Selling Is The Key To Success

Say the word “sales” and many people scowl or stop paying attention. They view salespeople with disdain or try to avoid conversations about selling. What those people and many others do not realize is that we are all salespeople in one way or another. Whether parents are trying to get their children to eat fruits and vegetables or workers are trying to convince their bosses to use new ideas, these folks are selling. By perfecting our sales techniques, we unlock the key to our success.

Many people are overlooked for job opportunities, promotions, or even bonuses simply because they do not know how to sell themselves. Unfortunately, they may not realize this. They usually blame it on lack of qualifications or unfair business practices. These are just excuses and in most cases, they are not legitimate ones. Ruling the job market and career ladder requires selling yourself and this requires a unique set of skills.

When we strip away the fancy wrapping, resumes and job interviews are sales presentations. They are opportunities to sell employers on hiring you. Anyone looking for a job should apply the techniques proven to increase effectiveness of sales presentations. Doing just two easy things can put you ahead of the competition, increasing your chance of landing the desired job. Incorporate these into your job seeking process and you will never go wrong.

First, revise the resume to include specific facts illustrating proficiency. Add quantitative or qualitative results to descriptions of job duties. Do the same in the job interview, clearly illustrating prior accomplishments and allowing interviewers to understand how you can benefit their businesses. Be specific and provide real results. This saves potential employers the need to research your proficiencies on their own time.

Whether someone is new to the employment world or has been climbing the career ladder for years, he or she has some folks willing to provide testimonials or references. Testimonials are one or two sentences, while reference letters are usually a few paragraphs long. The beauty of testimonials is that they can be inserted into a cover letter or resume, giving either document some punch. They provide a quick view of the impact the job candidate has made on the individual.

No one is going to create six figure income for us. We must do this ourselves and in this job market, that requires some creativity. Including proof of accomplishments on the resume and providing testimonials or references make it easy for prospective employers to understand what we have accomplished. They will immediately see how we can help their businesses succeed. This could be all it takes to get a flurry of job offers.

These two little secrets have been well-kept and career coaches charge steep price tags for this advice. Take the tips to heart and use them to land a promotion or new employment. Remember, we all work in sales. This mindset puts us back in control of our careers, helping us to climb the ladder quickly and more easily than others will.