Sales is an excellent career path where you can earn a high salary, learn best practices for networking in different fields, and become more efficient at managing business relationships. The field has many career growth potentials, depending on your desire to succeed and the company you join. You may already possess many transferable skills from your previous position, too, allowing you to successfully move to a sales role.
If you’ve been considering transitioning into a sales career in New York, preparing yourself for the role is essential, especially if you want to stand out among your competitors. What can you do to progress into a sales position seamlessly?
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Complete a Few Training Programs
If you’ve never worked in sales before, completing a few training programs is important to prepare yourself for the role. Some training programs you could consider are inside sales, field sales, sales management, and service sales. Not all forms of sales training are equal, so it may be helpful to narrow down what type of sales career you want to transition into and choose your training programs accordingly.
It may be helpful to look into job postings you’re interested in, go through their descriptions to understand their required skills, and choose programs accordingly.
Consult a Sales Recruiter
The best recruitment agencies have deep knowledge of the local market when looking for sales jobs in NY, and they can help you access open roles that aren’t publicly posted yet. A sales recruiter has access to an extensive database of clients, and they can connect you to employers looking to fill sales positions.
Many recruiters also help jobseekers with the job placement process. They can provide expert guidance to improve your resume, portfolio, and other application documents. Consulting a recruiter can also save you time when searching for a job, as recruiters spend most of their workday looking for the right roles for their candidates.
Shadow an Experienced Salesperson
You can learn much about sales through online research, books, and videos. However, shadowing an experienced salesperson as they work in real-time is a great way to familiarize yourself with sales. Consult an experienced salesperson and ask them if they’re willing to let you spend time with them during their working hours. This will introduce you to the overall process and help you identify how to tackle particular problems that could occur during work.
Start Building Your Network
Networking is an essential component of sales. When considering a career change to sales, it can be helpful to network with people in the sales industry. You can do this by connecting with people online, asking your friends or family to connect you with organizations, and attending job fairs. The more people you connect with, the higher the chances of receiving referrals and building a positive reputation for yourself.
Customize Your Resume
Your resume is one of the first things an employer looks at when considering your application for a sales role. Even if you don’t have prior sales experience, try highlighting transferable skills in your resume, such as communication, problem-solving, empathy, and adaptability, and reframe your prior experiences to focus on how those roles prepared you for a sales position.
A sales career can be enriching, but taking the proper measures to land a role successfully is essential. The sooner you prepare, the better your chances of finding the right job.
