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Sales are ubiquitous. Almost every professional role is engaging in sales to some degree, whether you believe it or not. This could be as subtle as vying for a new promotion or as bludgeoning as a used car salesman at the end of a quarter.
Ultimately, career, business, and professional success often goes hand-in-hand with the ability to sell. And many people don’t even recognize how they are unconsciously selling. From coaxing kids to behave in a car ride to convincing your spouse to order pizza instead of salad bowls, it’s sales.
However, as I’m sure you have recognized, there is a difference between selling for a living and unconsciously leveraging sales. Which brings me to my next point:
Are you sure you want to work in sales?
Before we got into the how, let’s discuss the why. Believe it or not, sales are not easy. Entry-level sales roles can be particularly brutal as doing hundreds of cold calls and messages without response can crush your self-esteem.
The first question you must ask yourself is: do you have the qualities that make a career in sales possible?
1. Are you competitive?
2. Are you a strong communicator and can talk to people with ease?
3. Are you constantly learning?
4. Do you set goals and are motivated to reach and achieve them?
5. Can you handle rejection? And not take it personally?
6. Do you like helping people solve problems?
7. Are you data and metric-driven? Do you like to see your results quantified?
8. Are you research oriented?
9. Can you build lasting relationships?
10. Does money motivate you?
If you feel you have at least some, if not most, of these qualities, then maybe a career in sales is for you.
But the decision to work in sales isn’t as easy as doing a checklist of these qualities. There are a lot of nuances. For example, I had a client who was crushing it in their sales career but wanted to work in a role that was less deadline-driven because he found it too stressful. Additionally, I had a client who I helped break into tech sales (SaaS) but didn’t realize how much work being an SDR required, so later returned to their old profession.
Sales in tech, SaaS, or anywhere else may not be as idyllic as some would make it seem. There is a lot of hard work put into a successful sales career that isn’t always seen on the surface (think of an iceberg). But, if you’re willing to put in the effort, sales can offer a lot of amazing benefits!
What Type of Career Do You Want and Why Would You Stand Out?
Think of your current career background and how you could leverage it in a sales career. Or how your experience could align with a particular product or service. For example, and I mentioned this in another post of mine. I helped a high-voltage electrician land a remote technical sales job for a company that sells H.V. equipment.
Also, think of ways of how your experience has positioned you to excel in a sales career. There is no way you worked a job without having to exhibit some qualities I listed above. Break down your experience, flesh out the skills you attained from each of your previous roles or education, and see how they align with a new career. This will also help with writing your resume.
This exercise will position you to start honing your unique value proposition. A way to combine your past experience, education, and work into a cohesive narrative that will resonate with a recruiter or hiring manager.
Plus, it will enable you to pick industries that suit your interests and experience. By understanding your professional capabilities, you can research industries, products, and services that you would be interested in selling and/or have a predisposition to sell. Really, any background can align with sales, but having a solid appreciation of yourself and your ability is crucial in determining where you want to go and why you would be a good fit.
The last thing to consider is your location. This is twofold. First, because your location contributes to hiring decisions, you may want to look for roles in your area. (If you’re looking for remote roles, check out this blog).
Second, let’s say you live in London, Kitchener, Hamilton, Toronto, Oakville, Windsor, or wherever. Not only do employers want to hire locally often, you may also have a better understanding of the macro and micro market conditions in the areas where you live.
Getting Started
Now that you have decided to embark on a career in sales, it is time to do some research. This should span industry, companies, and possible network connections.
First, it is crucial you understand a product or service before you attempt to sell it. This is easier when you are applying to a sales role within an industry you have experience in. But when you are starting out fresh, research is key. Demonstrate in an interview when you land one that you have, at the very least, a high-level understanding of what product or service they are offering. This shows motivation, dedication, and the ability to learn. And subsequently your ability to educate clients or customers.
PS: The narrower your scope of industry research is, the easier accumulating knowledge will be.
