A long time ago, I wrote a post about how to get a job in sales. It is mostly right. What is really wrong is corrected here, with apologies for not writing this sooner.
Right now I have an open position for a sales manager for one of my companies. I have been very involved in the process of hiring this person, as they are instrumental to the success of the business (as all sales managers are).
There are ads for this position running on Indeed.com, ZipRecruiter, and Careerbuilder. These ads have been run multiple times, and the resumes have really stacked up. There are now more than 400 resumes, half of which lack the requisite experience, as they have no sales or leadership history at all.
These ads have been running for weeks. Over 400 people have sent me their resume. Yet, not a single one of the people who sent me their CV have had the gumption to pick up the phone to call me to ask me for an interview.
- If you want a job in sales, you have to demonstrate the fundamental skills and abilities of a salesperson. You have to pursue what it is that you want, especially if it is an opportunity. How can you be a salesperson without knowing how to schedule an appointment with a prospect?
- If you are a sales manager, you are a leader. How can you lead salespeople if you are unwilling to serve as an example of what you want them to be? Would you recommend the people on your team send emails and wait to see if anyone emails them back for an appointment?
Sales isn’t an endeavor that allows for passivity. Leadership requires that you lead the action to move forward towards some goal, some better future. It doesn’t allow you to wait to see if anything happens for you. These behaviors repel success.
If you want a job in sales, act like a salesperson. If you want to lead or manage a sales force, demonstrate the behaviors you will expect of the people you lead. Do this and you will massively compress the time it takes you to get work.
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