Mapping Your Journey: Career Development for Sales Rep

A picture showcasing a professional development workshop for sales reps.


Professional Development for Sales Reps: The Stepping Stone to Success

 

Being a sales professional isn't just about meeting targets—it's also about growing and evolving to become the best version of yourself.


That's where professional development for sales reps steps in.


It's all about building skills, expanding your knowledge base, and creating a path for progress in your sales career.


 

Chalking Out Professional Development Goals for Sales Reps

 

In order to grow, it's essential to establish professional development goals for sales reps. These goals could range from improving your product knowledge, enhancing your presentation skills, to expanding your client base.


A visual depiction of a sales career path, including different stages.


By setting clear, achievable goals, you're setting the stage for success in your sales career.

 


Creating a Sales Career Development Plan

 

The road to success in sales begins with a sales career development plan.


This plan should map out your short-term and long-term career goals, identify the skills and knowledge you need to acquire, and establish a timeline for achieving these goals.

 


Grow Your Sales Career with Continuous Learning

 

When it comes to growing your sales career, it's important to remember that learning is a continuous process. Keep yourself updated on market trends, new sales techniques, and emerging technologies in your field.


A visual depiction showing continuous learning in a sales rep career.


As the saying goes, "Knowledge is power."

 


Personal Development Goals for Sales Reps

 

Personal development goals for sales reps are equally crucial as they complement professional goals. These might include honing your time-management skills, improving communication abilities, or even building resilience to deal with sales challenges.

 


The Journey of a Salesperson: Career Progression in Sales

 

Everyone starts somewhere.


Even the most successful salesperson once started at the bottom.


The sales career progression can be a thrilling journey—from starting as a junior sales rep, moving to a senior role, and then potentially managing a team of your own.


A chart showing possible career progression in sales
 

Understanding the Sales Career Path

 

The sales career path is often diverse and flexible.


Some reps might find their niche in inside sales, others might excel in field sales, and some might eventually shift to sales training or consulting roles.


It all depends on your skills, interests, and career goals.

 


Beyond Selling: What To Do After a Sales Career

 

Wondering what to do after a sales career?


The options are limitless.


With your wealth of knowledge and experience, you could transition into a consultant role, become a sales trainer, or even start your own business.


Remember, every experience is a stepping stone to the next big opportunity.

 

It all starts with a single step.


So, whether you're pondering on how to start a sales career or looking for ways to grow in your existing role, remember that the sky's the limit.


With a well-defined career path, the right development goals, and a relentless pursuit of learning, there's no peak you cannot scale in the world of sales.


An image of a seasoned salesperson transitioning into a consulting role.


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Is Sales a Good Career?


Sales can be an excellent career because salespeople have the opportunity to make money through high commission and sales incentives with the company.


But it is also known that selling is not for everybody.


In my humble opinion, claiming that everyone can sell is misleading.


Typically, a sales career begins with you promoting product or service of a company to prospects.


Selling involves interacting and communicating with others, and spending huge amount of time doing so thus making this profession more suitable for those who prepare or at least show the tendency to take up the challenge.


In US and Canada, sales employment is expected to increase in 2021 and 2022 due to increased vaccination and better immunization efforts but hiring was sharply decline during the pandemic.


It was the same all over the world.


When you are in sales, your main role is to promote the advantages and benefits of your company’s product or service to prospects.


From this point, a salesperson, as you’ll be typically called, you can develop your career based on your interest and lifestyle, making sales an ideal choice when you join the workforce.


Image showing a sales rep on his way to his career progression


Can A Sales Job Makes You Rich?


Can any job make you rich?


It is possible to become rich as a salesperson just as it is possible to earn six or seven figures income from other jobs.


Some salespeople do earn million a year from commission or incentives, and depending how big the revenue they bring in, their payout grows accordingly.



Why do Salespeople Get Paid So Much?


If the company generates more income or revenue, getting bigger market share, outperforming the competitors, expanding businesses or products line, all these often related to sales activities.


Due to these, salespeople, who are the engines that move the activities, are going to directly benefit from them through commissions and incentives.


It’s just a simple math …



Six Categories of Sales Jobs


A sales job can either be from one or a combo of these:

  • Strategic sales
  • Product sales
  • Market segmentation and channel development
  • Sales process
  • Marketing, technical and operation
  • Sales management

 

Typically, if you are new to sales, your starting point is as sales development rep and you’ll work your way up to sales executive level.


If you get the sales position in the manufacturing side, you might be handling a whole array of process from start to the end.



