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You may think you know the typical salesman or woman - pushy, insincere and willing to try every trick in the book to get you to sign on the dotted line.

But it’s time to forget the image of that foot-in-the-door, wheeler-dealer type character. The truth is, professional salespeople are a million miles from the stereotypes thanks to their dedication, commitment and skill, needed in order to excel in today’s highly competitive and sophisticated markets.

Nowadays it’s important to be a good listener than do all the talking yourself and the latest sales buzzword is consultative selling – in effect you’re talking with your customers rather than at them.

For any company that makes or sells any product or service, the sales department is a crucial and integral part of the business. Quite simply, without sales, the firm would quickly fold.

For graduates, a position in sales can be a great way to launch their career. Many of today’s captain’s of industry and senior executives themselves started in sales and used the excellent business grounding they received to climb the corporate ladder.

Very early responsibility, good training and great salaries – often with performance-related bonuses or commission that can see take-home pay rocket – are now making sales the job of choice for many thousands of university leavers.

Andrew Gordon, director at specialist jobsite jobs.ac.uk, www.jobs.ac.uk, says: ‘One of the best but also one of the toughest ways to make money is to be a star salesperson. Good sales people are hard to find. As a result, firms are eager to recruit them and offer some great salaries and benefits.’

Qualifications
Most sales jobs take graduates from virtually any degree course, however many firms look for a 2.1 or higher, as well as a CV that demonstrates all-round aptitude, experience and business sense.
In some sales jobs, such as in the IT or pharmaceutical sectors, a specialised degree can give candidates the edge thanks to their more detailed knowledge.
However, most sales recruiters agree that while academic qualifications are important, it’s absolutely crucial that would-be employees are enthusiastic, committed and hungry for success.
Work experience in a sales environment will show recruiters that you’re serious about the career, and any holiday or part-time work that demonstrates people skills and business flair will also be welcomed. Activities and achievements that underline a competitive spirit (such as sports successes) send a message to potential employers that you set high targets for yourself and reach them.
Some recruitment specialists, along with other professional organisations, run courses in sales, which can be very useful in getting a thorough grounding of the job – as well as giving your CV a boost.

Getting a job
Competition can be extremely fierce for some of the best positions in sales, with recruiters receiving thousands of applications from often excellent candidates.
To get the best start, graduates should target firms that have a strong reputation for the quality and thoroughness of their training. A good sales grounding involves training in customer relationships, presenting, networking, negotiation, time management and sales management. All are skills which can be used throughout a career in any part of an organisation.
It’s crucial that candidates give the best possible account of themselves when applying for sales jobs. After all, if you sell yourself short on an application form or in an interview, recruiters will assume you’ll also be poor at selling their firm’s products.

Benefits
Perhaps the biggest draw to sales is the potential for a large income very early on in your career.
Some graduates start on about £18,000 to £22,000 and can be earning £25,000 to £30,000 after the first year, with the potential for rapid rises in subsequent years. Smaller firms however may offer a smaller basic salary. Pay is usually performance related, with bonuses and commission for successful salespeople sending annual income soaring.
As sales often involves a large amount of travelling – especially if a salesperson covers a geographical patch – a company car and fuel allowance may well be included in the benefits package. Also, foreign travel can be a key part of the job.

Personal characteristics
- Resilient, able to take rejection
- Sensitive when needed
- Excellent sense of humour
- Good listener
- Team player
- Persuasive manner
- Logical thinker
- Self-motivator
- Highly competitive
- Articulate and confident
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills

The experts’ view

Jonathan Fitchew, joint MD of graduate recruitment firm Pareto Law, which specialises in sales recruitment and training, says: ‘Sales is a good career, not just for money and progression, but also for developing skills such as business acumen, financial awareness, communication and negotiation skills, and people management.
‘For good sales people you build an irresistible wave of momentum as you progress in your career, weaving an ever stronger and more extensive web of influence, relationships, and networks.
‘More often your general intellectual horsepower will be tested to the full in analysing client problems, understanding the market environment, scoping out proposals, overcoming objections and negotiating.
‘What many graduates don’t appreciate is that the commission is not the icing on the cake - it can be five times the cake and more. You can build up enough capital to take a career break or use the capital set up your own business if you don’t fancy climbing the corporate ladder.’
www.paretolaw.co.uk

