Where you work can make or break your success as a sales professional. But finding the right sales job isn’t as easy as it sounds. Too often, salespeople work at jobs with cyclical routines and stifled upward growth. In a field where time is money, you can’t afford to wait for your situation to improve.
But before you take your talent to a new company, it’s important to know that your potential employer can help put you on the career path you want. Here are the five most important factors to look for in your next sales job:
1. Industry growth
Working at a job is an investment of your time and resources, so make sure your chosen industry is worthwhile. Consider the health of the industry you’re pursuing. Will this product or industry endure? Will the skills and relationships you’re building remain relevant for the long haul?
Consider fields with strong growth like technology and software. You can gain insight by learning about the sales industries expected to thrive in 2018 and the fastest growing US industries.
2. Compensation plan
Your individual compensation plan will either bring out your best performance or confuse and disappoint you. Look for plans that are simple to understand, have reasonable quota ratios, and are obtainable. Ask employers about the team’s current commission data to get a realistic idea of your earning potential. Steer clear 100% commission organizations. These companies have less incentive to invest in your long-term growth.
3. Training and learning opportunities
Search for a position in a company that supports and retains their top talent. Effective sales training includes communicating company processes and regular coaching on important sales skills. Training should also be continuous and motivating; look for an organization that is committed to providing sales reps with constructive feedback and incentives to promote achievements.
4. Career development
Does your prospective employer have the capacity to offer you the long-term career growth you want? Your career path can change depending on the size of the company and the structure of their organization chart.
Smaller companies often provide you with ample opportunities to prove yourself, while larger companies have a more clear-cut process for career progression. Before accepting a job, tell your prospective employer about your long-term goals and ask if they have a defined path to get you there. Make sure your plan uses quantifiable data—like quota metrics— so there are objective data points to mark career milestones.
5. Culture match
An amazing sales team can make the difference between loving what you do and counting down the days until you quit. Discover a sales culture that works for you by connecting with sales reps in local networking groups and attending happy hour events. This will help you build up your job-referral network and test out your chemistry with potential new sales teams.
Take charge of your future success
Though changing sales jobs may seem overwhelming, it helps to know what you want before you send your resume over. It takes research and self-discovery to find a company that will help you succeed.
But closing the deal with prospective employers is a two-way street. Make sure you can prove your value to hiring managers. You can do this is by sharing past sales results with QuotaPath’s quota-tracking software.
QuotaPath is an all-in-one application that helps you improve every part of your sales performance. Use its powerful and easy-to-use dashboard to track important KPIs, manage your pipeline, increase your commision checks, and keep you motivated to hit your sales goals.
The best part?
QuotaPath is free for sales reps. So what are you waiting for? Create an account here.
