Is sales career right for me? The emerging trends, the pros and cons

While a sales career can be immensely rewarding, it can also be quite daunting to master the necessary skills and attributes for those new to the profession. That said, with the right attitude and personality, the possibilities are endless.

The sales landscape is constantly changing in response to market forces, evolving consumer habits and technological advancements. Let’s explore the top four emerging sales trends for 2017 and how they affect sales professionals:

Emerging Sales Trends For 2017

1. Sales and content marketing become inextricably linked

Having 24/7 access to information at our fingertips has drastically changed the way consumers make purchase decisions. Most of us automatically Google product reviews and related information in our online research before considering parting with our hard-earned money.

This inextricably links content marketing to the sales process. Sales professionals will need the right kind of product content to convince prospective clients that the product is as good as it’s touted to be. Examples of common online content include blogs, product reviews by influential bloggers, YouTube videos, podcasts and so on.

2. Video as the preferred sales content medium

This Forbes study highlights the following trends:

• 65% of executives surveyed have visited a vendor’s website after watching a video
• 75% said they watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly, with 52% watching work-related videos on YouTube at least weekly

A Consumer Behaviour Survey by Hubspot further confirms this trend, with “55% of surveyed users saying they consume content in an entire video compared to 29% for blogs and 33% for interactive articles.”

3. Collaborative approach key to higher sales

As the general public grows more discerning and become more adept at tuning out hard-sell tactics and messages, companies are starting to employ a collaborative approach towards selling. This entails relating to a sales prospect as a person first and a source of revenue second. People respond to genuine concern and interest much more favourably than they do to a desperate attempt to sell them something.

4. Automation increases productivity in sales teams

The CMO Council reports that on average, 40% of a salesperson’s time is spent looking for content or creating their own content because they can’t find ready material fit for their purpose. In the same vein, McKinsey & Company asserts that “Optimizing sales operations with automated tools or dedicated back-office units for specific tasks can improve revenues by 10 to 25% and reduce back-office costs by 20 to 30%.” (Source: SMM)

Again, this reiterates the need for integration between content marketing and sales, in addition to higher investment in automation of processes and sales tasks.

And what about the rewards and downsides of working in sales? We’ve picked the top 3 of each for your easy reference.

Pros

1. Flexible working hours

Having to meet clients in person means you’ll be spending more time out of the office than in it, which offers more flexibility in deciding what time you start and end your work day.

2. Unlimited earning potential

A typical sales position comes with a commission-based earnings structure and bonuses for meeting targets. It can be incredibly lucrative if you’re a good salesperson. The more you sell, the more you’ll earn.

3. Meet new people on a daily basis

Sales means going out and meeting new people every day. If you’re a people person (which you need to be, to be good at selling), you’ll enjoy the social interactions. It’s a great way to build an extensive professional and social network too.

Cons

1. You’re the face of the company

Being a representative of the brand and organisation means having to watch yourself in public at all times. Sometimes the smallest faux pas can leave prospective clients with an unforgettable negative impression which might hinder your chances of closing the deal.

2. You only get paid if you hit your targets

Some sales jobs are purely commission-based while others come with a basic salary, but regardless of which it is, the real money lies in hitting your targets. The pressure can be quite stressful if you’re not used to it. How good are you at working under pressure?

3. You have to be comfortable with rejection

You’ll have to get used to the word “no”. Chances are, you’ll encounter a lot of false leads and have people telling you they’re not ready for a purchase or that they’re just not interested at the moment. That’s okay. It’s part of the sales process. Don’t take it personally and you’ll be fine.

Source : Jobstreet