Sales: Many Opportunities, High Demands
8 October 2009
Read by 2407 persons
More than 70% of job offers are for sales positions.
Technical skills are essential because salespeople are also advisors. The variable portion of the salary can reach up to 80% of the total compensation.
For several years, the observation has been almost the same in the job market. Reviewing job offers in newspapers or browsing recruitment websites shows that sales positions offer far more opportunities than others. From simple salesperson to sales director, including technical sales representatives, companies are looking for a variety of profiles.
"Almost 70% of job offers are for sales positions," confirms Mohamed Bennouna, CEO of F2V Consulting, a firm specializing in sales forces. Real estate, tourism, automotive distribution, finance... all sectors are in high demand. This means that sales are, more than ever, a primary career path for young graduates. The reason for this high demand? Sales have become an obsession for companies. Brand prestige, product quality, and service quality are no longer as decisive as in the past, as consumers often struggle to choose from the array of products and services offered daily. To stand out in such a competitive environment, a constant presence in the field is essential.
However, regardless of the number of positions available, companies never hire just anyone. To succeed in this field, one must first possess strong technical skills in the sector where one wishes to work, simply because selling computers is not the same as selling financial products or office furniture. Moreover, a survey by Abacus Consulting, a firm specializing in consulting and training, whose results were published in La Vie éco (December 22, 2006 edition), shows that the profession has completely changed, and the profiles reflect this change. The era of the self-taught salesperson, solely interested in turnover and succeeding through charm, is over. Today, salespeople are increasingly educated and present themselves more as advisors. "They are better trained and more informed about their environment," emphasizes Mr. Bennouna.
The demands of the profession are not limited to these technical aspects. Sales is above all a state of mind; otherwise, regardless of training and product or sector knowledge, a person will never make a good salesperson. Once these two qualities (technical skills and natural predisposition) are combined, performance will only depend on the work itself (we are abstracting, of course, from the quality of the product or service offered and the market size).
Knowing how to find a client but also how to keep them
Succeeding in this profession requires good individual organization. A successful salesperson is one who maintains performance over time. This talent is cultivated through essential rules, including five key ones.
First point: you must know how to manage your contacts. To sell, you need to find a client but also know how to keep them. To do this, you must follow them closely. In addition to basic information about the specific contact you have in a company or the individual client (address, phone number, email), you must take care to note the habits of this contact person, their character, their decision-making criteria (price, quality, after-sales service...), and, very importantly, the name of their assistant, who can be very useful. And that's not all, it is important to maintain trusting relationships through regular visits, even if you have nothing to offer. If you know the client's birthday, why not send them a birthday gift?
Second element: you must know your market and actively monitor it. To sell, you need to know market trends (supply and demand from the competition).
Good time management, the third key factor, is equally important. Scheduling appointments, client visits, internal meetings: everything must be meticulously planned, knowing that, in some sectors, salespeople are called upon to travel thousands of kilometers by car, if not cross-border trips. In this area, as in all professions, it is necessary to maintain a balance between professional and personal life.
Taking care of your appearance... but also your reports
From a behavioral point of view, it is useful to take care of your appearance and to know how to "keep your nerves under control." This is the fourth rule. Of course, "clothes don't make the man," but to gain a prospect's trust, impeccable attire is essential. A successful salesperson is also one who can remain calm in any circumstance. The client is not convinced? You will try to make them understand that the product is right for them without giving them the impression of forcing them: this is about honesty. They get angry? You will focus on the reasons, avoiding replies that could raise the tone.
Fifth rule: be meticulous in administrative management. Nothing is more counterproductive than poor reporting. It is by relying on the salespeople's field knowledge and the information they provide that a company can refine its strategy and better coordinate its actions in the field. This means, as Laurent Boleau, Sales Director of Steelcase Morocco, points out, that selling is also a team effort, even if, ultimately, the compensation system, which favors variable pay, exacerbates the salesperson's selfishness.
In this regard, let us recall that, according to various compensation surveys, some of whose conclusions were confirmed by the Abacus firm's survey, the variable portion can represent up to 80% of the total compensation. The level of income therefore depends on the size of the company, its sector of activity, but also on the agent's responsibilities. Remember that each company has its own grid. Thus, some companies are increasingly introducing qualitative criteria into bonus awards to encourage salespeople to be more dynamic. However, to qualify for high compensation, it is better to try your luck in construction, IT/telecom/ICT, chemistry/pharmaceuticals/cosmetics, and manufacturing. At least, that's what the Abacus survey suggests.
lavieeco.com
Technical skills are essential because salespeople are also advisors. The variable portion of the salary can reach up to 80% of the total compensation.
