“I am giving my notice. I am going to be a nurse instead.” This was a real quote from a recent BDR at our company a week into the job. No joke! This isn’t the first time something like this has happened either. It is actually quite common when it comes to this line of work for someone to back out of the job, and I’m sure many inside sales managers reading this have some similar stories when it comes to these scenarios.
I am not trying to be insensitive by writing this blog. I am just trying to give advice about evaluating sales as a career. Really think about the type of person you are and if it’s right for you. With this idea in mind, I have come up with a list of signs you may notice about yourself that might indicate that sales is the right fit for you:
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If rejection motivates you and doesn’t make you feel like you want to crawl into a hole, inside sales is for you.
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If the idea of hunting throughout an organization to find the right person that’s a right fit for your product or service excites you, inside sales is for you.
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If you see a job posting with the word “commission” in it and it entices you and doesn’t make you want to run for the hills, inside sales is for you.
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If you welcome the idea of coming into work early and leaving late instead of strictly clocking in from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., inside sales is for you.
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If you have the internal drive to keep yourself motivated even when you have a dip in performance, inside sales is for you.
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If you have the ability to ask for help on how to tweak your methodology to try and push yourself over a goal, inside sales is for you.
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If you are resourceful and the thought of turning a cold call list into gold excites you, inside sales is for you.
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If you are competitive with yourself and others, inside sales is for you.
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If you are a good listener and can ask good follow up questions, inside sales is for you.
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If you have the ability to talk to C-level contacts with confidence, inside sales is for you.
I have heard a lot of interviewees tell me, “I am trying to find myself and figure out what the right fit is for my career. I like talking to people so I just thought I would give sales a shot, but I am really open to many career paths.” As soon as I hear this, I immediately hesitate with these candidates. These are usually the ones who decide after week one that they made a mistake in taking the position. So what am I getting at here? If you are considering a role in sales, take some time to question whether it is right for you. Inside sales takes an incredible amount of persistence and hard work, and by no means is it an “easy” career path, even though some have that misconception for some odd reason. Do you have what it takes for inside sales?