Moving up in the Sales Industry

What can my next

sales move be?
Whilst some fields of work can take a number of years to
climb the ladder, career progression within the sales industry
is somewhat quicker and one where you can easily find
yourself considering your next career move sooner rather
than later.
That’s because promotion is based on results – the more you sell
and the better you are at it, the closer you come to realising your
career ambitions of reaching the top in your profession. But if you
are unsure about which direction to move, here are a few options
that are available to you regardless of what sector you are working
in.
Telesales Representatives: there are two distinct paths that telesales
representatives can take. Some will move into a Team Leader role
before eventually moving into a Sales Manager position responsible
for the outbound sales operation. Others will look to break out of
their comfort zone into a Field Sales position where they will deal
with customers face-to-face.
Field Sales Consultants: from here, a field sales consultant’s next
move could be into Key Account Management where they will
handle the organisation’s biggest spending clients, before moving
into a Sales Manager role and then taking on a Regional or National
Sales Manager position followed by the ultimate move as a Director.
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Account Managers: having successfully managed and increased

revenues from within their existing client base, account managers
will invariably move up to Senior or Key Account Manager – also
known as a Business Development Manager.
This is where your can expect to see you basic salary increase
considerably and from here, you will follow the Sales Manager route
to the top.
So when you are planning to make your next move you need to
familiarise yourself with the skills and qualities needed to be perform
the job.
And one of the best ways of doing this is to identify the people doing
well in these roles, watch how they do it and spot the areas in which
you need to focus on to put yourself in contention for the next post
that becomes available.
Most organisations run training courses focusing on various sales
techniques, so if you want to hit the ground running in your next role
but lack some of the skills required, see what courses are coming up
within your company.

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

What achievements should

I add to my CV?
If you were an employer receiving hundreds of applications
for an advertised position, what would you look for to
determine who the best applicant was? The answer to sort
the good from the great is simple -: achievements.
If you are like most people you may not have given any
consideration to your CV since you last applied for a job, and you
may be tempted simply to add another paragraph to your existing
CV which details the job you are currently in, leaving the rest of it the
same.
But if that is all you do then you will be lucky if your application ever
gets past the paper shredder.
That old CV was designed to persuade your current employer that
you have the potential to become a good sales person. However,
now that you have some experience under your belt and are
planning your next career move, you need to demonstrate what you
have actually accomplished in your career so far, what makes you
stand out from everyone else.
And that means focusing on your achievements. Perhaps you have
smashed all sales records or won awards? Maybe your strong
negotiation skills have secured a number of lucrative contracts for
your employer?
Your CV is a selling document that is designed to open the door for
an interview. And the most effective selling weapons you have in
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your armoury are your achievements. So instead of stating your job

description, emphasize your achievements by using statements,
such as:
Practical skills: Developed a new system for generating sales leads
which was implemented across the organisation and resulted in a
30% improvement in sales performance
Evidence of recognition: Seconded by national sales manager to
support sales teams in other regions and ensure that their quarterly
targets were achieved
Team management: Led a team of sales and marketing executives
in a promotional campaign that resulted in increased sales of £500k
and the company exceeding its annual sales targets by £25%
Sales success: Increased my territories client base by 30% or
£75,000 year-on-year
Awards/Consistency: I won Sales Person of the Year for two
consecutive years having exceeded all quarterly sales targets by an
average of 25% over a twenty-four month period
Leading by example: Trained and developed a team of five new field
sales executives who achieved an average of 120% of their sales
targets within their first three months
Sales is a competitive sector so you need to think of as many
instances when the light has shone on you where you gained
recognition for your work.

Further Reading
- How should I list my previous jobs on my CV?
- What makes a good CV design and layout?
- How can I make my CV more effective?

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

What are the important

skills to develop?
Thomas Edison once said: “Opportunity is missed by most
people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”.
To be successful in sales involves working hard at doing
things better than they have been done before and looking
for ways to maximise the opportunities presented by the next
sales deal, the one after that, and the one after that. And that
means developing the skills you already have and
recognising the ones that you will need for the job you want.
We have already mentioned the skills that employers look for when
you are applying for a job in sales. But now you have a few years of
experience and are looking to take the next step up in your career
into a new position which requires a whole new set of key skills.
Perhaps you are the best Telesales Representative in your company
and have consistently smashed your new business sales target
every month. But will that make you equally successful in a face-to-
face sales role? Or maybe you are the best Field Sales Executive
having developed a number of high profile accounts – is that enough
to be a good Sales Manager?
Taking that second scenario as an example, suppose you are
hoping to move into a Sales Manager role - gaining an
understanding of how to set targets, manage budgets and produce
sales forecasts, for instance, will make your application stand out
because these are core skills that only people in a management role
will use.
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Once you recognise the skills needed for your next role you then
need to seize the initiative to acquire as many of them as you can.
This will add weight to your application and make an employer
realise that you are dedicated to your career and that you have a
willingness to step out of your comfort zone by learning new- often
challenging- skills. And there are various ways of doing this.
Identify the people in your organisation who are successful doing the
type of job you want and find out everything you can about the
demands of their role.
Keep abreast of the latest developments within your industry and
don’t forget to look at the jobs ads – they will reveal the skills that are
required for the position that you are planning to aim for.
Once you know what skills you need, ask your employer about the
training courses they provide. Or consider enrolling on one of the
many courses run by a number of accredited online providers.

