Are you a sales professional or do you have a job selling? I distinguish between the two by your level of commitment to your career and whether you have a plan to achieve sales greatness and build your own brand. Salespeople who take time away from their work responsibilities to develop skills, build their network, add value in their industry and community, and pursue continuous learning are sales professionals.

Many sales positions now require you to have a college education, and in many cases, an honors or graduate degree is preferred. This criterion is far less important than your commitment to your career and the sales profession after graduation. Another name for graduation is commencement, which means beginning; This applies to sales more than any other profession. After all, in post-secondary academia, what courses teach you about sales and prepare you for the challenges, mindset, and skills you need to become a consistently high-performing player in your industry? Being great in any profession requires a commitment to continuing education and lifelong learning, and this is most evident in sales; it is the hardest profession to be good at and the easiest position to get ahead.

Natural ability and talent can help you and give you the illusion that you have what it takes without having to think too much about your long-term career. Don’t let your ego get in the way of looking objectively at how you are doing. Take stock of where you are and where you want to be, build on your strengths, have a plan and develop habits that will take you to a level of performance that only one in twenty achieve. Your career plan is a responsibility that you cannot delegate; having your own vision, purpose and plan is your top priority. By acknowledging this truth and accepting the responsibility of managing yourself, you build self-esteem and your potential in the world becomes limitless.

These are the 5 pillars on which you build an exciting and highly rewarding career in sales.

Mission vision
We all need to be leaders when it comes to our sales careers and having a vision precedes all great achievements. A vision gives you something to strive for, keeps you motivated, and gives you the desired end state that your goals are based on.

Take a moment to reflect and imagine doing what you deeply desire. What kind of environment are you in, where are you, how do you feel, who are you with, what skills are you using, what strengths are you building on, what are you recognized for, and what are people saying about you? Having a vision is the lifeblood on which all great journeys are built, and your career is all about the journey toward achieving that vision.

The mission establishes your purpose, gives meaning to why your career exists, and is based on your core values. Your mission is the rudder on which you will base your decisions and conduct yourself; it is your personal code and must be aligned with the mission of your company.

Career plan and goals
Setting goals to achieve the desired end state and committing to examining and updating them is where most salespeople fail. How many of you reading this article will take the time to write down your vision and mission and then come up with a career plan? It takes a lot of character to accept responsibility and have persistence and discipline to build a career plan and set goals. Goal setting is the only way to motivate yourself and translate your vision into action; without having goals you are only dreaming. Goal setting is proven to increase personal productivity; they have written goals that are both short term and long term.

Continuous learning
One of the key areas where sales professionals invest is continuous learning. In this category I include reading, listening to CD’s, attending seminars and workshops, taking courses, and asking for feedback from your supervisor and peers. By refreshing and updating your knowledge, a positive flow of information is feeding your consciousness, which in turn permeates your subconscious. You’ll become more aware of what motivates people, how to build great sales organizations, what to look for when evaluating career opportunities, and best practices in the areas of sales processes and techniques.

Learning and understanding must never stop and must always precede action; If you’re not constantly hungry for ways to improve, your approach becomes stale and stale. How many reps and managers have you seen continue with their same old habits, have lost their sense of creativity and no longer provide a stimulating and exciting presence in their environment? You are one of them? I encourage you to commit to continuous learning and open your mind. By opening your mind, you will recognize your own areas for improvement, and more importantly, you will bring inspiration to your workplace, which will always result in more opportunities and income.

Personal brand
On average, a salesperson changes jobs every 3.5 years, but their own career lasts a lifetime. By building his own brand in the market, he becomes a constant driving force instead of depending on the company he represents today. Taking a leadership position of his own brand gives him a sense of control and power; It means that he will always be in demand because he has demonstrated the ability to build strong customer relationships and deliver value. Your personal brand is your greatest asset in the market. Continue to add value to your brand by joining organizations and associations, speak in public, write newsletters, contribute to trade magazines or ezines, attend trade shows and conventions, and attend networking events regularly. Considering that salespeople are often seen as gregarious, my experience has been that most attend work-related events but rarely think about what they should be doing to add value to themselves and thus improve their value in the market. market.

mental attitude
High-performing salespeople have a positive mental attitude and a high sense of self-esteem. They have a habit of feeding their subconscious mind with positive thoughts and never dwelling on negative ones. If you miss out on a big sale, learn from the experience; if you are rejected, remind yourself that it’s not personal and quickly put the negative aspect out of your mind. Do not let fear stop you and doubts enter your mind. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Do what you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” Always act with enthusiasm and by doing so you will feel enthusiastic. It’s a psychological fact that by thinking positive thoughts and acting with enthusiasm and confidence, you’ll actually feel more self-esteem and be in a position to develop better relationships and generate more sales. Surround yourself with highly successful people and positive thinkers and stay away from negativity and salespeople who are full of reasons and excuses for not being successful. How you feel on the inside will be how you show up on the outside, so always pay attention to the thoughts and actions that are creating your mindset.

The sales profession offers you unlimited potential if you commit to a life of self-reflection, improvement, and positive action. Have a plan based on his own personal vision and always continue to build on his strengths. By following good daily work habits, he will continue to build his self-esteem, which in turn will attract like-minded people who share similar values. The challenge for everyone is to review the 5 Pillars as they apply to you and make sure each gets the time and attention it deserves.

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