Mayday! 3 Things to Avoid a Soul-Sucking Sales Gig …
No matter the offer, experienced salespeople know how to entice, intrigue and close.
But just because they’re skilled in the ways of product- and service-pushing ingenuity, doesn’t mean they’re not susceptible to being duped into making the wrong decision, themselves.
And though it’s one thing to sign off on the wrong lawnmower, vacation package or insurance plan, it’s a whole new beast when another company’s recruiters have falsely sold you on the beauty of working for them.
Truth be told, this kind of mistake can seem like an unending nightmare …
The good news, though?
If you can acquaint yourself with the tried-and-true signs of a soul-sucking sales gig before it drags you down to the deepest depths of despair and drudgery, you can keep yourself safe.
Yes, things like a messy company culture, lack of leadership and poor reputation can be the warning signs you need, but sometimes the quiet, mores subtle signs of danger are the ones you need to be paying attention to.
The following are three of them:
1) The Website Is a Hot Mess
Before agreeing to any kind of interview, take a prolonged peek at your potential employer’s website. It doesn’t matter if you’re tech-savvy or not—what are your honest impressions?
Consider the following—people just like you judge a business by its website every day. If you’re having uneasy feelings about what you see, buyers will, too.
Don’t know what to look for? If the site doesn’t make sense, hasn’t been updated in years or contains no meaningful content to educate a visitor, there’s a problem.
We’re living in a digital day and age, people—if a company isn’t willing to invest in keeping up with times, what makes you think they’ll invest in keeping you upbeat, happy and successful?
Not a chance …
2) Products and Services Are the Sole Focus
People matter—it’s as simple as that.
And I get that a company’s products and services are ultimately what drive revenue, but the genuine needs of the customer are the driving force behind the products and services a business chooses to associate with its name.
If the topics of conversations with business personal, brand-specific literature and web content are all focused on the company in question, it will be near impossible that you see the same sales success you could have elsewhere.
Whether it be speeding up productivity, reducing costs or shortening the time to market, your employer’s offering must satisfy an authentic need.
If it doesn’t, you’ll soon find yourself fighting a sales battle you won’t win.
3) A Shady Digital Presence
The majority of sales opportunities come from companies that aren’t yet household names. As such, beyond generics, you’re not likely to know much about where you could spend the bulk of your working hours in the not-so-distant future.
You’re in luck, though …
Thanks to the advent of the Internet, you’re able to do your due diligence before making any kind of formal commitment. Check out a business’ Glassdoor, Indeed and Google reviews.
If they don’t add up like they should, a series of “Mayday” distress signals should immediately go off in your head. Not an issue, though—it’s only a matter of time before you find the right fit.
Conclusion
This is by far my favorite part of posts like these. No, I’m not asking you to drop the names of any companies for which you had an awful sales experience ….
What I would like, however, is that you do two things in the comments section below:
- Briefly talk about what it’s like to sell for the wrong employer.
- In retrospect, mention what you would’ve done differently to find the best option.
Can’t wait to see what you’ve got for me—have a great day!
* Image Credit:
- Featured Image, Pexels