Next step, make a list of ideal companies that you want to work for within the industry you have researched and are best suited for. Of course, you could reverse engineer this process and start by finding companies and then doing research. But, in my experience, the wider the net you cast, the less effective your job search is.
Start by creating an ideal company profile. This should reflect location, product, growth opportunities, coaching (you want to learn sales, not be let to sink or swim), compensation, product-market fit, and suitability in relation to your experience.
This is key. Chances are you are going to have to start in an entry-level role. If this is not aligned with your career search, aspirations, or ego, then chances are you don’t need to continue reading this. As, believe it or not, sales are not easy. And unless you have real and tangible sales experience in some of your roles, transitioning into this industry will require starting from the ground up. Think BDR or SDR. AE or AM maybe, but ONLY if you have very related experience with the product they are selling or some adjacent sales related experience.
Next, start researching and building your network, as this is crucial to landing interviews and breaking into sales. The wider your network, the more opportunities. LinkedIn is an amazing tool for networking. Start by reviewing your own network to see if you have any sales professionals that you can have conversations with. Next, connect with other sales professionals, ask them questions, or just have them in your feed so you can follow their sales-related advice and stories.
When adding new connections:
· Send a thoughtful, personalized message.
· Focus on 2nd connections, sales professionals, professionals in the companies you’re targeting, and professionals within your country.
· Use the LinkedIn search function to identify key connections.
Another option is to connect with recruiters via LinkedIn for specific companies that may interest you. They might not have current roles open, but connecting with them may lead to future opportunities as they become available.
· You can often find recruiters via the job postings.
· If they are not there, you can search through the employee portion on company pages to find ideal connections.
· If you have a shared connection, ask for a direct introduction to the recruiter, hiring manager, or decision maker.
The idea is to connect with professionals who have already achieved success, can open up opportunities for you, or act as a gatekeeper for opportunities (recruiters). Even if you are simply having an informational interview, it can give you the guidance required to improve your job search.
Here are also some helpful messaging templates:
Connection Requests:
Hi Name,
I’m looking to expand my network and connect with professionals in [field/profession]. I also noticed, [something unique about their profile] and thought you would be a great addition to my network.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Subject: Your [profession] experience at [company name]
Hi [Name]
My name is [your name], and I’ve enjoyed your comments/posts about working at [company name]. Can I ask you a quick question about your experience there?
I know you are busy, but your insight would be deeply appreciated.
[Your Name]
Subject: Quick Question about [Profession]
Hi [Name],
I’m [Your Name], and I was wondering if you would mind connecting. I have a quick question about [profession]. I am trying to learn more about [profession] and your LinkedIn profile and posts tell me you would be the right person to reach out to!
Hope to talk soon,
[Your Name]
Message Templates for Recruiters:
Hi [Recruiter Name]
I saw your job posting for [position name] when I was searching for new roles. I’m interested in learning more about [company name/role], can we connect?
[Your Name]
Connecting (Straightforward Approach):
Hi [Name],
I hope you're doing well. I wanted to connect to learn more about the [Position Name] position.
I'm [currently/formerly] a [Position Name] at [Company Name] with [+10] years of experience in [list a few skills/qualities related to role]. I’m very interested in the opportunity you’re hiring for and I’d be grateful for the chance to express how I could have an impact in the role.
Let me know if you want me to provide my resume. I hope to hear from you soon!
Thanks,
[Your Name]
After Applying:
Subject: Quick Question about [Position Title]
Hi [name],
I recently applied to the [Position Name] position and I want to know, from your perspective, what it takes to be successful in the role?
I know you are busy, and can appreciate if you don't have time to answer. But I'm very interested in working at [Company] and want to ensure I’m doing everything I can to get hired.
All the best,
[Your Name]
Before Applying:
Subject: Quick Question about [Position Title]
Hi [Name], I wanted to know what you personally feel an ideal candidate would look like for the [position name] position?