Why You Want to Build Your Career in Sales?


When you can offer the best solution for other people – your prospect – and they’re willing to pay you for it, that would be one of the most rewarding albeit challenging career.


That’s what selling is about.


You’ll be developing the skills needed for this career along the way, and you’ll be working with a group of people who share the same motivation and determination.


image of a VP of sales being interviewed


Your vision of your better future is your sales career aspiration. You want to clearly set what you want to be, do and have for the coming years.


Some call them dreams. Some call them purpose.


Regardless of their names, they are things worth pursuing. You need a plan to get them.


From years of observation, on average, it takes about:


  • 3 months for a new sales rep to really prep him or herself to really interact with prospects and customers
  • 9 months to gain competency and command high performance
  • and about 15 months to become top performer.


If you set your own objectives to moves up your career ladder, that becomes your Professional Development Plan (PDP).


You can include things like learning new and relevant selling skills, interacting with more people and widening your networking, and finding balance between your career and life.


You can choose either to prosper in the company you’re selling for or in the industry your company is in, for example automotive, healthcare or beauty. You start as representative and you can aim to reach the executive officer.



4 Stages of Career Development


Development means ongoing, and career development means you make progress through these common four steps:

  • Knowledge
  • Exploration
  • Decision making
  • Action


 

3 Steps to Develop a Career Plan


A career plan is a plan mapping out specifically how you’re going to advance in the company or organization you’re working with right now. Take these three steps to plan it out:

  • Self-reflection
  • Set goals
  • Plan and action


 

What’s Next After Sales Executive?


Since sales are highly connected to a company’s revenue and profit, a top performing salesperson often get handsomely rewarded.


Many of them eventually climb up the organization rank and end up leading other sales reps as Sales Manager or make the transition to Product Manager.


The sales experts and showing leadership quality could stand a chance of eyeing the position as the Vice President (VP) of Sales for a company. This role requires one to work at the National or Regional or even international level to look after other Sales Managers across the board.



What Is the Difference Between Sales Exec and Sales Rep?


The main difference is their function in the sales cycle.


The reps are mainly responsible for the prospecting and generating leads while the executives take care of nurturing the leads and lead them to commitment.



What Is the Career Progression for Sales Manager?


After you have gathered enough sales experience through years of selling, some companies promote reps like you to the Key Account management level. You’re going to take care of some of the big accounts for the company and in charge of some key products.


Sales executives and sales managers are considered senior staff for a sales department but the primary difference is whether there are reps reporting to them.


Executives usually don’t have anybody under their care. They look after accounts and major products only.



What Could Possibly Be the Highest Position in Sales?


Most companies have a chief sales officer (CSO) as the highest position for sales division. This position oversees the whole sales operations and team members.


The main objective is to grow sales revenue and profit. It also entails sales management and leadership function of the organization.



How Do You Become the VP of Sales?


The requirements are not set in stone and here are some of them:

  • Minimum eight years in sales, with at least three in a managerial role
  • At least four years in cross products or portfolios sales
  • Exhibit strong leadership and communication skills
  • Proven ability to develop sales strategies and execute them

 


BONUS: When You Should Quit Your Sales Job?


Image of a sales rep leaving his job

It is possible that your career development, even if you’re a sales rep now, can be found outside the realm of sales industry.


Here are a few things for you to consider and do plan your action accordingly:


1. If you've met with another prospective employer, it's probably time to leave. If you're an active interviewee, if you've taken the time to interact with others outside your company about new role, this is more often than not, a sign that it's time to leave.


2. In a survey by online career database PayScale, the sales account manager ranked at the second most stressful job, with 73% of respondents rated such job as “highly stressful.” Stress usually occurs in sales from the pressure to meet and exceed the ongoing target set by the higher management.


If you value life-work balance, then working outside the sales environment could be the solution.

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hey there!

      I couldn't agree more with your comment about using a sales management system to boost business performance. In fact, using a sales management system is like having a personal assistant who never sleeps, takes vacations, or complains about how much coffee they've had.

      With a sales management system, you can automate tasks, track leads, and streamline your sales process. Plus, you'll have access to valuable data and insights that can help you make informed business decisions.

      Think of it like having a superpower - except instead of flying or shooting lasers out of your eyes, you're just really good at selling stuff. Which, let's be honest, is pretty cool in its own right.

      So, if you want to take your business to the next level (and who doesn't?), consider investing in a sales management system. It's like hiring a whole team of superheroes, without any of the spandex.

      Cheers!

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