Working as a salesperson or wholesale distributor is attractive to many people because it usually offers job flexibility and the potential to earn uncapped commission. Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out for a job in sales. If you have any of these qualities, take it as a sign you should find another career path.
1. Fear of rejection
Salespeople always hear the word “no,” especially if they’re in a role which involves cold calling. Because of this, a salesperson has to be able to recover quickly from rejection. In fact, salespeople need to be completely unfazed by the possibility of rejection. If you fear hearing no, then it may impact your ability to find new clients or put yourself out there. So, if you can’t handle rejection and go to great lengths to avoid it, sales is not the right job for you.
2. You’re not motivated by money
A lot of Millennials find that money is no longer the main motivator on their job hunt—which is fine—but not if you want to be in sales. The best salespeople and wholesale distributors are motivated by the fact they can earn as much commission as they’d like if they continue to aggressively pursue sales. This does not mean they are greedy and money minded, it simply means that due to whatever reasons in their lives, making money is very important to them. Without this motivation, you will have no reason to go the extra mile. Instead, find what does motivate you and look for jobs that fulfill this need.
3. You’re pessimistic
Salespeople need to maintain a positive attitude at all times—especially in front of the clients. Meeting sales quota, trying to win over clients and occasionally losing a client for one reason or another can be stressful. The optimist can handle these common sales issues with a dose of optimism, but pessimists may crumble under the constant stress and possibility of failure. If you have the tendency to look at the glass as half empty, you might not be fit for this job.
4. You put things off until tomorrow
Salespeople must be self-starters, otherwise they won’t find much success in this position. Yes, the phone call to introduce yourself to a new prospect could wait until tomorrow morning, but why not do it today instead? Salespeople need to feel a sense of urgency to get things done, otherwise they will find it difficult to build relationships with new clients and close sales. When you choose to push things off until tomorrow, you are giving every other competitive company in town one more chance to get in touch with your client and steal the business.
5. You’re sensitive
To succeed in sales, you have to understand constructive criticism and be able to tell yourself the rejection is not personal. When your manager suggests a new closing technique, you can’t sulk in your cubicle about it and wonder what he saw in you that made him question whether you were able to close on a sale. If a client says he or she is not interested in signing on with your company, it’s probably because of budget or other business related reasons, not because the client did not like you. Successful salespeople have the ability to separate business from personal life, so if you can’t handle this, then perhaps this is not the right career path for you.
If you recognize some of these qualities in yourself, but have always dreamed of going into sales, don’t panic. Even if you have these characteristics now, you can work on yourself over time to improve how you handle rejection and find motivation!