I’m very interested in working for [company] and want to do what I can to optimize my candidacy.
I know you’re probably extremely busy and if you don't have time to respond, I absolutely understand. Either way, I hope you have an amazing week and find the perfect candidate for this position.
All the best,
[Your Name]
Self-Learning and Membership Communities
If you take your development into your own hands, you can quicken your entry into sales, and not start your career or first day as a complete noob. There are so many resources available that reasonable self-development is entirely plausible. Here are a few to consider:
A key to sales is communication. Even if you know the product you want to sell better than everyone else, you won’t be successful in sales if you can’t communicate well on a human non-transactional level. If you feel you’re not a great communicator, consider taking some classes, getting some coaching, or joining something like Toastmasters.
You can also look into free training. For example, Salesforce’s Trailhead course will teach you the basics of how to use a CRM. Hubspot Academy has several free sales courses as well. The more you know, the more marketable you are.
To really improve your chances, join a sales development organization where you can learn from pro’s, take courses, and connect with other sales professionals. Joining a sales development, mentorship, or growth community is an awesome way to learn, network, and reach out to established sales professionals to learn more about breaking into the field.
I highly recommend Pavilion, it has 10K+ members that are leaders within the world’s fastest-growing SaaS organizations and have deep expertise in sales, marketing, customer success, revenue operations, and finance. Plus, they provide exclusive access to a carefully curated library of invaluable career assets like job descriptions, compensation studies, compensation plans, reporting frameworks, and more. It has 50 “Pavilion University” programs, offering a range of structured educational experiences that help learners gain the knowledge, skills, and mindsets required for success throughout their careers.
There are also free organizations like RevGenius, that describes itself as an online community for sales, marketing, rev-ops, and customer success professionals. They offer an inclusive space to learn, share, and bond over the revenue industry experience.
There are also sales schools and universities that you can pay for sales training that charge a significant premium. They advertise a high likelihood of landing a role. However, I don’t feel like this is necessary if you follow the instruction in this blog post and connect with other sales organizations and membership communities.
Take your education into your own hands and read books like:
The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople by Stephen Schiffman
The Best Damn Sales Book Ever: 16 Rock-Solid Rules for Achieving Sales Success! by Warren Greshes
The Sales Development Playbook: Build Repeatable Pipeline and Accelerate Growth with Inside Sales by Trish Bertuzzi
More Sales, Less Time: Surprisingly Simple Strategies for Today’s Crazy-Busy Sellers by Jill Konrath
The Sales Survival Handbook by Ken Kupchik
Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar
Career Related Tools and Documents
Before you start messaging a bunch of strangers, there are some things you need to have on point. Starting with your LinkedIn. I’m going to go through a handful of ways you can optimize your LinkedIn profile and get ahead of the competition.
Use a Professional Photo:
Remember, people make judgments so presenting yourself well matters. Make sure your profile photo is a professional representation of you or your brand. In addition, you can also change your LinkedIn background photo to something more original. But once again, make sure it is still professional or on brand. Take a look at mine:
Use a custom URL:
Make it easy for people to find and connect with you by customizing your profile’s URL. Like mine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel--reed/
Follow this article to help you.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Headline:
LinkedIn’s default is to use your current job title as your headline. This can limit your ability to appeal to recruiters because it may not be the best reflection of your career expertise. It can also limit your search results because you’re limiting the content to one role. Consider writing a few skills to ensure you are being rendered in as many searches as possible. For Example: Sales Development Representative | Business Development Representative | Sales Professional | SaaS | Tech Sales | Etc.
You can also say Aspiring Sales Professional or Aspiring SDR but I would do it like this:
Sales Development Representative | Aspiring Sales Professional
The reason for is simple: you want your headline to attract interest from individuals in a hiring position and who are using the LinkedIn search function. I can assure you individuals in this position are not searching for “aspiring.” So lead with the role you are targeting to increase your profiles visibility.
