Ok, not everyone is cut out for a career working in sales but why is there still a huge lack of understanding that learning sales skills can help achieve success in many other careers?
I recently met a careers leader from a local school and asked her if she ever suggests working in sales to her students. She was honest enough to say no which was frustrating to hear yet again. What was more frustrating was, without prompting by me, another honest admission that she really should considering she worked in sales for many years prior to being in her current role (🤦🏾♂️)!
As a career salesperson who’s built a life for my family & I based on what I’ve achieved working in sales, I am biased about this but it still blows my mind why, especially in the UK, we still peddle the same old career choices to students and sales still has a significant stigma around it. Yes there are of course plenty of charlatans who work in sales who only serve to reinforce the stereotype but show me any profession that doesn’t have bad eggs in it!
Public servants who commit horrific crimes.
Politicians who lie, break their own laws and put themselves first instead of their constituents.
Lawyers who don’t uphold the law.
High profile business people whose success turned out to be a massive fraud.
Doctors who harm people.
The list can go on yet, despite this, our education system doesn’t tar each of these professions in the same way that it does working in sales.
Fundamental sales skills will not only enable someone to enjoy a successful and rewarding career working in sales but can give a sound foundation when moving into other careers.
Want to work with people to help them overcome adversity? Learning active listening is a MUST!
Want to be a professional athlete? Learning to deal with setbacks and rejection is KEY!
Want to work in healthcare? Learning how to diagnose real problems and provide bespoke solutions is IMPERATIVE!
Want to build/make things for a living? Learning how to build, refine and execute a process to get the desired end result is CRUCIAL!
Want to work in hospitality/catering? Learning how to follow instructions, deal with relentless pressure and handle difficult customers is VITAL!
All of these skills can be learned through effective sales training and working in sales. Careers leaders don’t need to worry that, by promoting sales as a genuine career choice, they’ll be creating a world full of Gordon Gekkos/Jordan Belforts because, instead, they’ll be arming the next generation with the skills to help them achieve their goals whilst improving the economy in whatever job they do!
Sales is everywhere you look. You can choose to deny that but it’s the truth and those who have any sort of sales experience stand a better chance of succeeding in life compared to those who hold old fashioned views about salespeople.
