Selling the products with the right attitude is what sales are all about. Anyone can come into the field of sales as long as they know the product they are going to sell and have the tactics of convincing the customers.

Are you doing MBA with Sales & Marketing specialization? Or, do you want to make your career in Sales? If yes, then it’s the right time to start chasing this field.

This is a field where you determine the profit. Want to know how?

The product that you sell (whatever it may be) will have a fixed rate. When you sell it, you not only get the price of the product but also the commission associated with it.

Isn’t that cool?

For example, if you are selling the property, you get in hand the current rate of the land plus the commission. This way, you can earn really well as a salesperson.

Why do people love Sales jobs?

You’ll see that most successful salespersons love their jobs. They like the challenge and adventure of marketing a product or service to customers. Many of them are extroverts and feel energized by talking to people.

But there are other reasons that attract them to Sales:

• The field keeps changing all the time

Sales is something that keeps changing with the trend for the customers.

Therefore, one may not feel bored because of a monotonous working environment.

In sales, you end up meeting new people in new places. Often the meeting is held at a conference or it would require you to travel to various places.

So, if you love to explore new places or interact with new people, sales is the perfect job for you.

• Quick outcomes

Does delayed gratification not suit you well? In sales, unlike other careers, you don’t really have to wait long to see the outcomes. You can generate quick profits.

Imagine you are selling a car or commodity. Once your deal is fixed with the customer, he or she is likely to give you the money there and then. And even if you botch up a deal, you will learn about it quickly.

• Flexibility

If you have chosen sales as your career, you don’t have to have a fixed working schedule. You can sometimes fix your own working hours. This allows certain groups (like ladies and students) to work part-time and use the rest of their time for whatever tasks they need to do.

Flexible working hours don’t mean that you don’t have to perform your duties effectively. You still need to stay in touch with customers, observe the market trends and stay connected with the current happenings in the field.

• Allows you to grow professionally

Sales is such a career where you get promotions based on your performance. This boosts you as a person and helps you to grow financially as well.

Performance-linked pay scales are the most attractive aspect of Sales. If you perform well, you can climb up the career ladder quickly. And these promotions always keep us active as we always do our best in order to get a higher post.

• Excellent career build-up

Sales as a career allow you to work in different companies of your choice. You can choose to work for an automobile company, a real estate firm or any other kind of sales job you like.

This allows you to build up your career in the way you want and gives you some control over which direction it takes.

The chances of getting a job you like increase if you have the relevant experience. For example, if you are a techie and want to move to sales, you can start off with a job in the technology field, and then slowly move on to other sales-related roles.

• Smart outlook

A sales career will definitely change you into a smart person as it will require you to dress up in a formal way to persuade your customers. Grooming and personality development are important parts of sales and it gives you an edge over others. You only have 8 seconds to hook your customers into talking to you.

It will also require you to think smart and come up with innovative ideas to keep up with your customers’ thinking patterns and convince them to close the deal.

• Keeps you secure

Compared to other posts, sales personnel often have secure jobs. Everybody needs salespersons to help them with their business, so there is always a demand for such professionals.

The need for sales personnel will never go away, and if you perform well, the chances of being laid off are less. So, if you have chosen sales in your career, this will give you some security in the long run.

Why do people hate Sales jobs?

Nothing in this world is perfect. Some people are not cut out for sales jobs because they can’t handle:

• High Pressure

No doubt, sales is the most stressful department in an organization as each executive, team leader, and manager has a target to achieve. If you are not a person who can work under pressure or don’t enjoy it, this job is certainly not for you.

• Competition

Competition in a sales job is as tough as it can get. Professionals who work in the sales department must be able to face rejection and failure time and again. It’s not easy for everyone to keep their spirit high and move on after being rejected by clients.

• Lack of Work-Life Balance

You cannot switch off your phone if you are a salesperson. Even if a prospect is calling after working hours, you will have to pick it up for fear of losing the deal. This can be stressful as you may have to work constantly with no fixed off days.

It may not be a problem for you when you are starting off in your career, but it will become harder to manage as you grow older and may have a family. This lack of balance between work and personal life can be something that puts people off sales jobs.

• Ups and Downs

The terrible tales of this field are all about ‘sales’. If you achieve your targets, you become a ‘Hero’ but if you fail to achieve the numbers, you can fall back to ‘Zero’. Not everyone can handle these ups and downs gracefully.