Open Up Yourself to Work:
If you’re looking for a job, you can let recruiters and your network on LinkedIn know you’re open to new job opportunities. You should specify the job types you’re interested in and your preferred location or working arrangement (remote, hybrid, in person). Think SDR, BDR, and other entry-level sales roles. LinkedIn will help your profile show up in search results when recruiters look for suitable job candidates.
With this function, you have control of who can see that you are ready to take on a new opportunity. You can choose who sees you’re open:
· All LinkedIn Members: This also includes recruiters and people at your current company. It also adds the #OpenToWork green photo frame.
· Recruiters only: People using LinkedIn Recruiter only. Note: LinkedIn takes steps to prevent LinkedIn Recruiter users at your current company and related companies from seeing your shared career interests.
In your case, as you are attempting to break into the field, I would recommend having it open to all LinkedIn members to boost visibility.
Sell YOU in Your LinkedIn Summary:
The summary section is your chance to sell yourself and develop a convincing professional bio. This should not be the same summary you used in your resume; it should be longer, more detailed, and composed of compelling points that will generate interest in you. I recommend using short paragraphs, bullet points, and varying lengths of sentences to not bore the reader. I can assure you that no one is going to want to read a giant chunk of text. This should also reflect, as best as possible, your related sales skills and experience. Think of the companies and industries you have started to research and flesh out qualities from your current/past experience that relate. In addition, articulate your reasons and desires to enter a career in sales. This should encapsulate your motivation, work ethic, and your specific qualities that will allow you to excel in a sales career. Remember, communication is key in sales, so your LinkedIn, cover letter, and resume should be written well and exemplify your unique value.
Building a Presence:
Get active and engaged on LinkedIn:
Hiring managers want to hire people sharing relevant content that shows their passion for the industry and their profession, especially if that overlaps with their sales process. They want to see people who are engaged on a social channel where their customers are. Show your passion and eagerness, motivation is a great differentiating factor, and passion can be a huge contributing factor to a hiring decision.
To do this, you should read posts, understand the meaning behind it, and make an insightful comment. Avoid “love your work” and “great point,” comments. While these can be okay sometimes, they should not represent the thrust of your engagement. Instead, focus on meaningful comments that promote conversation.
You should also make a habit of liking other’s posts and comments. And while this isn’t the best way to build relationships or a presence, it is a quick way to get eyes on your profile, create exposure, and support others’ content. However, this should not replace more concerted commenting.
Write posts:
When you are writing posts, be sure to consider your audience. The idea of a strong post is to encourage engagement and build your presence. Provide valuable content, ask insightful questions, promote thought leadership in your industry, discuss topical issues, and if you’re comfortable doing so, talk about your personal life.
A few types of posts I have found to be successful are critically discussing an issue that impacts many people. The hiring process, for example. Asking or exploring meaningful questions is also helpful, but remember if you do this, you have to engage with the responses, not respond with a like and a “thanks for contributing.”
I have also seen posts that’s are confrontational, edgy, political, complaining, etc. do well. But I’m not convinced this is the type of content you want to be known for. However, there are successful LinkedIn users who use this as a consistent strategy.
Note: It is one thing to be confrontational and say cold calling is dead if the point is learning and exploring a topic. If the point is to shock your audience, that is completely different.
Here are a few tips on how to write an ENGAGING LinkedIn post!
1. Keep your headline short. 50 characters maximum.
2. Offer value. People appreciate good and actionable advice.
3. Interact with your audience. Ask questions!
4. Keep the reading level low. Check out the Flesch reading ease test on ProWritingAid
5. Offer more value, it will encourage interaction from your audience.
6. Avoid dense paragraphs.
7. Use lists. They do well on LinkedIn.
8. Add hashtags.
9. Create a call to action: Comment below if you have any other tips!
Send Messages:
I’m sure if you have spent any time on LinkedIn, you are familiar with the pitch slap. Basically, you connect with someone and they send you a sales pitch almost immediately. Now, can this be beneficial? Sure, if you are doing an outbound lead generation campaign and you are viewing the people you message transactionally.
