STOP APPLYING FOR SALES JOBS (AND START CREATING THEM)

You’re a sales professional. You want a new opportunity. You’re tired and frustrated with your current position and are ready for a change. Maybe you want more money, more responsibility or to find a new industry.

What do you do? You forget all of your training. You forget that your value is in creating revenue for your employer. You do what everyone else is doing. You scour LinkedIn and click EasyApply as many times as you can hoping that you will fall into the right spot. You complain that you aren’t getting interviews or offers.

WAIT A MINUTE – Did you call yourself a Sales Professional? Would you build your entire pipeline out of RFP’s that were being completed by every competitor and wannabe out there? Of course not. RFP’s are great, but how many do you win? Follow your heart, follow your gut, do what you do. Sell.

As a Sales Pro, you identify your prospects. You email them. You connect with them on LinkedIn. You call them. Some don’t have the time of day for you, but like any good sales process your suspects become prospects and your prospects become opportunities.

1)     Create your target lists

What kind of sales job do you want? Is it defined by the type of selling or perhaps the industry? Do you want to work in a particular geography or find something remote? Do your homework, select your targets. If they are growing they should want to hire you. If they are not growing they should *need* to hire you

2)     Identify the decision-makers

You can find them, it’s what you do. Send them a message on LinkedIn (Not the lazy canned connection message) – say something to them – Do you like what the company does? Do you believe in their approach? Did you go to the same school as the connection?

3)     Start a dialog

Keep in mind, you are not trying to throw your hat in the ring with 100 other people. Once you connect, move down through your funnel. You’ve converted your suspect to a prospect. Figure out what they need, figure out what you have and how they fit. As you develop a relationship with them, ask for permission to send your resume in case anything opens up. Create your opportunity.

4)     Make your pitch

You’ve invested some time in building a relationship with a targeted prospect. You’ve learned a few things about what they need. They may have the ability to create a spot or can steer you towards an upcoming position. The math here is simple. You’re a professional salesperson. They are going to spend money on you and you are going to bring more money back to them.

5)     Close the deal

You’ve identified your targets, converted leads and created opportunities. Now ask for the close. Negotiate the deal. Start your new position and know that you are a true Sales Pro.