Jun 03
employer conducts sales training

Don’t Assume That You Aren’t “Good at” Sales

People have to make snap judgments all the time based on incomplete or imperfect information. Sometimes, that’s all you’ve got to work with. But when it comes to making a career transition, this can be a dangerous habit as job seekers dismiss potential options that could actually be great for them.

If you find yourself skipping over a job posting with the thought in your mind of “I wouldn’t be good at that,” take a moment to reconsider. One of the areas in which this happens most frequently is with respect to sales and fundraising jobs. People often jump to conclusions about their suitability because they think they have to be outgoing or comfortable with glad-handing to succeed. But not all sales jobs require these personality traits and skills. Avoiding sales means closing yourself off to a myriad of opportunities across industries. Sales jobs are also some of the easiest to enter without prior experience.

Not having done a specific kind of job before is very different from not having the abilities necessary to take on that role, particularly with some training. With many personnel coming to sales from other kinds of positions, these jobs frequently entail thorough sales training. Many sales positions, especially those in the business-to-business space, involve mastering technical information. And you can learn a lot of detailed information from 3-6 months in a supportive environment. You might find you’re very capable of employing the persuasive tools necessary to this kind of work, given the right resources.

So before you write off sales as “not for you,” be open to the range of opportunities available in this field and do your research into the training offered. For more on how and why to make a career transition into sales, check out this video on our YouTube channel.