However, this is not the ideal messaging strategy. To truly build your presence and relationships, you need to be messaging from a place of authenticity, showing true engagement, and a willingness to connect with someone with no strings attached. Consider following up consistently with your connections, getting updates on their life and career progress, but without demands or expectations. I explore authentic relationship building more later in this blog, but the idea is to engage with your connections and audience without expecting something.
Plus, LinkedIn may be rolling out a referral request on their platform for your first connections, when you apply to a role. But who knows when this will happen. Either way, it would be beneficial to have an engaged and trusting network for this reason alone, not even considering the many other benefits of having of an robust network.
The Resume:
As someone who has worked with sales professionals extensively, I have had a significant amount of experience creating and drafting resumes for clients, ranging from BDRs to CROs. That said, resumes often represent the first impression and need to be on point if you want employers to consider your candidacy.
In this blog post, I go over a few key points on how to develop a sales resume: https://www.topprospectcareers.com/post/how-to-write-an-amazing-sales-resume Here I discuss more general rules to writing a resume: https://www.topprospectcareers.com/post/how-to-optimize-your-job-search-in-2023 However, what these two posts fail to mention is the nature of breaking into sales specifically. So, the first step is to understand and try to follow the best practices outlined in the two posts when you are writing your resume. The second step is to tie in as many sales-related qualities and abilities as you possibly can within your content. Whether customer service, communication, actual sales, try to flesh out these transferable qualities.
If you have sales experience, quantify it as best as possible, demonstrate those results.
If you have taken courses, attended webinars, received sales coaching, joined a sales development group like Pavilion, add it.
If you have no experience and no related experience (I doubt it) still show how you have been a top performer in your roles, what you accomplished, and the impact you had! Consider using one of these two methods when writing your accomplishments!
First, the PAR Method, which stands for problem, action, and results and looks like this:
Boosted stagnant revenue growth by creating an effective operating cadence spanning all GTM teams that generated $12M net new ARR in 2021 (+77% YoY).
Note: Don’t actually use bold, italics, and underlines when including bullets like this in your resume. I was showing the problem, action, and result!
A Google recruiter popularized the second method: Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]. Or the XYZ method. As an example:
Generated $12M net new ARR (+77% YoY) in 2021 by creating an effective operating cadence spanning Sales, Marketing, CS, and RevOps.
Of the two, I prefer the second, as it frontend loads the bullet and demands attention. However, there are cases when the PAR method reads or works better. In either case, the idea is to be explicit about your achievements and give details about how you hit your goal.
Remember, your resume is a way to pitch yourself. If it is full of accomplishments, metrics, and sleek content, you will land the interviews you want and get the opportunities you deserve.
Searching for Jobs
The endless amount of job boards can become daunting when conducting a job search. And while platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed can be a great starting point, there are specific job boards dedicated to sales roles that may help with your search. Here is a list of some:
Interviewing
The emails and phone calls start to come in. Employers are impressed with your resume and LinkedIn profile, and they want you to come in for an interview or speak on the phone. Yay! The hard part is over. Or is it?
Interviews, like resumes, pose unique challenges that many of my clients and job seekers have struggled with. There is a lot of advice on the internet on how to effectively navigate these stress-inducing situations but there is often conflicting information on just HOW to proceed.
“Make your weakness a strength.” “Give a firm handshake.” “Tell them you’ve never had a difficult situation with a colleague.” “Arrive four hours early and pretend you are already working there.”
Well, I’m not so sure about the last one, but the others are often common pieces of advice when it comes to handling interviews. As a part of this guide, I’m going to provide my knowledge on how to effectively interview. I will cover some of the most common interview questions and some general conduct to ensure you can ace your interview with confidence.
