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SAVVY
SELLING - SEPTEMBER
28, 2006
Eight
Career Paths for Salespeople
By Michelle Nichols
EXECUTIVE
OVERVIEW
Solid sales skills can translate
to success in eight different
career paths. Here they are.
If you're in sales
and itching to take your career
in a new direction, here's some
helpful advice
One of the great benefits of
a sales career is that once
you've developed solid selling
skills—and can prove it—you
can take your career in at least
eight different directions.
They break down into two main
categories: working for an organization
or running your own.
But before you decide which
path is best for you, consider
this question: How much do you
love selling? If what you really
like to do professionally is
sell, then don't start your
own business.
Michael Gerber explores this
advice in his landmark book,
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most
Small Businesses Don't Work
and What to Do About It. In
one example in the book, a pie
baker asks Gerber if she should
continue her pie-baking company
given that all she really wants
to do all day is to bake pies.
His response is definitive:
"Then for God's sake, get
rid of your business…as
quickly as you can."
He goes on to explain that
when you run a business, if
all you want to do is perform
the job's main activity or ply
your skill (making pies, for
example), you'll ignore the
marketing, financial, administrative,
planning, management, and other
duties that are essential to
success. Bottom line: If you
want to make pies, make pies.
If you want to sell boats, sell
boats. Of course, many outstanding
salespeople take different paths
over the span of their careers
that involve multiple skill
sets.
Here are eight career paths
for you to consider, ranging
from working as an employee
to establishing yourself as
a business owner.
1. Full-time sales
employee.
If all you want to do is sell,
consider a career as a sales
professional. You may change
products or companies, but you
will essentially always be a
bag-carrying sales rep. You'll
make good money, control your
schedule, and be free of the
responsibilities of managing
other people or budgets. Your
compensation plan will usually
be based on your individual
numbers, not the team's numbers.
It will be computed in terms
of straight salary, salary plus
bonus, or salary plus commission.
2. Corporate management.
If you want the opportunity
to manage people and budgets
without starting your own company,
you could begin to climb the
corporate ladder (see BusinessWeek.com,
9/15/06, "Climbing the
Ladder: The First 100 Days").
You may ascend within the same
outfit or change companies as
you progress to sales manager,
regional manager, sales vice-president,
and perhaps CEO.
Eventually, running an entire
organization isn't as unlikely
as it sounds. Many in top management
came up through the sales ranks.
That's no coincidence, since
the sales division drives the
"top line," which
is management-speak for revenues
on a profit-and-loss statement.
In management, your pay is
based on the results of the
area or team for which you're
responsible. It might be based
on salary or salary plus bonus.
There could also be stock options
and other goodies. Be aware
that the top salesperson in
an outfit sometimes outearns
those in upper management.
3. Straight-commission
sales.
This compensation plan, popular
with realtors and direct salespeople,
is a compromise between being
a full-time sales employee and
owning your own business. I
don't recommend most straight-commission
jobs because the company simply
doesn't risk enough to make
you successful. It makes money
if you sell something but doesn't
lose money if you don't. I know
some have made a lot of money
this way, but many more have
worked hard with little to show
for their efforts.
4. Business owner.
If you have what Gerber calls
in his book the "entrepreneurial
perspective," where you
see a business as a system for
producing results, you might
be very successful starting
and/or owning your own company.
Keep in mind that as a business
owner, you now have to care
about both sales and expenses
because your compensation is
based on the difference between
these two.
5. Manufacturer's representative.
If you want to start your own
company and work more closely
with the manufacturer than the
customer, you could become a
rep of one or several manufacturers.
You will usually write sales
orders but will not hold inventory
or deliver products. Your customers
will expect you to have deep
technical and product knowledge
of your offerings and you might
sell items to distributors,
franchisers, or end-users in
an industry or geographical
area.
To maximize your sales and
profits, it is best to sell
product lines and/or services
that are used by the same customers.
That way, you can make one sales
call and sell prospective customers
multiple offerings. That saves
time for both parties, making
it a win-win strategy.
6. Distributor.
If you want to start your own
company and work more closely
with the customer than the manufacturer,
you could be a distributor.
Generally, you'd buy inventory
from the manufacturer, warehouse
and inventory it, then sell
and deliver it to your customers.
This is a more complex business
than being a manufacturer's
rep.
7. Franchise owner.
If you like to sell but are
willing to give up some flexibility
and money in exchange for running
a proven business, consider
buying a franchise. They are
available for every business
idea under the sun—from
fast food to printing to junk
removal services (see BusinessWeek.com,
4/12/05 "Extending the
Front Lines of Franchising").
8. Sell your professional
services.
Many sales professionals start
their own company sharing their
selling expertise. They might
sell consulting services, professional
speaking engagements, sales
training seminars, and books.
I took this route two different
times and found that I ended
up as both the salesperson and
the product. Imagine telling
a customer, "She's a terrific
sales speaker and consultant.
She can move mountains—and
make them laugh. She's insightful,
cutting-edge, personable—and
downright brilliant. Oh, by
the way, she's me."
One downside to this career
choice is it's hard not to take
rejection personally. On the
other hand, it feels great when
you see the terrific results
you helped your customers create.
Over the years, working in
some of the careers I mentioned
above has provided me with good
income. And the sales skills
I have gained have contributed
to the success of my own three
companies. If you're in sales
and getting the itch to try
something new, I hope this column
encourages you to look before
you leap, but to definitely
take the leap. Happy selling!
Michelle Nichols is a
professional sales speaker and
consultant based in Reno, Nevada.
She welcomes your questions
and comments. You can visit
her web site at www.savvyselling.com
or contact her at michelle.nichols@savvyselling.com.
Her toll-free number is (877)
352-9684.
Copyright 2000-2006. All rights
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