Driven with Little Direction?

Starting a new career path can be intimidating, especially if you’re not exactly sure what you want to do. A lot of people will make career decisions based on income, but end up too far into a career they hate and are unable to get away from. One of the reasons I originally chose a position in sales is because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in my career, but I did know a sales job would force me to develop critical business skills like effective communication, people skills, negotiation, and time management.

If you’re driven but unsure of the direction you want to take in your career, a sales job could be a great start down a new path. Even if a longterm sales position isn't right for you, you'll learn some valuable skills and lessons along the way that will transfer over into future positions.

1) Sales is a great way to see if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

Most salespeople’s time is self directed, and that's a great way to gauge whether or not you have the drive, determination, and discipline to become an entrepreneur. Because sales is judged off how much revenue you produce, you learn how your earnings are in direct relationship to your output, as it should be. Revenue is the driving force behind every business, and without it, you lose.

Because results are tied directly to your daily activities, salespeople have to be great at time and priority management. It’s so easy to get sucked into small projects that might seem beneficial on the surface, but they are actually keeping you from your primary goal- generating revenue.

2) You learn valuable professional and personal skills like negotiation, effective communication, and results driven activity.

Another reason I went into sales right out of college was because it scared me to death. Getting out in front of people and asking them to buy something from me seemed daunting, and I knew I was going to have to put myself in some uncomfortable positions to grow my professional skill set.

When I was younger, things like public speaking and negotiation made me very uncomfortable, and I decided that a career in sales would be a good way to push myself outside my comfort zone. Even if you’re a natural extrovert and love public speaking and debating, a sales position will teach you how to hone those skills to achieve what you want in your career.

3) Sales is involved in several major areas of business operations.

One thing that I’ve really enjoyed about my career in sales is the opportunity to learn about a lot of different areas of business. I’ve worked with executive teams, operations teams, marketing teams, and finance. Working with these different areas of business is a great way to find out what appeals to you. Instead of having to completely change jobs to see whether or not you’d like a certain position, with a job in sales you’re able to see under the hood of several different departments and decide whether or not you’d like to pursue it as a career option.

Being involved with other departments is also a great way to learn how different teams communicate within your organization. Each group of employees has a particular way they communicate with each other, and it’s valuable to learn their jargon so you can understand them thoroughly as you work together.

4) Connecting with like-minded professionals.

Salespeople meet new contacts every single day, and that makes it a great position if you're looking to network. The best way to more career opportunities is by meeting more people. There’s a reason people always say “it's all about who you know”- it’s true. Being forced to get out and meet other people is a great way to further your career and develop beneficial professional relationships.

5) You learn one of the most valuable skills of all, selling yourself.

It’s been said countless times, but selling is a basic human function. You have to be good at it to get where you want to be in your life and career. While a lot of people don’t choose sales for a profession, we all sell in some form or another every single day. If you have kids, you’re probably trying to sell them on things like eating their fruits and vegetables or staying off their cell phones at the dinner table. If you’re married, you’re selling ideas to your spouse constantly. It took me 2 years to sell my wife on a dog, and it’ll probably take me 15 more years to sell her on letting me get a motorcycle; That would be my ultimate sales achievement of all time.

Bringing it all back together

If you’re thinking about making a career change but aren’t sure what you’d like to do, a career in sales could be a great option for you. You’ll learn an incredible amount of useful skills and hopefully gain some more insight into what it is you’re passionate about.