Graduates looking for ‘Easy Money’ Sales career warned not to take job at face value
Unemployed graduates are being swayed by the idea of a lucrative money-making career in sales without really understanding what skills they need to succeed, claims a leading sales expert.
With all too many graduates completing their studies with a substantial amount of debt in tow, many are being attracted to a career in sales as a way to repay their debt quickly and make some serious money. With the ability in some cases to be earning a six-figure sum within a very short period of time it is no wonder it is a tempting career route for many struggling to find a job in the current climate.
Andy Preston, founder of sales training company Outstanding Results, knows all too well how lucrative a career in sales can be after he became one of the top salespeople in his industry, but warns graduates not to think that this is will be an easy ride to success.
Andy says, “Sales is one of the very few roles where your income can be solely determined by your own efforts. The key challenges in this industry are being able to maintain motivation, desire and confidence. I’ve seen many people leave the industry soon after they joined simply because they didn’t focus on these three key areas and didn’t succeed as a result”.
Preston is also reminding Graduates that the market is still recovering from the slowdown and whilst there are sales jobs out there, only those demonstrating a proactive ‘go get ‘em’ approach will be successful in getting the sales job of their choice.
“Many graduates simply send off their CV to numerous companies and then sit back and hope for a call back, but if you really want to make an impression, what better way to get the attention of a Sales Director than to get on the phone and sell yourself to them! When I was a Sales Director, if a budding young graduate had demonstrated enough tenacity, confidence and motivation to actually call me and pitch themselves to me I would have probably hired them on the spot! Sadly, very few new graduates have the confidence and courage to try this approach!”
5 reasons why Video is the future of sales recruitment
Video is everywhere now and the next generation of Sales Pros are used to networking through social sites and communicating using tools such as video. Video applications to support traditional CV’s are the future and it’s a trend that is already being adopted by savvy candidates and recruiters alike.
Wondering why video is so critical to sales recruitment? Here are 5 reasons why.
1. Enhanced application improves job prospects – Candidates can upload the traditional Word CV as well as fill out a simple web page that captures the information recruiters look for when searching for candidates. Candidates can upload a 60-90 sec Video profile of themselves demonstrating their ability to sell themselves. This would allow sales recruiters and sales employers the ability to view candidates rather than just read a CV. I often heard of great candidates (Sales Pro’s) not even getting to interview stage because their CV did not stand up to the job exactly, although they felt that they were more than capable of doing the job. The video allows candidates to demonstrate their presentation skills visually supported by the word CV and Sales Profile.
2. Sales Recruiters and Employers get better quality candidates – Sales recruiters and sales employers can upload their corporate video into each and every one of their job advertisements. Not only is this a fantastic branding opportunity for advertisers but it also enables jobseekers to get a better feel for the culture of a company, much more than they would get from just a job description.
3. Applications become more interactive – Sales Recruiters and employers could ask the candidates to answer a specific question (on a video vacancy) as part of the recruitment process to speed up the recruitment process. (Interested candidates could then answer the question in their Video and forward there details to the recruiting party). This would allow sales recruiters and employers the ability to shortlist more accurately and speed up the process.
4. Interview and selection costs are cut – Sales Recruiters are able to forward candidate details to their clients with the Video embedded into their candidates Profile allowing the hiring manager the ability to see how that candidate presents him/herself visually. This would work particularly well when recruiting for International Sales Jobs, as employer in the Europe UAE or even the Far East would be able to view the candidates profile before flying them several thousand miles for a face to face interview.
5. Presentations skills become core part of selection process – As is often the case, at 2nd Interview for a professional sales job most applicants are requested to do a presentation of some sort. This is used as part of the screening process and allows the hiring company to see how that person presents themselves or their products or services.
By introducing Video Profiles, Video Vacancies, or the ability to use the Video for company/corporate branding Sales Pro offers a unique cost effective sales recruitment platform coupled with superb branding opportunities for customers.
Online video job applications could cut recruitment time by half
Organisations looking for candidates to fill sales positions could find the costs and time spent finding the right person cut dramatically with the introduction of video-based applications via the web, according to salesprorecruitment.co.uk.
As presentation skills are particularly important for sales roles, Russell Margison, founder of Sales Pro with over 18 years experience in the Sales Industry, claims that using video as part of the recruitment process could potentially cut search to appointment time by as much as half.
For candidates, the ability to upload a 60-90 second video profile to support their application enables candidates to demonstrate their presentation skills as they would at first interview, increasing the chances of securing a first interview. Recruiters are instantly able to see far more about the candidate than a written CV alone would provide and helps ensure they select the most appropriate candidates from the onset.
Recruiters and employers can upload a Video Vacancy which would allow them to bring the job to life as well as increasing the quality of applications, saving them valuable time and money.
