I get a fair amount of email from sales pros asking whether or not they should accept (or stay with) a sales job. The answer is really pretty simple; you need to assess whether or not that company is a good fit. With that in mind, here are the 9 questions that should always ask, before accepting any sales position.
* Question #1.
Do I have the right personality? Some sales jobs require an outgoing personality, while others are more contemplative and solutions oriented. If you have a mismatched personality, you’re not going to be happy, no matter how good you are at selling.
* Question #2.
Will they train me adequately? You don’t want to spend three months eating dog food while you figure out your new employer’s products and sales process. You need to hit the ground running, so you should expect top-notch training, provided the moment you’re hired.
* Question #3:
Can this manager coach me? Having access to somebody who can help you be successful is half the battle. You want t manager who can tell you what you’re doing wrong and encourage what you’re doing right. If not, it’s time to look elsewhere.
* Question #4:
Can they provide good information? Needless to say, the most useful info is a list of QUALIFIED leads, but there’s also competitive research, sales tools, USEFUL presentations, unique sales propositions, and so forth. If it’s not there, you’re in for a slog.
* Question #5:
Is there a clear sales process? You want to see a clearly-defined, easily-understood sales process, with easily-measurable metrics, can help you understand exactly what you need to do in order to be successful. If it’s not there, you’ll be winging it.
* Question #6:
Will I have my own territory? Unless you want to constantly fighting other sales pros for the same business, you should expect to have an exclusive region or industry segment where only you are allowed to sell. If it’s not there, then you’ll always be fighting your peers.
* Question #7:
Do they pay commissions promptly? You’d be amazed how many firms let the bean counters rule the roost and wait weeks, even months, before paying the people who are bringing in the business. So ask around and make sure they’re not pikers.
* Question #8.
Is there a generous bonus plan? If you do a superlative job (like taking the extra time to sell a product that’s difficult to sell, rather than just cherry picking what’s easy), you have every reason to expect that you’ll get some extra rewards.
* Question #9.
Am I interested in what I’m selling? This is the most important question of all. If you’re not interested in selling something, you’ll probably be lousy at it. Customers will sense that you’d rather be elsewhere and often suggest that you do so.
The above is based largely on conversations and interviews with Robert Carr, CEO at Heartland Payment Systems, Inc.
