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Forget any preconceptions of pushy, insincere salesmen flogging double glazing, dodgy cars or timeshare holidays. The truth is that selling is a profession that demands skill, careful judgement and in-depth knowledge. And for those with the necessary dedication, commitment and aptitude, the rewards – both financial and personal – can be huge. Very early responsibility, solid business training and great salaries, often with performancerelated bonuses or commission that can see your take-home pay rocket, can all make sales the job of choice for many thousands of university leavers. For any company that makes or sells any product or service, the sales department is a crucial and integral part of the business.

No matter how good a product is, without sales, the fi rm would have no customers and no trade, and would quickly fold.

Increasingly, sales people are specialists in their particular fields – with an expert knowledge of their own products, a thorough understanding of the industry sector as a whole and a keen sense of what solutions and services customers want and need. This usually means being immersed in the sector – be it computers and information technology, banking and fi nance or business services such as recruitment and HR. Sales people will learn the lingo of their specialist field – the jargon, acronyms and in-jokes – so that they can talk on an equal footing to customers and clients. They will also need to keep abreast of new research, news or industry changes in order to keep up with the fi eld and retain an edge over competitors.

Indeed, industry experts agree that sales is one of the best ways for graduates to launch their careers. Peter Bernard, a career expert (www.getyouridealjob.com), says: “Sales offers the opportunity to earn a high income based on your success as a sales person. You will also be held in high regard within your company as the type of person who is successful and that makes things happen.” However, he adds: “The challenges are that your income may drop in times of lower sales, and there is constant pressure to achieve sales targets. Sales also requires a great deal of time – it definitely isn’t for anyone who only wants to work nine to five.”

Andy Preston, founder of the sales training and coaching fi rm Outstanding Results (www.outstanding-results.co.uk), provides help, guidance and support to in-house sales teams of both large and small organisations throughout the UK and Europe. He says a career in sales is
one of the best ways to pay off student debt: “A good sales job will provide the best opportunities, rewards and lifestyle that many ex-graduates are enjoying now. I know some sales guys who are earning up to £100,000 in less than two years after leaving university.”

He adds: “There is a real shortage of good sales people in the UK and graduates who can learn to sell early on in their career will set themselves up for success in the future, regardless of what career they eventually settle into.”

Jonathan Fitchew, Joint Managing Director of graduate recruitment fi rm Pareto (www.pareto.co.uk), which specialises in sales staff, says: “Sales really does offer graduates a fantastic start in their career.
Not only does it offer a sociable, dynamic role, with the potential to make good money, but it also offers insights into all aspects of business operations. “There is no other career that offers to build knowledge in all aspects of the working environment, from the frontline of selling, to pricing, business management, marketing, personnel management, and more. “As a result many graduates who start in a sales role move on to be not just sales directors, but managing directors, CEOs and marketing directors – it really is a career that has huge potential.”

Qualifications
Most sales jobs take graduates from virtually any degree course, though in some sales jobs, such as in the IT or pharmaceutical sectors, a specialised degree can give candidates the edge thanks to their specialist knowledge. A 2:2 is often the minimum, though some firms look for a 2:1 or higher, as well as a CV that demonstrates all-round aptitude, experience and business sense. Most sales recruiters agree that while academic qualifications are important, it’s 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 fl air 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. David Valentine, Global Sales Director at recruitment and HR assessment specialist SHL, (www.shl.com) says: “While effective negotiation skills and the ability to engage and listen to people are the more obvious characteristics needed, a good sales person will need to be
extremely fl exible to respond to the fast moving market place around them.

“They will also need to be able to tailor their approach depending on the client that they are selling to – so the ability to understand people is also essential.”

Getting a job
Competition can be extremely fi erce for some of the best positions in sales, with recruiters receiving hundreds of applications from often excellent candidates. Routes to sales jobs include applying direct, using a specialist recruitment company and graduate recruitment fairs. Sales trainer Andy Preston says: “If you really want to make an impression, what better way to get the attention of a sales director than to get on the phone and sell yourself to them.

“When I was a sales director, if a budding young graduate had demonstrated enough tenacity, confidence and motivation to actually call me and pitch themselves to me I would have probably hired them on the spot.”