But perhaps what is most valuable is that Sales Recruiters are able to forward candidate details (with embedded video included) to their clients, allowing the hiring manager the ability to see how that candidate presents him/herself visually. This would work particularly well when recruiting for International Sales Jobs, as they would be able to view the candidates profile before flying them several thousand miles for a face to face interview.
“Having spent many years involved in recruitment and paying unnecessarily high fees to some of the major job boards, I felt there had to be a more cost effective option for the Sales Industry. With the world shrinking around us, Video is everywhere now and the next generation of Sales Pros are used to networking through social sites and communicating using tools such as video. Sales Pro is well placed to and provides the platform to exploit the power of Video,” says Margison.
Salesprorecruitment.co.uk is believed to be the only dedicated sales recruitment site to offer video-based applications from candidates as well as Video Vacancies posted by the recruiting parties.
Sales Jobs on the Rise – How will you stand out from the crowd?
A recent report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KMPG revealed that job placements were on the rise, which is good news for candidates looking for their next job in Sales. But how do you differentiate yourself in an increasingly crowded marketplace? What can you do to really stand out?
Recruiters and employers are being bombarded with CVs from potential candidates and it is getting increasingly harder to differentiate one from another. Recruiters have been searching for a way to find better candidates more quickly and the answer may have its roots in social media.
Most Sales Pro’s these days are well versed with social media, with many using sites like LinkedIn, Ecademy and even Facebook and Twitter. Some may have even experimented with the use of video conferencing via Skype, but very few have considered how this technology could be used to help them find their next sales job.
Video applications for sales jobs is a new but rapidly growing concept, pioneered by salesprorecruitment.co.uk. The theory is that candidates can upload video applications of 60-90 minutes to enhance their traditional word document CV.
Recruiters can instantly see the candidate and gauge their personality and presentation skills, two aspects which are absolutely crucial in succeeding at being offered a sales job and usually aren’t able to be seen until the candidate is called for first interview. It saves the recruiters valuable time and money and ensure they select the best candidates first time round.
For candidates, this opportunity is like gold dust. You can’t make a first impression twice, so why risk messing up your first chance on the day of a 1st interview when you can record (and re-record!) the perfect introduction/presentation via a video application?
In the current climate, only the most savvy Sales Pro’s will succeed in getting their chosen jobs, so make sure you maximise the chances of being selected by giving the recruiter or employer as much insight into you as a person by creating a video to support your job application.
Qualifications vs Skills – How important in Sales?
Background screening company PeopleChecking, part of NorthgateArinso recently conducted some research which shows that 78% of those who had experienced candidates lying on CVs said they had seen grade inflation at degree level, while 39% had witnessed candidates lying about A-level or equivalent and GCSE level qualifications respectively.
So how important are qualifications in relation to skills and why are so many people lying about their grades? Is it really more important than skills when it comes to jobs in sales?
Having spent over 18 years in sales, I know first hand that there is more to a CV than just qualifications. I’m not saying that people should lie on their CV, but more that they should work to show their prospective employer the more ‘attractive’ aspects of the overall candidate package.
I’ve developed a particularly effective formula which is describe as the Three P’s. If you can master all three then you’ll dramatically increase your chances of landing the sales job you want.
The Three P’s are:
Personality
Do you have the right personality to fit in with the culture of the organisation and the team? Do you tick all the right boxes for the potential employer and give them the confidence that you’d fit right in to the existing team?
Presentation
Perhaps THE most important skill to possess as a salesperson, an employer will need to see that you have the right skills to deliver their product or service to customers in a way which encourages them to sign up. If you can sell well and have impeccable presentation skills, employers will be much more likely to give you an interview, regardless of your academic achievements.
Proven Ability
A proven track record will always be an advantage when applying for a sales job. It will prove that your combination of skills and style can close the deal and will instil confidence that you are able to provide the same kind of the results for the employer.
So how can this be delivered effectively to a prospective employer?
The secret to improving your chances of getting selected for interview is to show as much of the Three P’s as possible in the first stages of the application. Proven Ability can be demonstrated via your traditional CV Word document, but the other two can only really come across with Video applications, like those you can find on salesprorecruitment.co.uk.
Video is everywhere now and the next generation of Sales Pros are used to networking through social sites and communicating using tools such as video. Video applications to support traditional CV’s are the future and it’s a trend that is already being adopted by savvy candidates and recruiters alike.
Is Medical Sales the career for you?
Many are drawn to a career in medical sales as it used to be perceived as a very ‘safe’ career, but increased competition and greater regulation from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has made it a much more challenging environment.
