Thinking about a career in sales? Read this first

Take control of your own career. That is the best advice I can offer anyone entering this profession. Don’t leave it up to someone else to determine your success and earning potential. Identify what you want and go get it.

Sales is a two-way relationship. If you are the only one putting effort into your development, it’s time to break it off. Demand as much from your organization as you are willing to offer in return. If the balance is off, the road will be harder and longer.

During my career, I’ve seen many examples of what I’ll call ‘turnstile sales organizations’ -- companies that continuously move people through in the hopes of getting lucky. No investment, no training and no commitment. If you have somehow found yourself in one of these situations, get out. Now.

Sales is a partnership between you and the organization you work for. It supplies a desirable good or service and you supply the unique ability to convince people to buy it. They are equally important. If you find your company is failing to deliver on its end, time for a change. Don’t let their failures define you.

The motivators for sales executives are simple and straight forward. Success is defined by growth, advancement and compensation. To achieve these, four absolutes must be in place: 1) Strong organization, 2) growth market, 3) competent leadership and 4) viable product or service. If any are missing or incomplete, your ability to succeed is in jeopardy.

I won’t sugarcoat it. A career in sales is stressful. Numbers matter. That is why positioning yourself for success is so important. And that’s on you. You decide what company you work for. You decide what product or service you sell. If you don’t believe you can be successful where you are at, move on.

By taking control of your career, you define and ensure your own success. That is far too important to let someone else decide for you.

Note: If you are this type of motivated sales professional looking for a ground floor opportunity working for an established company with a big market opportunity, I want to talk to you. Shoot me a note or apply here.