson is the key. Every organization may have different needs. But these are the common things many recruiters look for when hiring sales talent.
Excellent Communication
Excellent communication is vital to the success of each sale. The product’s features, pricing and value proposition are power tools to drive sales. But they don’t matter much unless you get your prospects to listen and ask questions. You can do this if you know how to build trust.
Find out the communication style they prefer. Don’t get too focused on pitching and trying to sell features and benefits. Instead, pay attention to their needs and make appropriate responses. Once you understand your target customer, you can get and keep their attention enough to offer solutions.
If you want to be a top sales talent, keep your communication skills sharp. Train yourself to communicate effectively in face-to-face, over-the-phone, and online scenarios.
High Tolerance for Rejection
Rejections are common in sales, and they can be disheartening. However, you must rise above it.
Effective salespeople see rejection as a learning opportunity. Instead of giving up, learn how to use these adverse experiences to improve your pitch. What adjustments should you make to your approach and script?
How much failure and rejection can you take before you lose enthusiasm and confidence? Take the time to evaluate your tolerance for obstacles and negative feedback.
If you have low tolerance but still think sales is your career path, do something about it. Learn tactics to handle rejection better when interacting with customers.
Experience in a Sales or Customer-Facing Role
Sales involve direct interaction with customers. It may be on the phone, through emails, or in face-to-face conversations. Experience in a sales or customer-facing role may give you an edge.
Having no experience does not mean you have no future in sales. However, you must hone your skills and traits to work directly with customers.
Customer service training books or courses can be a viable alternative to job experience. You can also take a more active learning approach through volunteer work in your community.
Reading fiction may also help improve your capacity for empathy. A well-developed sense of empathy is vital as you’re one of the first persons to interact with a customer.
Work With a Sales Recruitment Agency
Applying directly for sales positions is not always the best way to get the attention of recruiters. They often wade through numerous applications, and your resume can get lost in the shuffle. Working with a sales recruitment agency ensures your sales talent receives the notice it deserves.
Many companies look to recruitment agencies like SalesForce Search to build high-performing sales teams and hire great salespeople. Recruitment agencies have access to a wide pool of talent and open sales positions, allowing them to make the best match between sales talent and employers.
If you want to build or advance your career in sales, work with a sales recruitment agency. They can help ensure that you find the sales job that best fits your skills and experience.
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