Tired of your sales job? Sales is a notoriously hard career to leave behind, especially if you’re good at it. Many of us stick with it because the commission makes other starting salaries look measley. If you’d like to leave the sales track and try your hand at another lucrative career, the key is to find a new role that’s going to draw on your existing skills. These tips will help you identify how your sales career makes you an exceptional candidate in other fields.
Your Entrepreneurial Spirit
While it might sound strange to suggest that a ‘job’ in sales indicates that you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, ask yourself how often you take home only your basic pay? If you’re regularly bringing home big commission, that means you’re out there finding opportunities for yourself. You think outside the box. Where other people see a brick wall, you see a chink of light shining through. If you enjoy the self-reliance of being a sales person but want to leave the hard sell behind, consider starting your own business and having only yourself to answer for. If you’re not convinced, statistics bear this out. Of the world’s top CEOs in all economic sectors, a staggering seventeen per cent come from a sales background. That means almost one in five of them started where you are now: with sales experience and big dreams. Not surprising, when you consider that many of the qualities you need to be a successful entrepreneur have a significant overlap with sales.
You are Relationships Driven
If you’re a great salesperson, chances are you have a good dose of charisma in your character makeup. You’re the person who goes to the party solo and ends up introducing strangers to one another. You’re a good listener. You understand what makes people tick, and people trust you to understand their vision. The ability to connect with people and forge relationships is highly prized, and not just in the sales industry. If you’re thinking of branching out from sales, consider a role that draws on your relationship-building skills. Whether you’ve always wanted to own a business brokerage or negotiate trade deals, your talent for navigating interpersonal relationships will take you far.
You Work Your Butt Off
Targets are there to be smashed, in your opinion. You accept the challenges put in front of you with relish, but not because your boss tells you to. As a successful sales person, you bring your own motivation to the table, rather than waiting to be told what to do by the higher-ups. When you’re unsure whether you have a chance in another career, remember that you would not have been successful in sales if you weren’t industrious. Your perseverance is second to none. Each time you fall, you get back up again. And you are always working to hone your skills.
If you want out of sales but don’t know if you’re employable elsewhere, relax. Whether you’ve been in sales for twenty years or a few months, the skills you have developed will stand you in good stead outside of the sales world. These tips will help you see how your sales experience can transfer to other careers.