Preparation
How do I prepare for a sales interview? Do I memorize my resume? Do I send a thank you email after the interview? What are common interview questions?
I get these questions a lot and I intend on answering all of them. But first, while your resume is important, if you were asked for an interview, guess what? They ALREADY know what’s on it. Meaning, that although you should know what’s on your resume you need to prepare for an interview differently.
Interview preparation is key and there are many things that can help you prepare for a job interview but for the sake of brevity and to avoid repetition throughout the guide this part of the guide will focus solely on generalities.
The first thing you should do is reread the posting and the job description, make sure you know exactly what the job entails, and that you know what skills, qualifications, and experiences are required for the role.
Once you know, compare it to your own skills, see where they match up and see where they don’t. While you’re going through this try and think of specific examples from your past or current jobs where you have used these skills, gained experience in them, or demonstrated them in some capacity.
In areas where you don’t match the job description prepare to have a response as to why. If you lack them does practical experience make up for it? Are you working to improve? It is good to have an idea of where your blind spots are.
Take time to RESEARCH the company, get more than a general feel. Try to dig up some background information, stuff about their strategic direction, and interesting news about them. Consider having a knowledge of what the company does, who it does it for, its history, its biggest competitors, its industry, and how it is structured.
Finally, practice. Yes, it’s as simple as that. Take the time to practice what you intend to say. Of course, the interview will never be as straightforward as your practice session but it is important to have a baseline of preparation. This will help with your confidence and give you the ammunition necessary to answer the many questions that will occur over the course of the interview.
Practicing out loud is the only way to ensure that you can talk about yourself in a way that is confident, engaging, and aligned with the position you are applying for. In addition, it is important to base your practice answers on specific examples opposed to specific questions. As many interviewers will ask the same question but word it differently. Having examples will prepare you better than memorizing answers to specific questions.
Plus, you want to come off as practiced and confident, not stilted and robotic. An interviewer can tell that what you have said is deeply rehearsed when it sounds like you are reading off a teleprompter. Develop strong answers but be ready to change on the fly in response to the interview. Remain confident, optimistic, and enthusiastic.
Mindset, Confidence, and Body Language
Interviews make people nervous!
I get it.
But an interview is not only a test about your skills and abilities, it is also a way to see your personality.
Having confidence in your presence, answers, and conduct is a huge determining factor as to whether your interview will be successful or not. But is BEING confident easier said than done?
Confidence isn’t whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, quiet, shy, or funny, because I have seen individuals with all these traits be successful in interviews. Confidence is unequivocally owning who you are and being comfortable with it.
Instead of mentally berating yourself because you’re not making the interviewers roll over with laughter, accept it. Don’t focus on what you believe are your shortcomings in an interview, focus on your strengths. Don’t try to be someone else, this will put you in your head and it will come off as nervousness. Remember, the company wants to interview YOU not the idea of you that you’re ruminating about that has been giving you anxiety.
I highly recommend taking some time to re-calibrate your center before your interview. Take some deep breaths, practice a few breathing exercises, slow your heart rate, smile!
Then try to do these things during the interview:
Eye contact: Practice making eye contact while listening and while speaking. Averting your eyes or staring down at your resume will undermine your professional disposition.
Smile: Yes, it’s what confident people do. According to Psychology Today, smiling makes you seem courteous, likable, and competent. You want this.
Body Language: Stand and sit in open positions. Keep your arms by your sides, not in your pockets, or crossed in front of you. Don’t hesitate to gesture with your hands. Just don’t go crazy, you’re not a mime.
Talk Slowly: Don’t rush your answers. Breath, take pauses. You’re a confident professional!
Firm Handshake: Yes, it matters. Studies show that a firm handshake is essential in making a positive first impression and a contributing factor to overall interview success.
