Why choose a career in sales?

Why choose a career in sales?

Sales has become an increasingly popular career path  in the last five years. As per statistics released by statista.com, the number of sales and marketing related professionals in the UK has gone up from 852,000 in 2011 to 934,000 in 2017. Since sales as a career is picking pace, more and more students are opting to pursue sales management professionally.

If you are interested in taking up sales as a career, here’s an insightful blog to help you decide.

What does a sales executive do?

Sales executives are professionals who work for a department with the primary motive of selling goods and services to customers. The objective of this section of an industry is to generate profit for their company. The advantage of sales careers is that you can work in a wide range of industries since the sales process is an integral part of most businesses.

Following are the responsibilities of a sales executive:

• Basic duties: The duties of a sales executive include setting sales goals, formulating sales strategies and implementing those strategies to achieve set goals. Depending on what position you have assumed, you could be responsible for supervising the sales process of a department or an entire organisation. You will also have to analyse the sales report and customer surveys for sales insights, prepare budgets, sales predictions and determine sales progress.

• Sales: Sales is an integral part of a sales executive’s job responsibilities. In situations like special customer demand, a sales executive must step in to assume the role. Hence, it is essential for sales executives to be in constant touch with techniques and trends of the trade.

• Managing Functions: One of the primary responsibilities of a sales executive is to supervise subordinate salespersons and manage them. Sales executives are responsible for training them, setting performance standards, motivating them to meet sales targets and ensuring that the targets are achieved within the stipulated time.

Top reasons to choose a career in sales

According to The Guardian, sales manager is one of the top 20 best paid jobs in the UK. Sales careers are rewarding and at the same time quite challenging too. The art of persuasion seems too simple, but in reality, it is not. If you are still not sure whether sales is the career for you, read on to find out!

• Rewards and bonuses are a key motivator for people to do their best and you will find this aspect in abundance if you take up a sales position. Thanks to the performance-driven rewards – the more you sell, the more you will earn. So, if you have a competitive streak or want to be rewarded for the hard work you put in, sales is the career for you.

• Versatility is the primary advantage of being in the sales field. Sales process is an integral part of all businesses; hence, sales executives are an essential fit for every organisation.

• Sales executives are constantly trained with workshops on personality development and people skills. This will come in handy, not only in your professional life but also your personal life.

• A sales professional works in an environment that is challenging, engaging and rewarding. You will have in-depth knowledge about the products and services offered by the company, giving you an edge over your contemporaries.

• The rewards and bonuses are an additional incentive, especially because people in sales careers are known to draw high salaries. As advertised on Glassdoor, the average salary of a sales executive in the UK is about £26,000 per year. In fact, some organisations pay sales professionals for conveyance, abroad trips and even vehicles!

• To work in an environment that has flexible work hours is a blessing in disguise. Sales executives, especially those who work in field sales, have the liberty of flexible work hours. However, this depends solely on the organisation’s work culture.

• Networking is vital to all professions, irrespective of the industry. As a sales executive, you will constantly work in close proximity to customers. This means your relationship with the customer will be strong and you can make an impact on them.

• Job security is essential for everyone as no one wants to be involved in an uncertain job. Sales careers are known to be one of the top jobs in terms of job security. More so, because the skills of a sales professional are transferrable.

• Since sales professionals possess transferable skills and the sales process is integral to all businesses, the demand for sales professionals is high.

• Sales is an extremely exciting job. Sales roles require you to employ various tactics and techniques to generate profits, making the whole process interesting and exciting.

What do you need to become a good sales executive?

Every profession has a specific skill-set required to ace the job role; sales roles are no different. Following are the traits and skills you should possess to make it big in the sales industry:

• Critical Thinking: Critical thinking skills are crucial to all trades. You should be ready to overcome an unprecedented challenge and you must have the ability to do it quickly. Critical thinking skills will help you determine the most appropriate solution to a problem in a short span of time.

• Competitive: Sales is a competitive profession and needs individuals who are comfortable with it. Being competitive will help you get an edge over your contemporaries and think one step ahead every time.

• Passion: If you do not connect with a profession, it is unlikely that you will succeed in the domain. If you have an undying passion for sales and its techniques, you can think logically and effectively in the face of adversities.

• Open to Learning: Learning is a continuous process, so you should be open to learning along the way. With sales entering all sorts of domains, new technologies and techniques are coming to the fore. This will help you stay up-to-date with the constantly changing trends in the market.

• Analytical Skills: As part of the sales domain, analytical skills are imperative. They help you understand market surveys, profit reports and past trends, which further contribute to accurate sales predictions.

• People Skills: As a sales executive, interacting with people is a daily thing. Whether they are customers or your subordinates, having people skills will help enhance your personality as well as your ability to deal with people.

• Persuasive Skills: This is an integral skill for every sales executive. Your job relies on your ability to persuade customers to buy a product or service. Hence, this skill is crucial for people who take up sales roles.

Sales Management is an interesting and rewarding course with promising career prospects. Institutes today are offering on-campus as well as online courses to help students enter the sales field. One of the best institutes to offer online courses in Sales Management is the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF). The courses offered by LSBF are Online Dual MSc and MA in Strategic Marketing (Sales Management), Online Global MBA (Sales Management) Degree and the Business Development Techniques course.

If you too have a knack for sales and want to make it big in the industry, sign up for the course of your choice, now!

This text was written by Meghdeep Patnaik and edited by Anisa Choudhary.