No matter how they apply for a job, candidates need to give the best possible account of themselves. 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 and experiences
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 very rapid rises in subsequent years. Pay is usually performance related, with bonuses and commission for successful salespeople sending annual income soaring. As sales often involves travelling – especially if a salesperson covers a geographical patch – a company car and fuel allowance may well be included in the job package. Foreign travel can also be a key part of the job.

Andy Preston says: “A new sales graduate’s experiences will vary greatly depending on the company and the sector they are working in. Some have ‘work hard, play hard’ cultures with short sales cycles, lots of cold calling and very hectic schedules. Others, particularly those with longer sales cycles, focus more on strategic selling and corporate thinking.

“The key challenges in this industry are being able to maintain motivation, desire and confidence. I’ve seen many people leave the industry because they didn’t focus on these three key areas and didn’t succeed as a result.”

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

CASE STUDIES
Marion Hardy, Meltwater News
Marion, 27, is Client Relations Manager at online media monitoring specialist Meltwater News. She graduated from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, with a BA in Marketing with German and had previously worked as an event manager at a corporate team building fi rm. In August
2006 Marion applied to Meltwater’s International Management Traineeship and was chosen from 500 candidates. Marion say: “The IT industry is extremely dynamic and has huge growth potential. I felt that if I could become really good at sales in this fast paced environment, it would give me a solid grounding to enter any organisation in the future and be successful.

“Meltwater News was a unique opportunity to join a very young, ambitious organisation. It was very exciting to find a company that puts such a strong emphasis on developing people.”

Along with four others, Marion helped start up the fi rm’s fi rst Scottish offi ce in Edinburgh and also trained in London for two months. In 2007 she was among the top 10 sales people globally at Meltwater, out of 550 employees. After eight months she was promoted to Sales Manager, responsible for developing sales consultants into managers, and has recently been promoted again to Client Relations Manager, responsible for 300 clients. Marion adds: “I was very attracted to the company values, career progression, business to business sales, fun work environment, international aspects that are involved.”

Alistair Wynn, Softcat
Alistair, 24, is Deputy Sales Team Leader at Softcat Limited, a provider of software licensing, hardware, security solutions and associated IT services to the corporate sector. Alistair went to Southampton Institute where he got a 2:1 in Business Information Technology. He spotted a job advert for Softcat and secured a position at the fi rm after impressing recruiters during an initial interview, an assessment day and a second formal interview. Since then Alistair has established himself as one of Softcat’s most successful sales executives and was promoted to Deputy Team Leader within two years. His duties include selling and hitting sales targets as well as helping manage a team and assist with recruitment.

Alistair says: “Being able to have the foresight to see the bigger picture winninga deal or a new customer is a definite high as well as the financial rewards, which is what sales is all about. I can honestly say that Softcat has been a really enjoyable place to be. It has provided me with great training, some strong challenges and great experience for the future. I would definitely recommend this job to anyone who has the motivation and determination to succeed in a lively, fast paced environment.

As well as a substantial salary, Alistair’s rewards have included a number of incentive trips and lunches – he went to Fiji on an all expenses paid trip for two weeks and regularly attends the Lunch of theQuarter, awarded to sales staff that achieve over 130 per cent of their target.”

David Smith, Martin Ward Anderson
David, 25, is a recruitment consultant at Martin Ward Anderson. He graduated from Bristol University with a 2:1 in Drama but decided he didn’t want a career as an actor. Instead David tried a number of different jobs – including working in a printing company, helping set up a brokerage firm and then helping set up a seaplane company in Greece. On his return to the UK, he uploaded his CV to a few job websites and got a call from an agency that recruits for recruitment agencies.

David says: “They really sold me the role, and I loved the fact that rather than selling products, I was selling people. Now there is a product you can believe in. As I work in temporary recruitment the pace that you have to work at is very challenging. When a job comes in you need to take the details, find and brief suitable candidates, and then send CVs to the clients. It’s a race against the clock as you often have
other agencies to compete with and must deliver CVs to the clients in under two hours. You have to know your candidates and clients really well to make sure you can always find the right candidate for the
right role.”

David adds: “Making that fi rst placement can never be beaten, but placing someone in a temporary role that then goes permanent is so satisfying. It’s great to know that you can really help move people’s careers forward and get them their perfect job.”

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