Discover Job Profiles

Monster’s Career Snapshots show you the skills you

need in order to take your career to the next level:

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

How can I get my boss to

notice my efforts?
Sales people by their very nature crave recognition for the
job they do. But if you are already feeling that your
achievements are going unnoticed by your boss, perhaps it
is time to change your game plan. After all, if you have
something to shout about but nobody hears you, your
chances of progressing further in your career will come to a
grinding halt.
Here are a number of key ways to get noticed at work and ensure
that the people who count recognise the job you are doing.
Aim to over-achieve
Simply hitting your targets won’t win you many accolades because
all you are doing is what you are paid to do.
Set yourself a target that is 20% or 30% higher than the one set for
you and let your manager know that this is the target you will aim for.
This will challenge you to aim higher and when you hit it, the light will
invariably shine on you
Lead by example
Position yourself as the person your boss can turn to when new
starters join the company. Act as a mentor who will help them to find
their feet, accompany them on sales calls, and be the person they
can turn to without them having to go to the boss.
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This will raise your profile in the office and will earn the appreciation
of your manager who has a busy enough schedule as it is
Praise where praise is due
Sales is very much a team effort. So if your team has outperformed
all others in the region, for example, acknowledge the contribution
your colleagues made to your success but make it clear that you
were the key player in the group. By drawing attention to others you
inadvertently shine attention on yourself
Take on additional responsibility
Offering to take on extra duties at work will earn you some Brownie
points. Most sales managers have a hectic schedule and would
gladly accept assistance from elsewhere.
This will position you as a valued member of the team and
demonstrates both your commitment and willingness to learn new
skills
Obtain testimonials
You know you are doing a good job and so do your clients. Having a
number of testimonials from some of your customers is one of the
most effective ways of getting your boss to notice how good a job
you are doing.

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

Should I move internally

or externally?
The sales industry is a fast-paced environment characterised
by high staff turnover. But how do you know whether you
should leave your current employer or stay where you are in
pursuit of your next career move?

Opting to stay or go is a matter of recognising what motivates you

and recognising whether your career ambitions can be met by
staying with your current employer or not: Do you feel valued by your
employer? Are you paid what you feel you are worth?

Are there opportunities to move into the role you want or are they
few and far between? Do you feel suitably challenged and that your
skills are fully utilized? Do you get the credit you deserve for the job
you do? Are you working for the market leader or a company that
struggles to compete?

Suppose you have been working as a field sales representative for a

number of years and are looking for a new challenge whether that be
in a management or sales training role, are there opportunities for
you to move into either of these areas within your current company?

Good sales people are hard to find and employers will invariably do
what they can to retain their key staff. So if you have demonstrated
your ability and commitment to your company, your employer will
inevitably consider you to be a valuable member of their organisation
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and may even create a position for you even if one doesn’t currently
exist.

However, if you feel that your career ambitions are unlikely to be

fulfilled by staying with your current employer, then it is time to dust
off your CV and find one that does.

Staying where you are will damage your career prospects in the long
term both because you will find yourself stuck in a rut and future
employers may accuse you of lacking the ambition or passion for the
job that you do.

But be mindful of making a habit of job-hopping. Although moving

from one employer to another to enhance your career is generally
seen as a positive tactic in the sales industry, it can also have a
detrimental effect too, especially if you only stay for short periods of
time.

So if you do flirt between employers ensure that you sell yourself as

someone who brings with them a track record of short term as well
as long success.

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

What attributes make a

good manager?
Roger Federer and Tiger Woods are widely regarded as two
of the greatest sportsmen of all time, having won more
championships in their respective sports than pretty much
anyone else. So if they are so good at their jobs, why do
they need coaches and managers? After all, what can
anybody possibly teach them?
The point is, of course, that peak performers still need the support
and guidance of someone who can perform a number of different
functions; from helping them to develop different strategies that will
give them the competitive advantage to being the person who is
always there to keep them motivated and remind them of what it
took to make them successful in the first instance.
And the same philosophy applies to your sales career.
As sales people, you are driven by your own success – closing that
major deal, exceeding your targets or earning bonuses that support
your lifestyle. And for some, the biggest driver of all is the
opportunity to climb the proverbial career ladder until your reach the
very top of your profession.
But first you need to take each step at a time and understand what it
takes to be successful in your next role as a sales manager.
Becoming a manager involves learning a whole new set of skills.
And just as many ex sporting pro’s become coaches, sales
representatives find that their next step up into management is an
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even greater challenge with less time being spent on actually doing
the job they set out to do when their career began i.e. selling.
Instead, they will find themselves managing budgets, setting targets,
developing sales forecasts for the senior management, coaching
and training staff, accompanying team members on sales
appointments, disciplining staff and dealing with Health & Safety
issues.
So even though you may be the best sales person in your team,
have you got the ability to become the teacher, guidance counsellor,
motivator and career choreographer for several people in your team
as well as someone who is equally adapt to the administrative side
of the business?
The ability to lead a team of people to achieve a common set of
goals and ensure that each member of that team is aware of what is
expected of them is a challenge in itself.
And if things don’t quite go according to plan, have you got the
character to bring people into line when they are not performing –
some of whom may be colleagues that you started your career with
but are now managing?