For several years, the observation has been almost the same in the job market. Reviewing job offers in newspapers or browsing recruitment websites shows that sales positions offer far more opportunities than others. From simple salesperson to sales director, including technical sales representatives, companies are looking for a variety of profiles.
"Almost 70% of job offers are for sales positions," confirms Mohamed Bennouna, CEO of F2V Consulting, a firm specializing in sales forces. Real estate, tourism, automotive distribution, finance... all sectors are in high demand. This means that sales are, more than ever, a primary career path for young graduates. The reason for this high demand? Sales have become an obsession for companies. Brand prestige, product quality, and service quality are no longer as decisive as in the past, as consumers often struggle to choose from the array of products and services offered daily. To stand out in such a competitive environment, a constant presence in the field is essential.
However, regardless of the number of positions available, companies never hire just anyone. To succeed in this field, one must first possess strong technical skills in the sector where one wishes to work, simply because selling computers is not the same as selling financial products or office furniture. Moreover, a survey by Abacus Consulting, a firm specializing in consulting and training, whose results were published in La Vie éco (December 22, 2006 edition), shows that the profession has completely changed, and the profiles reflect this change. The era of the self-taught salesperson, solely interested in turnover and succeeding through charm, is over. Today, salespeople are increasingly educated and present themselves more as advisors. "They are better trained and more informed about their environment," emphasizes Mr. Bennouna.
The demands of the profession are not limited to these technical aspects. Sales is above all a state of mind; otherwise, regardless of training and product or sector knowledge, a person will never make a good salesperson. Once these two qualities (technical skills and natural predisposition) are combined, performance will only depend on the work itself (we are abstracting, of course, from the quality of the product or service offered and the market size).
Knowing how to find a client but also how to keep them
Succeeding in this profession requires good individual organization. A successful salesperson is one who maintains performance over time. This talent is cultivated through essential rules, including five key ones.
First point: you must know how to manage your contacts. To sell, you need to find a client but also know how to keep them. To do this, you must follow them closely. In addition to basic information about the specific contact you have in a company or the individual client (address, phone number, email), you must take care to note the habits of this contact person, their character, their decision-making criteria (price, quality, after-sales service...), and, very importantly, the name of their assistant, who can be very useful. And that's not all, it is important to maintain trusting relationships through regular visits, even if you have nothing to offer. If you know the client's birthday, why not send them a birthday gift?
Second element: you must know your market and actively monitor it. To sell, you need to know market trends (supply and demand from the competition).
Good time management, the third key factor, is equally important. Scheduling appointments, client visits, internal meetings: everything must be meticulously planned, knowing that, in some sectors, salespeople are called upon to travel thousands of kilometers by car, if not cross-border trips. In this area, as in all professions, it is necessary to maintain a balance between professional and personal life.
Taking care of your appearance... but also your reports
From a behavioral point of view, it is useful to take care of your appearance and to know how to "keep your nerves under control." This is the fourth rule. Of course, "clothes don't make the man," but to gain a prospect's trust, impeccable attire is essential. A successful salesperson is also one who can remain calm in any circumstance. The client is not convinced? You will try to make them understand that the product is right for them without giving them the impression of forcing them: this is about honesty. They get angry? You will focus on the reasons, avoiding replies that could raise the tone.
Fifth rule: be meticulous in administrative management. Nothing is more counterproductive than poor reporting. It is by relying on the salespeople's field knowledge and the information they provide that a company can refine its strategy and better coordinate its actions in the field. This means, as Laurent Boleau, Sales Director of Steelcase Morocco, points out, that selling is also a team effort, even if, ultimately, the compensation system, which favors variable pay, exacerbates the salesperson's selfishness.
In this regard, let us recall that, according to various compensation surveys, some of whose conclusions were confirmed by the Abacus firm's survey, the variable portion can represent up to 80% of the total compensation. The level of income therefore depends on the size of the company, its sector of activity, but also on the agent's responsibilities. Remember that each company has its own grid. Thus, some companies are increasingly introducing qualitative criteria into bonus awards to encourage salespeople to be more dynamic. However, to qualify for high compensation, it is better to try your luck in construction, IT/telecom/ICT, chemistry/pharmaceuticals/cosmetics, and manufacturing. At least, that's what the Abacus survey suggests.
lavieeco.com
