Salespeople get a bad rap. Tell someone to think of a salesperson and images of a smooth talking con artist or used car salesman comes to mind. While you might still find salespeople who fit the stereotypes, they are relics of the past.
So here are three reasons why your organisation might benefit from hiring a salesperson looking at a career switch.
1. Highly motivated
Sales is a job that everyone thinks they can do, but one where nobody seems to be willing to actually do. Salespeople understand that they need to work hard and produce results. They cannot just shrug their shoulders after failing to meet their KPIs and tell you they’ll try harder next year without much repercussion.
While they could still shrug their shoulders, they will definitely feel the effects of failing almost immediately because they won’t get their commission. This is in contrast to most of the Singapore workforce which have been found to be mostly zombie workers.
2. Customer-centricity
The stereotype of salespeople is that they are willing to do anything for the commission. However, any salesperson worth their salt will know that it is so much easier to get a sale from returning client, rather than from a new one.
Recurring sales are a salesperson’s dream.
In fact, it has been found that not only does it take more effort to get a sale from new customers, returning customers are likely to spend more during the next purchase. You gain trust and build a relationship and the client keeps coming back. You reap the rewards of investing in the client rather than going out to comb for new business and squeezing every penny you can from the client only to leave a bad taste in their mouth.
As a matter of fact, in most organisations, you would probably find the sales team bugging other departments to accede to customer requests. They are the ones willing to be flexible and doing their best to give the customer what they want.
3. Problem solvers
Sales people are problem solvers. They suss out client needs and try their best to match them to solutions the organisation offers. More often than not, there is a need to customize offerings to meet the clients needs and the salesperson cannot make them happen single-handedly.
They will need to work with individuals across various departments, such as IT, Finance and Operations to come up with a proposal that is appealing to the client. Even then, work does not end after the sale is done. Account Managers have to provide excellent after sales service and this usually means working with the customer support or “client success” teams to deal with the inevitable issues that are bound to arise after the sale is done.
Salespeople are often part of the solution and not part of the problem. If you’re one who believes in the mantra, “Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions”. You would probably be happy with having someone with sales experience in your team.
Kenneth is an education management professional with a passion for the outdoors, coaching and adult education. He is currently promoting lifelong learning at James Cook University.
