How does one get started in sales? And what kind of sales? The old conundrum of starting any new career is that it’s hard to start without any prior experience to guide you along, and give you credibility when talking to someone about it.
When I was looking for my way into the profession, I focused mostly on applying to entry-level positions at companies I thought I’d enjoy working in. I was looking for companies that had a product I could get excited about, and seemed to offer some prospect of professional growth.
But what I quickly discovered is that simply applying for a job is only half the battle. The other half is focusing on yourself – and really thinking about whether you have what it takes to succeed on the job.
After applying to only a couple of jobs, I found myself at an interview with the CEO and the Sales Manager of one of those companies, having to demonstrate what I knew about Sales. How would you carry yourself on the phone? What would you say? What insightful and thoughtful questions would you ask a prospect? How would you engage with them, and gain their trust? And these questions weren’t hypothetical, they actually made me participate in a role-playing exercise to see how I would do in real-time.
Needless to say I didn’t do too well on that interview, and after a few more embarrassing role-playing exercises, I was referred to a company called Three Value Logic Sales Institute in downtown Denver.
Three Value Logic (3VL) is an unusual company that provides free intensive sales training. They are also a sales outsourcing company, providing their clients with qualified appointments with potential prospects.
It’s my third week here, and so far I am learning a lot, and enjoying the experience. I am very impressed by management here, and will write about what’s like to go through their sales training in future posts.
