7 years ago
February 21, 2017

3 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Sales Profession

In this article, we’ll discuss just three of the biggest reasons YOU should consider a sales profession for the next step in your career.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter
Claire McConnachie

If you’re unsure what to do with your career, it might be worth your time to consider a sales profession. Regardless of your long term goals, there are many ways experience in sales can assist you moving forward–the skills, connections, and mindset developed by a skilled salesperson can contribute to success in nearly any other arena. In this article, we’ll discuss just three of the biggest reasons YOU should consider a sales profession for the next step in your career.

*Skills That Benefit Anyone*

The most obvious reason to consider a sales profession: the skill set developed in a sales position is perhaps the most flexible skill set of all. On the path to becoming a successful salesperson, you’ll learn how people work and how to work people. Nothing compares for developing communications skills to the sheer volume of face-to-face experience you’ll gain in sales.

If you’re worth your salt at all, you’ll also pick up on how to properly observe your industry and competitors for change and evolution, how to innovate, and how to read data and turn it into practical results. Sales is about learning and putting fresh knowledge to work–a skill you’ll find valued in any position you may move on to.

*Opportunity to Develop Connections*

For someone career-minded, this is a very good reason to consider a sales profession. Your job is making connections–for the company, but you will be the interface. You will be the person that connection remembers. You may have conditions in your contract preventing you from leveraging company connections in certain ways, but even with those limitations being the person who knows people will pay off for your career in a big way.

This depends, of course, on the company you’re working for. If your interactions will be short-lived and have no further impact on the company, then you shouldn’t consider a sales profession based on this alone. But for companies with big, impactful long-term clients, this can be the single best reason to consider a sales profession.

*Path to the Top*

If you don’t have the connections or background to go straight to the top of a company, but you want to sit in one of the big chairs eventually, consider a sales profession. In addition to those connections you’ll be developing, sales positions are perhaps the place where your merit as an employee clearly and demonstrably impacts the bottom line. 

If you’re doing an excellent job in a sales position, it’s obvious to the people above you. Consider a sales position, then consider the other positions you might take–few offer such clear-cut evidence of your competence. And again, those connections will help when it’s time to move up. Being the favorite of some major client might just make the difference in whether you get a promotion. 

Claire McConnachie Recruiter

Claire McConnachie

Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.

salesforce-popup