8 steps to sales job success

Job hunting in the sales profession can feel like extreme selling, and that means taking a lot of rejection. Staying focused and positive will be essential if you’re hoping to land a sales job in the current UK job market.

You know that the more persistent, confident and savvy you are when dealing with prospective employers, the more likely you’ll be to land that plum sales executive or sales manager role. So it’s time to put your well-honed selling skills to the ultimate test. To help you win in the sales job market, we’ve compiled eight tips that should remind you how powerful good sales techniques can be.

1. Keep a positive mindset

If you have opted for a career in sales, it’s pretty much a given that you will be thick-skinned and understand that rejection shouldn’t be taken personally. You also know that there are techniques and skills involved in successful selling, so try your hardest to keep thinking and behaving like a salesperson. If you stay positive in outlook and mood, you will be more likely to successfully use your communication skills, and draw on previous experience to secure the job of your dreams. Just like selling, job hunting can be a numbers game, so make sure you are proactive in as many ways as possible. Upload your CV to the best job boards, and sign up to job email alerts so you’re aware of vacancies as soon as they arise. Being ahead of the competition will make you feel more positive and keep you engaged in the job-hunting process over time.

Experts say that using a positive mindset can actually make you stand out from the crowd. Employers will be particularly keen to employ those who display a positive mindset who can swim rather than sink, in what’s likely to be a few more years of tough trading.

2. Research your target companies

Don’t even think about targeting a company for a sales job unless you fully understand what they do and how they work first. When you approach a company to offer your skills and talents in selling you must prove from day one that you are as good as you claim to be. That means being pitch-perfect and that means reading up on the company as extensively as you can. What does the corporate website say? Are their customer testimonials to give insights into what they do and how they are viewed by clients? How financially successful do the relevant industry news services say they are? What is their business strategy and how do you think you could help them reach their goals. Today many large companies pride themselves on their company culture, values and ‘mission statement’. So make sure know what all those are before you send an email or pick up the phone. Other areas of research not to skimp on are: the product or services being sold; the competition in the market; their international reach; their top personnel; their latest product launches or service announcements. If you arrive at an interview with plenty of relevant knowledge and are able to ask the right questions, you will really impress.

3. Be hungry

Money-motivation is an important trait in sales. Employers will expect you to be very keen to earn, and be driven by what you can get with your salary and bonuses. Don’t be afraid to appear money-motivated as selling in a recessionary climate will require this of you. Sales managers want their teams to be determined to close the sale, and so they are looking for individuals who are able to put the strategy in place, and have the hunger to do so. In sales being a good communicator is only useful if combined with money-motivation and a competitive nature, so try and show all off if you can. If you get to interview stage, make sure you have examples of how your hunger to meet targets has shaped your career to date.

4. Differentiate yourself

Once you have researched the company you’re targeting spend some time thinking about what will make you different – better – than the competition going in for sales job interviews. Are they looking for people who can sell flexibly as they adapt to a changing market? If they are opening up new international sales channels, do you have skills and experience that will be of use? Maybe they are hoping to use social media for sales leads, so can you talk about how you have successfully done this before? If you go in armed with things like this to talk about, backed up with solid examples of what you’ve already achieved, you will feel fully prepared, and be able to present yourself in a very good light.

5. Dodge the gatekeepers

When it comes to hunting for a sales job, it’s imperative to get yourself in front of the decision-makers. Just as you need to dodge the gatekeeper when selling sales and products, you must do the same when trying to speak to a sales manager or HR director. If you are scuppered at the first hurdle don’t give up! You may experience tetchy receptionists or simply not get a response when you send an email to the HR department or a careers officer. In sales, these setbacks must be overcome by persistence so do the same when trying to speak to those who might hire you. Hatch a plan to find a new means of gaining access and stick to it. There are many ways in, particularly if you are willing to keep trying over a period of time. Always remain polite and calm, and remember that every time you try is further proof of what a great salesperson you are!

6. Adopt social media for networking

In today’s difficult job market it’s never been more important to effectively network with peers – online and offline. For social media to work in your favour in the sales job market you’ll need to create a great online profile with compelling messages that will get you noticed by employers and recruiters. So tidy up your Facebook page, sign up to company Twitter feeds so you know more about them, and make sure your LinkedIn profile describes your previous sales achievements clearly. If you can include some testimonials or personal recommendations about you and your work, so much the better. Sign up to relevant professional forums such as LinkedIn’s UK Sales Network, powered by www.simplysalesjobs.co.uk.

Video interviews are starting to be used by large companies who want to ‘meet’ individuals, so preparing your own showcase video could help get you through the door of your target company. It might be useful to make a three-minute podcast about yourself? Or what about a video presentation on how you envisage your business sector will evolve in the next few years?

7. Use the right body language

Having the right body language can stand you in good stead as a salesperson, so make sure you don’t forget the golden rules when you’re networking or attending interviews. The basics are to maintain eye contact (but don’t stare), keep your back straight, offer a firm, confident handshake, and don’t slouch or fiddle with pens or hair. Advice from the experts is to not be over-confident though, as arrogance or the suggestion of an over-bearing personality won’t help you secure the job. Walking into an interview thinking that you’ve already got the job could be very dangerous. Often you will need to be a team player, so don’t create an identity that is too pushy or unpleasant.

8. Know that ‘no’ isn’t personal

Anyone working in sales will know that you may have to accept 20 ‘nos’ before a ‘yes’ comes along. The more times you try, the better your success rate is likely to be, and this is how you should proceed with the sales job hunt, particularly in recession-hit Britain. Set yourself goals and be mentally prepared for a fair amount of rejection. The better you are at taking the ‘nos’ the better a salesperson you will be. So rise above them and move onto your next part of the action plan. You can also ask for feedback and gain some insights into where you might be going wrong in your approach in the sales job market. Learning by your mistakes can be very powerful.

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