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There are many decisions that have to be made regarding your sales career and you are the one that has to make them. I think many, if not most, sales professionals go through their entire sales career like an abandoned boat in the ocean, letting the winds and currents steer them at their whim. They define their career as simply “sales” instead of something more specific. While we all know that sales positions can bring large incomes, there’s more to it than that.

The greatest thing about people is that we are all hard wired differently. There is not another salesperson on this planet that has your exact inventory of strengths and weaknesses (yes, we all have weaknesses too). Once you answer the question, “What is the best fit for me in my sales career?” you’ll be better positioned to become content and successful. This was certainly true for me. Once I came to grips with where I fit and what my strengths and weaknesses were I became more satisfied both professionally and personally. I found, and you will too, that it was even easier for me to relate to my customers. Everything was easier. We have to synchronize who we are with our sales careers; you can’t maximize your potential if you constantly go against the grain. What are some of the decisions that have to be made to better define the best sales career for you?

Product, service or intangible sales?
Sell to small, medium or large companies?
Industrial, commercial, institutional or professional sales environment?
Transactional or relationship sales?
Business to business or business to consumer?
Retail or wholesale?
Short or long order cycle?
Small or large average order size?
Small base with high commission potential or high base with limited commission?
Work out of your home or in an office?
Inside or outside sales?

If you feel strongly that sales is the right career for you yet you move from one employer to the next without ever feeling much satisfaction, you most likely have never done your sales career homework. Stop and take inventory. There is a place out there for you, but you just haven’t found it yet. This exercise is especially important if you are starting your sales career, but if you are 40+ and unhappy with how things are going, it’s definitely not too late.

A weed is nothing more than a plant in the wrong place. In the right environment you’ll be in a better position to blossom both professionally and personally. If your sales career is not as rewarding as you would like, do your homework in order to make sure you are in the right place to grow.

Tags: career

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