Don’t Fidget: Try not to tap your fingers, play with your pen, ruffle your resume, tap your feet, etc. As it is associated with nervousness.
Showing confidence in interviews will give you an edge over the competition and demonstrate to interviewers that you are competent and able to succeed in the role. If you demonstrate these methods you will appear composed, confident, and capable.
The Day of The Interview
Aim to arrive 15 minutes early for in person interviews, for digital interviews make it a few minutes. More than that can be considered annoying. Make sure you know where you are going! If you arrive too early, hang out in your car, a café, or somewhere nearby.
I recommend having everything you need for the interview packed and double-checked the night before. Copies of your resume, references (if required), the contact info of your interviewers, directions, and anything else you were asked to bring to the interview.
First Impression
The first impression matters a lot. According to research you have six minutes and 25 seconds to make a positive one. It can take interviewers just 385 seconds to decide if the candidate is right for the role.
A first impression can also dictate the entire flow of an interview. When you meet the interviewer for the first time remember to provide a firm handshake, smile, and be cordial.
When you are waiting for the interview or arriving at the workplace be polite to whomever you encounter, smile, say hello. In addition, when you are waiting try not to fidget excessively, or tap your feet, slouch. Try not to glare at your phone the entire time either, in fact, I recommend turning it off well before you enter the interview.
Networking
The issue with a lot of the advice I have offered is that much of it would be transactional. Essentially, you are trying to receive or get something from the other person, often by offering little. It’s making connections with people with the objective of advancing your career, employment goals, or candidacy.
And while I’m not completely dismissing transactional networking, as it can be a crucial tool in breaking into sales, there are other ways to network as well.
Side note: You reaching out to a recruiter when you are qualified for a role is not transactional. It is helpful. Although recruiters’ inboxes are often full of messages from hopeful job seekers.
Let’s talk about a more authentic and human approach to networking. Establishing a network based on authenticity and relationships creates a genuine desire from your network to help you land a new role. But the idea is to stop thinking about the destination and focus on the journey.
Instead of viewing each interaction you have with someone as a means to an end, get motivated to offer value without the expectation of reciprocation. Social media is a fantastic tool to do this and I have a mentioned a few ways already on how to build your presences on there. But also, instead of just thinking of how to boost your employability via professionally related posts, comments, and engagement, remember to be authentic. Show interest in learning about other’s career journeys, personal life, and ambitions. Take the time to help them with their career, business, or personal goals without ulterior motives.
And truthfully, forming relationships or connections without an inherent expectation is liberating. It allows you to approach these interactions authentically and without judgement, so if they end up being beneficial in your job search, great, and if they don’t? Still great. It also prevents either side from being disappointed or harboring resentment if the end doesn’t justify the means.
Think of it like this: you’re not friends with someone in order to get something, you’re friends because you value each other’s company and enrich each other’s lives. Unless you’re a total psychopath who views everything transactionally, and it that case, look into therapy.
This is the idea of building community. When you think of how you can help others instead of yourself, you not only create a healthier relationship with your audience, but you also eliminate your own pressure. This is the key! Build community.
Is this all easier said than done? Yes. But it is a good practice, and something I have no problem admitting, I need to work on. However, the residual results in terms of community growth, better relationships, and an ongoing commitment to putting others first are completely worth it.
Conclusion
This post, as much as I wish it was, is not exhaustive. There are so many factors that comprise a successful job search, career transition, or breaking into a new industry. It is why Top Prospect Careers offers services like reverse recruiting, to save our clients a ton of time, money, and headache.
But, what this post does represent, is an outline of the steps required to break into sales. However, that is it. It does not describe the amount of unpaid work a person typically needs to do in order to break into a new industry. This is not meant to discourage you, but instead, prepare you for the realities of the job market, and give you the endurance and resilienace to make it into sales.
If you have read this far, taken the advice, and are now intending to implement it. I have absolute faith you will end up in sales in the future.