Further Reading
- How can I secure a pay rise?
- What can I do to ensure a promotion?
- How can I improve as a manager?

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

How can I make a

long-term career plan?
Sales people are the lifeblood of industry. With companies
clambering over one another in their drive to remain
competitive and gain a greater market share, it is the people
doing the selling who bring in the money and help
organisations achieve their objectives. That’s how business
has always been and that’s how it will continue to be done in
the future.
Despite the sales industry being renowned for its significant turnover
of staff in comparison to many other industries, the future prospects
for experienced sales professionals are encouraging. Indeed, this
high turnover is less a case of people losing their jobs and more a
result of people leaving their existing employer in search of better
career enhancing opportunities elsewhere – a main feature of the
industry.
Having gained a few years of experience and demonstrated a
proven track record of sales success, your career could take you
from sales manager to area manager before moving into a regional
and then national manager role. From here the next stop is the
Board room.
And as you progress further, so too does your salary. Although
salaries between different sectors can vary, the average sales
manager will typically earn between £25,000 and £55,000 plus
bonus, with top salaries as much as £70,000 a year and more.
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But if you feel like breaking free from the corporate life, the
commercial acumen that sales people develop over the years
combined with their understanding of how a business is run, leads to
a high percentage of sales people eventually starting their own
businesses.
Some people choose to do the same job they have been doing
throughout their career to date but on a self-employed basis. Whilst
others break out of their comfort zone and follow a new career in a
different area. For example, someone who has been selling
recruitment advertising may move into recruitment consultancy.
Whether you choose to pursue your career along managerial lines or
opt to go it alone, it is important that you continue to keep your skills
and industry knowledge up to date. The industry is becoming
increasingly competitive and if you want to stay ahead of the game,
you need to always be thinking ahead and preparing for what’s
around the corner, and believe that you have what it takes to be
successful in this business. As Henry Ford famously said, If you
think you can or think you can’t, you’re usually right.

Improve Your Monster Experience

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Moving up in the Sales Industry

Is sales the right

industry for me?
The sales profession is one of the oldest of trades, covers
virtually every industry sector, and is one of the few
remaining professions where the opportunity to ascend the
corporate ladder and make a good living is available for
everyone with the ability to do so, regardless of educational
or previous professional background. So it is not surprising
that this is one of the most popular destinations for
graduates, non-graduates and career changers alike. But is
it right for you?

Sales is not right for everyone. It can be challenging and demanding.

When results are going against you it can feel like the worst job in
the world but, when the results go in your favour it can feel like the
best job ever.

And the pressure can sometimes be relentless – what you thought

was your target at the start of a sales campaign can easily be
increased at any point, thereby increasing the demand on you to
delivery even more. One thing sales in not, is boring.

Whether you choose to stay working within the industry will depend
on how motivated you are in your job and whether the career
aspirations you have can be fulfilled by staying on the path you are
already on.
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For instance, if you are feeling de-motivated by the lack of challenge

and variety in your job, or that you aren’t learning new skills and lack
recognition for the work that you do, then perhaps you could
consider what other options are available to you.

You could step out of sales altogether and pursue a new career in
advertising, marketing or public relations. And although a
professional qualification is not a pre-requisite to make the switch, a
qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) or
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) can make the
transition much smoother and can take less than a year to achieve.

Sales training is another popular alternative career choice and one

that doesn’t need any further qualifications except for considerable
sales experience - which you already have, right? So if you have had
your fill of driving around the country all week and fancy passing on
your expert knowledge to the next crop of high-flying wannabies, this
could be just for you.

What Next?

If you’re still looking for advice on finding the right job, creating a
great CV or tips on job interview, career-advice.monster.co.uk
contains everything you ever wanted to know, and more!

If you’re ready to apply for jobs, upload you CV to Monster and

then take a look through the latest roles.

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 Moving up in the Sales Industry

They say that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, but
often it is. Our series of eBooks brings together expert advice
to help you secure the job you want and build a successful
career.

For more career tools, visit career-advice.monster.co.uk.