<- Back
Sales is a difficult, but very rewarding industry. Getting ahead in Sales is even harder. However, by boarding your skills, listening proactively, knowing your value and how best to sell yourself, you can leap frog your opposition.
Here are our FOUR tips on How to advance your career in Sales
1. Broaden your skills
Look for ways to expand your knowledge by reading new trade material, going to conferences or taking on new projects that interest you. It’s all about enthusiastic, focused and continued learning.
Following different pursuits can provide you with vital leadership, experiences and expertise in new fields, not only benefiting you, but your team and company. Making you a go-to source.
Whether you are looking for the next step in your career or to progress in the company you’re in, an employer will always be impressed with someone who can demonstrate curiosity, initiative and flexibility to take on new challenges.
2. Listen proactively
For opportunities
Listen out for signs of opportunity and express your interest before they become available. You can ask your boss for advice on what you can be doing right now to get the job you want in the future, ask the top sellers for mentoring and ask to lead some upcoming presentations and meetings.
To gain knowledge
Listen to your clients and learn what they are learning. Read about anything you can find that might affect the industry, their business and the future of their business. Not only will this add value t you, it will add value to your company and your conversations on the product or service.
To explore cues
When having a conversation or presentation with a client make sure to follow their cues. If they are showing interest in a certain part of the product or service, come away from your script and focus on what is interesting them. This will help you to understand where to take the conversation next and whether they want to buy from you or not.
Similarly, if you can tell that they are not interested, change your approach and try and gain back their interest.
3. Know your value
By focusing solely on one career path, it’s easy to forget the real value you provide. Widen your perspective and have a look around your organisation or job market, you might discover there are gaps within the business that you can fill and are a better fit for you.
Taking your own initiative to improve your career will help you in the long run, making you more appealing to new employers when you want to take the next step.
4. Know how to sell yourself
Articulate your value
You can have a great CV along with experience in respected organisations with great references, but if you are not able to articulate your accomplishments and show self-awareness in what you are good at, you may not be giving yourself the best chance.
Be confident
In an interview or meeting, be mindful of how you discuss your work. Speaking about your performance in a self-critical way such as “I need to be doing more of this” or “I need to be doing more of that” has a negative resulting perception. Go out of your way to speak about your successes with confidence.
Developing your career in sales means going beyond what is usually asked of you, if you have the ambition and drive to do so, you can go far. For advice on your next career move you can give us a call or have a look through our available sales roles.