Why am I in Sales ?

 

Whenever I introduce myself as I am into sales, it leaves everyone in askance – why Sales??

I did ask the same many a times. Why I went with the flow? Why not something different.

In due course time what am I getting or investing out of it and how I am growing myself has taken a precedence on why?

Like others, when I used to hear about sales or talk about the role earlier, I somewhere thought that it is only men’s job. But, I never felt so. I believe, if you are rightly skilled, the gender doesn’t matter.

Something that I really love to do is reading, learning or analyzing things, creating and presenting my idea or view, visiting places, talking to people, keeping myself busy. The list is never ending on what I love to do. There is So Much in Life to Live. So, I dig in with my family, friends and profession. I always wanted all these things to be there and somewhere I feel, I have got everything in this one. It’s a package deal J

When I started my career in sales, I knew the concepts and frameworks involved in it. When you write or read a concept, it is always streamlined. In real, you have to work in reverse to get things streamlined as per your concepts.

For example, as per sales management concept, Sales cycle has a defined process.

In real, mostly it has way more steps and it’s not in order all the time. Negotiation could be mentioned as one simple step. It is one of the most difficult task to say no every single time to raise the money bar slightly higher or may be way higher. Especially, for me who doesn’t even bargain for vegetables and grocery.

On the contrary, sometimes, you have a client who has heard about your solution. All you have to do is tap their door at the right time and the cycle gets closed in one step.

In Sales it doesn’t end with closing the deal. The aftermath of counting the money in hand is the crucial task. That is what forms your KPI. All your efforts are bound to go unaccounted if there is nothing in hand. Before being part of direct sales, I always thought that the remittance is only finance’s work to account for. Now, I know the onus lies on a Sales personnel’s shoulder to get it accounted and close the books.

As you grow your clientele, the sustenance of every account becomes quintessential. To manage these accounts, an understanding of client’s portfolio, organization structure, strategy etc. has to be there to cross sell and up sell. It requires lots of interactions and reading of reports when taken seriously. Then, may be you can map your offerings with their needs to create a business plan.

While managing client accounts, I see the sales personnel as a fidget spinner who spins with the same centrifugal force across the internal supporting teams and clients to run the show everyday with same momentum. Every day is a new chapter and a lesson to learn.

My career has always been revolving around sales. I never thought that I’d be in sales. I did always manage to change the roles in sales partly with luck and partly with the help of the seniors who saw some value in my work. I express my sincere gratitude to all those teachers from whom I have stolen some key tricks for my own development. I love my work and could balance life. Sales has given it all. Happy Selling !!

- Saranya