Quote: (08-01-2015 12:02 PM)amusedmastery Wrote:
If you care to share, what kind of changes in career did you need to make to remain at your location? Did you start a business or learn a new trade?
I guess you could say I am learning a new trade, in the sense that I simply changed my industry to a product and clientele that I have never worked with in the past. But it doesn't matter, really. I started on this path about 5 years ago, failing several times along the way. I got tired of creating a lot of revenue for C-level people who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. I am about halfway to where I want to be, right now. You just have to figure out the system. Once you do, you will be doing job applications on the "Online Portal" of the company website
after you know you have the job. They will just need you to do it for HR and EEO because the posting needs to be up for a week or something to let all the other people who aren't getting the job waste their time filling out paperwork.
The System
One of the best things about being in sales is that all companies want top performing salesmen pushing their product or service. They also want to know
how you did it. Most HR and recruiters will encourage you to bring a brag book, filled with pictures of your awards and other nonsense. Everyone has this now. If you were hiring someone, do you care if they have a picture of their "MVP" trophy? Not likely. I have found it better to leave behind (to EVERYONE you interview with) a small, professional binder or folder (with tabs if necessary...) with your resume, copies of your manager evaluations, case study/studies detailing the best examples of your skill set from prospecting to close of sale, copies of customer appreciation emails for how you handled a situation, leadership, showed value, etc, and a printout of your LINKEDIN PEER RECOMMENDATIONS and 3 References they can call (which they won't if they read positive reviews from previous managers and co-workers... you already have the social proof that people like working with you). All real examples of you being who they need to hire right now before someone else does.
Other helpful attributes for getting the career you want, where you want it:
Marketability
How easily can you sell yourself? Have you taken any sales training programs, i.e. Professional Selling Skills or Strategic Selling? Have you read any basic sales literature or business development books? Even relating something from Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Selling or Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People in the interview could help you stand out.
Networking
Are you using your personal and professional network effectively? In my case, my field started to become very gynocentric, so about two years ago I started looking for something that needed sales skills and a certain level of strength. I landed on a position that requires you to be able to lift and move 50-lb boxes multiple times per week. There were very few women interested in doing this because you can't get out of actually doing work. Once I figured this out, I started seeing who I knew in this industry, found a friend that could give me the inside track when a position opened, if I liked it I sent my resume to him and he put it on the desk of a VP. The first time I lost out to an internal candidate. The second time (last month) I accepted one of the top paying positions on the sales force.
The Financial Paradox
Ideally, you will not only be able to dictate your desired location, but you will also have input into successfully avoiding the dreaded "lateral" job switch. You want to somehow make more money in the new career than your previous- not the same or less. This is how you will command more money in future negotiations. One of the benefits to a sales position is that no one can truly predict what you would have made this upcoming year with any amount of certainty. Inevitably, you will be asked how much you are making, or what compensation you are requesting. This is usually a clandestine question when concerning sales professionals and you should not answer it 100% truth. They want to know what the minimum amount they can pay you to come work for them. If you answer honestly, it is a mistake. Obviously, you can't say you were making $250k as a Marketing Intern. But Sales is different. As long as it is believable, it's fine. Maybe you can take what you W-2 the previous year and "forecast" more for yourself and then add another $10k to your offer request. So, let's say you made $60k in 2014, I would put down that you are currently making $70k and ask for $80k to make the switch "from the job and company you could really see yourself working for long term." Most likely they will come back and say, "We can't pay your $80k. Would you be happy at $73k? Here's how your base+commissions would break down based on the results of the territory last year." Now you are looking at almost 22% more money. You should be interested because you aren't getting low-balled, and they think they talked you down.
Then if you think that is their best offer, you just tell them it sounds competitive and to put it in writing and email it to you, along with all the other 401k, Health Insurance, and Benefits info for your review. Then ask what day you should expect to receive it, and what day do they want a reply whether it is acceptable or not. Then just send a SHORT Thank-You Email to everyone you interviewed with or met along the way within 24 hours. Always include one highlight of the conversation that went well so they remember you... "Thanks for your time today, Dan. You mentioned that this territory has a lot of potential. Like I said in the interview, if I can grow my current business at ABC 17% year over year, I know I can do it for XYZ, inc. If you give me a chance to work on your team, I won't let you down. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the next step."
Does this answer your question? I really couldn't put together a quick reply that expresses the amount of work and detail necessary to make a solid impact on a highly competitive part of life, so you get the full explanation.
Best,
Gus