If you are considering a job in medical sales, you may find this article interesting. The contents summarised below originally appeared during April 2010 in an article by Liz Lightfoot, written for The Independent newspaper.
Medical Sales explained
- The term “medical sales” is misleading as it covers two very different fields, pharmaceutical and healthcare. The pharma rep promotes medicines while the healthcare rep sells a wide range of products, from bandages and prosthetic devices to state-of-the-art hospital scanners.
- The increased centralisation of NHS procurement means companies need fewer foot soldiers for surgery or pharmacy visits – the number of pharmaceutical reps in the UK declined from 9,000 to 6,000 last year.
- Drug companies are spending more than £10m a day developing new products, most of which they are not allowed to advertise. So it’s hardly surprising that the sales and marketing teams of big companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer which have more than one-fifth of the market together – are crucial for a return on their investment.
- Jobs in medical sales are well paid and come with bonuses, company cars, mobile phones and laptops. They appeal to self-starters who get on well with people and can work as a team but don’t mind long periods alone working out of their cars, says Mackintosh.
- About half the pharmaceutical sales reps in the UK have a science degree, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). A degree is not essential, however, and some companies prefer people with nursing or marketing experience. Within two years of starting work, pharmaceutical reps must pass an exam in areas such as the human body, pathology and pharmacology.
Medical Sales Factfile
How to get in: Science degree or health service experience preferred for pharmaceutical reps but not essential. Healthcare reps need biomedical or science qualifications or relevant health care experience.
Training: Pharmaceutical reps must pass an exam within two years in the job. Most companies train employees in their products.
Career prospects: The job of a medical sales rep is a route into marketing, sales management and training.
Salary: Pharma reps can expect to start on £18,000 to £25,000 a year plus company car, laptop, mobile phone, health care and bonuses of 15 per cent. Mid career they earn £35,000 to £55,000 plus bonus and perks.
Healthcare reps start on £28,000 rising to £50,000 + mid career plus the same kind of perks. Bonuses tend to be higher – a minimum of 20 per cent.
Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/medical-sales-wanted–ambitious-selfstarters-with-drive-1956870.html
A helping hand in finding your dream sales job
Trying to find your ideal sales job can be a frustrating and tiresome project. There are so many businesses and opportunities to look through that it can become very stressful and often there is no-one to turn to for advice.
This is where a life coach comes in. Life coaching can help you find out exactley what aspects of a job your most suited to, your life coach will explore your beliefs, values and personality to help you find out what sort of sales job would best suit you.
Your life coach will work with you as an individual to create the ideal job profile for you. Your life coach will then work with you to set small achievable targets to enable you to reach your overall goal of a better more fulfilling sales job. It may be that your skills are better aligned to different industry sectors or perhaps you only need to study for a few additional qualifications. By working closely with a life coach you will discover your real strengths and learn how to plan for a better more fulfilling future.
To find out more how life coaching can help your career why not visit http://www.lifecoach-directory.org.uk/articles/career.html This will provide you with a network of qualified and insured life coaches based in the UK. Each life coach has their own profile and area of expertise so you can choose which one is best placed to assist you. You can search by town postcode or county to find a suitable coach. So if your struggling to identify were your strengths are best placed or just require a little help go to the site to find out more.
Hello Sales Pro Users
I just wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ to you all for showing such interest in Sales Pro. I have had some great feedback, and it seem’s that the video profile tool is already helping you to stand out from the crowd!
It is great to hear that some of you have already registered new vacancies with new clients on the strength of the video profiles.
Don’t forget to look into getting a corporate video done which can be added to all of your Sales Jobs on the Sales Pro site. You would also be able to upload your video onto You Tube. This is a fantastic Branding and advertising opportunity. Typical costs are around £500 with a professional presenter and it only takes half a day.
Sales Pro is moving up the natural search listings in Google and we are currently on page 3 for the search term ’sales jobs’ and our SEO team are working furiously to get us onto page one.
Well that’s all, thanks to all again for all the positive feedback.
Have a great weekend and don’t forget your sun cream.
Recruitment International
Sales Pro is in the news again, this time on the Recruitment International website.
We are pleased that Sales Pro is gaining International recognition and are amazed at the number of visitors that we are now achieving from over 59 countries worldwide. We aim to make Sales Pro as visible as possible to the world community of Sales Professionals and can honestly say that this is a terrific start.
Breaking News
www.recruiter.co.uk publishes the Sales Pro launch.
Following the press release Sales Pro received numerous calls from other job board owners congratulating us on the look and feel of the site and in particular our cool new feature the video profiles. We hope that Sales Recruiters and Sales Employers will make maximum use of the Video profiles which are easy to use and can really bring to life vacancies or indeed promote a company’s culture and work ethos enabling them to attract the very best UK Sales talent.