• Living with the Dagger Dangling Over the Head

The sales department everywhere is always on overdrive. It runs aggressively. And your ‘job security’ depends on your ability to achieve targets successfully. So, there is always a dagger dangling over your head. Not everybody likes this kind of pressure and hence people tend to avoid sales jobs.

• Selling the Same Thing Every Day

If you are working for a manufacturer or an agency that sells the same things every day, you may feel like a robot spouting off the same lines when you see a potential customer. This can quickly become monotonous and boring, leading to frustration.

So, is Sales your forte?

To determine whether a career in sales is a good choice for you, you must assess if you have the following traits:

• Adaptability: Sales personnel should be able to adjust according to the customer’s needs and preferences. For example, if the customer is not available during working hours, a salesperson should be able to accommodate them and adjust their timings accordingly.

• Confidence: You need to have faith in the product or service you are selling and know how to convince customers about it. A good salesperson should also be able to charm people with their personality. This can help make conversations easier and make the customer more likely to purchase the product or service.

• Patience: Patience is a key skill for sales professionals. It is important to be patient with customers who ask numerous questions or may be skeptical about the product before making a purchase.

• Persuasion: A good salesperson should be able to persuade customers with their product or service. They should know how to explain the advantages of using their product and should be able to make a customer take action.

• Stamina: Salespeople may have to put in long hours, sometimes travelling from place to place in order to make sales. This is why they must possess great stamina and the ability to work hard for extended periods of time.

If you have these traits then a career in sales can be a great option for you.

What is the structure of a Sales Team?

A Sales team usually consists of:

1. Business Development Manager

• Have to write reports about the daily work happening in the company.
• To inform the customers about the new products.
• Set up meetings of only with subordinates.
• Providing relevant feedback.
• Preparing a presentation for customers/clients.

2. Team Leader

• Act as the backbone of the team.
• Checking thoroughly the working of the subordinates.
• Allocation of jobs to workers.
• Recruiting new salespeople.

3. Sales Executive

• Negotiate with potential customers.
• Maintain a proper report of your sales deals.
• Provide necessary feedback.
• Persuade potential customers to buy the product and get their feedback on it.

4. Sales Support Team

• Answer customer queries about the product.
• Provide marketing support for the sales team.
• Research on market trends and competitors’ products/services.
• Update database as per customer’s requirement.

Different Types of Sales Careers

Sales careers come in many shapes and forms. Here is a list of some of the most popular ones:

• Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales: This type of sales involves selling products or services to other companies. For example, selling software to a large corporation.

• Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Sales: This is when a company sells its products directly to customers. For example, a cosmetics company sells its products to individual customers.

• Retail Sales: Retail sales involve working in stores and helping customers with their purchases. Say a customer walks into a clothing store and is looking for a particular item. The retail salesperson will help them find what they are looking for, as well as suggest other items that the customer might be interested in.

• Pharmaceutical Sales: This involves selling pharmaceuticals to healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses. It is a specialized field where you need to have a strong knowledge of the product and its uses. Besides, you have to accommodate the rules and regulations of the industry.

• Real Estate Sales: It entails assisting people in buying or selling properties. It requires knowledge of the housing market and good negotiation skills in order to get the best deal for your client.

• Technical Sales: This entails selling technical products or services, such as software and hardware, to customers. A technical salesperson needs to have a good understanding of the product and be able to explain its features and benefits.

• Telesales: This type of sales involves making sales calls over the phone. A telecaller needs to have good communication skills as well as an understanding of the product/service being sold. For example, if he is selling loans, he needs to understand who might need them and also be eligible for them.

• Field Sales: This involves visiting potential customers in their homes or workplaces and making a sale. It requires a lot of travelling and the ability to sell in different environments.

• Online Sales: This involves selling products or services online. The salesperson must be able to market the product/service effectively on social media, websites, forums, etc. He must also understand how customers interact with these platforms and how to persuade them to buy.

Conclusion

MBA students specializing in Sales & Marketing need to understand the different types of sales careers available to them. Sales careers require a lot of hard work, dedication and knowledge. They also need to understand the market dynamics and create strategies that will help them succeed.

People who have a knack for selling, persistence and confidence can enjoy a successful career in sales.  On the other hand, those who are not cut out for it might find this line of work too challenging and difficult to manage. In any case, it is important to remember that success comes from hard work and doing the right thing at the right time!