Everything You Need To Know About A Career In Sales
Answering FAQ’s about a career in sales.
WHERE COULD YOU WORK AS A SALESPERSON?
Sales is a fundamental part of every business, so there is a wide variety of industries you could get involved in such as tech, marketing and creative agencies, tech for good, sustainability and fintech companies to name only a few.
WHAT CAN YOU BE SELLING AS A SALESPERSON?
You could be selling innovative VR products, F1 simulators, mental wellness apps or even be working with Crypto, SaaS, investments, high-end products & services, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). The opportunities are endless.
What does a career in Sales involve?
It will most likely not be what you think. The first thing that may pop in your head when thinking about Sales is people sitting at a desk, cold-calling people all day selling people things they don’t need. This is certainly not the case.
A modern career in Sales is about relationship building, winning new business, being able to identify and solve problems and the passion to do this for exciting and worthy causes.
Typical work might involve:
Identifying and sourcing prospective customers
Working with trusted partners
Building rapport with prospects and working to close the deal
Effectively, a salesperson is an expert in communication and building relationships with potential clients, recognising a customer’s priorities and needs, then finding a solution in which to meet them effectively.
There are many ways for people to approach sales, you could focus on being the best at networking, account management, consulting, closing the deal, relationship building or becoming an expert in a particular product or field. There is opportunity for all personality types.
what are THE PERKS OF a career in sales?
A career in sales can truly be life-changing, that offers a solid career progression, that can provide you with a lifestyle of becoming financially free. You have the potential to take the holidays you want; get that new car you’ve had your eye on or put money towards buying a house. It can take you down a variety of paths and industries, that can provide high-earning opportunities, grow your skillsets, and offer a flexible schedule.
This is a career that rewards hard work and creates a sense of accomplishment at all levels.
WHAT ARE Typical Sales JOB titles?
There are endless job titles in the sales world, depending on what your focus. We’ve broken them up into the main subsections.
GENERAL SALES JOB TITLES
To get a better understanding of a general career progression in sales, head over to our free guide.
Telesales Representative
Sales Executive
Graduate Sales Executive
Senior Sales Executive
Sales Consultant
Sales Coordinator
Sales Team Lead
Sales Manager
Sales Operations Manager
Regional Sales Manager
Head Of Sales
Director Of Sales
Vice President (VP) Of Sales
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT JOB TITLES
Business Development is still under the umbrella of sales but it focuses on researching and strategy that will lead to finding new opportunities in the market and successful partnerships. Their job is to do the groundwork by strategising and rapport building over anywhere from a month to a year, that will support the sales team make deals.
To get a better understanding of a general career progression in Business Development, head over to our free guide.
Business Development Executive
Graduate Business Development Executive
Business Development Manager
Senior Business Development Manager
Regional Business Development Manager
Business Development Representative
Business Development Consultant
Director Of Business Development
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT JOB TITLES
Account Management is the more consultative side of sales. It’s more focused on client relations and keeping them warm.
They build strong relationships so clients stay with the company longer and consider buying more. Most of their selling is upselling or renewing contracts with clients that have already been won.
Account Executive
Account Manager
Key Account Manager
Senior Account Manager
Client Relationship Manager
Account Relationship Manager
Internal Account Manager
External Account Manager
CUSTOMER SUCCESS JOB TITLES
Customer success is another umbrella for sales where you’d ensure customers not only do well using its product but also succeed in their own businesses.
Your focus would be on building strong relationships with customers, understanding their needs, and helping them achieve their goals. This in turn will encourage customers to stay longer and buy more.
Customer Success Executive
Customer Experience Representative
Customer Success Representative
Customer Success Manager
Customer Success Director
VP Of Customer Success
Customer Success Consultant
WHAT COULD YOU EARN AS A SALESPERSON? AND WHAT ARE THE BENCHMARKS?
By referring to internal data and based on what we have been seeing in the market recently, we are able to provide the following estimated salary benchmarks.
Salaries vary depending on the industry, location, and experience required but all sales roles have the opportunity to earn more for meeting targets (OTE) through commission.
Commission is sometimes ‘uncapped’ which means there is no limit to how much you can make. Top performing salespeople with the most experience and client relationships have high earning potential.
To find out more about sales salaries, head over to our Salary Guides for both Bristol and the UK.
salaries can be banded into 3 levels:
Entry Level: average salary of £22,000
Mid Level: average salary of £32,000
Senior Level: average salary of £45,000
Director Level: average salary of £70,000+
Is a career in sales for me?
If you are interested in a challenge and want an exciting work environment, then a career in sales is worth exploring.
A career in Sales can have you working for exciting and unique companies, those who are driven, adaptable and eager to learn will do well.
There is huge opportunity to earn and progress in Sales and anyone who has the focus and motivation can carve out a fantastic career for themselves.