Lyndsey Wright, from IT specialist firm Quest Software, says: ‘Sales is fast-pace, exciting, challenging, satisfying, interesting and fun. For graduates looking to start a fresh and stimulating career, sales is a great vocation.
‘In sales, every day is different. While you will be required to work hard, overcome obstacles and meet targets, you will feel valued in a lively, collaborative and inspiring environment.
‘If you are up to the challenge of meeting quotas, deadlines and objectives, you will be rewarded with a great salary, benefits and a work-life balance. Furthermore, you will be given the chance to develop yourself, learn new skills and interact with a myriad of organisations and clients.
‘If you are an energetic, collaborative, enthusiastic, hard-working, creative, and willing to learn - you will be perfect for a successful sales team. A confident, energetic, pro-active, out-going, motivated, and conscientious graduate will be a suitable candidate for a career in sales.’
www.quest.com

Ian Nicholas HR and training director at specialist recruitment and HR services provider Reed Personal Services says: ‘Becoming a recruitment consultant or working in any other sales environment gives you the opportunity to start on a fast moving career track which will give you many new opportunities in the process.
‘RPS sends all new recruits to its business school in the Cotswolds for full training on joining the organisation, which enables them to learn a wealth of sales training skills which are highly recognised within the industry.
‘A further advantage found by many graduates is that the sales incentive and opportunities to earn a lot of money pretty quickly is an attractive feature for those looking to pay off any unwanted student debts
‘As well as offering lots of training, the opportunities for rapid career progression is equally appealing. We also look for great communicators who have drive and ambition to learn and develop themselves with the full support of a large organisation.’
www.reed.co.uk

Contacts
The Institute of Sales and Marketing Management - www.ismm.co.uk
The Institute of Sales Promotion - www.isp.org.uk
The Chartered Institute of Marketing - www.cim.co.uk
The Marketing and Sales Standards Setting Body - www.msssb.org

Case studies

Emma Brealey
Emma, 23, graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a 2:2 in Business Studies and Japanese Studies. She gained sales training at recruitment specialists Pareto Law before joining Epitomy Solutions Limited in Sheffield, which specialises in helping firms to list and sell products online.
Emma says: ‘The sales training at Pareto has been fabulous. It has equipped me with all the necessary skills to take on a sales job and provided me with all the support I could possibly need.
‘Most of my time is spent identifying prospects and arranging client visits. Our target market is UK manufacturers which, given the decrease in UK manufacturing, leaves quite a slim market.
‘The highs of the job are making client visits and building a rapport with contacts there. However, the only real 'low' of the job is the length of the sales cycle - it can take up to nine months or a year to finally close the deal.
‘Although a job in sales doesn't require any formal training, I would strongly suggest applying for some sales training to help guide you in the right direction.’

David Blott
David, 23, got a first class degree in Business Information Systems from the University of the West of England, and now works in sales at HBOS Cards (Halifax and Bank of Scotland credit card services).
He says: ‘Sales came to mind during a sandwich year in industry. I can never stand to be bored, so the fast paced environment and new challenges every day really appealed.
‘HBOS was the only graduate scheme I applied to - I knew that was where I wanted to work. As a graduate trainee, I have spent time in various parts of the sales area. I am currently part of a team which is revamping the way we assess and award bonuses, removing any schemes which do not work and relaunching it to the teams – selling to the sellers is quite a challenge.
‘The seven members of the graduate team make regular presentations directly to the executive management team. It has been amazing to see ideas we have had already coming to fruition.
‘You really rely on your colleagues. If I had to give a low, it would have to be the wrench in leaving the teams, but that just opens the door to another opportunity.’
For more information log on to www.hbosretailsuccess.co.uk

Ben Bailey
Ben, 24, went to The University of Glamorgan and studied Business Studies, gaining a first class degree, and he now works in sales at Quest Software.
He says: ‘A career in sales wasn’t something I thought about at university, but that’s the good thing about sales as anyone from any walk of life can do it long as you are driven and focused. I chose sales as I wanted a job that paid well but also one would constantly challenge me and my capabilities.
‘There isn’t a set day to day duty list with my job and that’s what I like about it the most. The most challenging thing is the pressure a job in sales brings and being able to push yourself to deal with this.
‘The highs of a job in sales are obviously the money you can earn but also the fact that I am in a customer facing role which gives me the opportunity to interact with many different people.
‘The lows are being able to deal with the pressure at quarter end when deals slip or there is the threat of not making your number, although it’s a rewarding and fulfilling feeling when you manage to overcome this.’

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