I am about three years into a career in B2B sales (business-to-business) and it could be argued that I have been some type of professional salesperson for as long as eight years. In college, I held four B2C (business-to-consumer) sales jobs at different times, from clerking at a bookstore, to hawking protection plans at Circuit City and Best Buy, and even a short stint as an apartment leasing agent. If my tenure as Sandwich Artist in high school qualifies, every job I’ve ever had has been in sales!
This wasn’t an accident. I like sales.
I want to give a few reasons why I like sales (and why you might, too), but first a quick note on B2B vs. B2C for readers who may not know: B2B sales is very different from B2C. The nature of the products and services are different, the types of buyers, the skills required to sell them, work environment, quotas, career path, etc., etc. The following is most applicable to my chosen field of B2B sales, but much applies to B2C sales also.
1. Sales is where the rubber meets the road.
Every job teaches you about business in one way or another. Even roles that never put you in direct contact with the customer will impart lessons about capitalism, of working with others, and of using limited resources to achieve outcomes that keep a company alive. But sales is where you are most exposed to the realities of commerce and what it takes for money to change hands in our economy. From trying to get a prospect’s initial interest, to running a sales cycle, closing a deal, and seeing customers’ eventual satisfaction (or lack thereof), there is no hiding from the truth when you are a salesperson. If you want a career that teaches you the most about business in the shortest amount of time, sales is where you should start.
2. Cleverness and empathy are rewarded.
No two sales are alike. The people involved, their problems, what it takes to get them what they need, and just about every other important element of a sale will be different in significant ways. This isn’t a career for those content with mindless work. An unfortunate misconception about sales in pop culture is that deals are won with pitches and aggression. Those things can help when used appropriately, but the most successful salespeople approach every prospect like a chess game and seek to understand their opponent first and foremost. That opponent, by the way, is not the buyer–it’s the Lost Deal itself. The buyer is merely one piece on the board, and often not even the most critical. Their corporate politics, competitors, internal processes, and other factors are all pieces on the board too and everything must be understood and navigated to win a sale. If you like solving puzzles and gaining mastery of a game, you will enjoy sales.
3. You see the fruits of your labor in real-time.
I remember reading about the success of World of Warcraft and how its addictive nature was rooted in its delivery of short-term and long-term rewards. Sales can be addictive in the same way. Much like killing virtual monsters for their loot gives short-term satisfaction, sending a perfect email that gets a meeting induces a heavy dose of grin-inducing brain chemicals. In the long-term, there are few feelings in life that compare to having poured dozens of hours of labor and creative energy into a complex sales cycle and finally getting a signed contract in your inbox. When you are successful in sales, you can look back at a record of wins and see a series of stories about people whose lives you entered out of the blue and who decided to make significant changes because of things you did. And when you believe in your product, you can go to sleep at night content that your time and talent is being used to create positive change in the world.
These reasons and many more are why I chose and continue to work in sales. Notice not once did I talk about the money. The money can be very good, but I believe those who are in it for the money alone have the wrong motivations. If you’re like me, and you value mentally stimulating work that has a positive impact on the world, you should consider sales.