The Top Five Reasons To Choose A Career In Sales

You may have heard of the “Seven-Year Itch.”  It was the title of a 1955 movie starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell about a man who, after seven years of marriage, is tempted to stray when he stays at home to work after packing his wife and children off to spend the summer at the beach. Well, an article in Forbes, “The Top Five Reasons Employees Will Quit in 2013,” talks about the “five-year itch”--the one employees seem to get after working for a company for five years or so. In fact, a survey by Indeed.com said that online job searches were up 40 percent between December and January. After five years or so, whether out of boredom, the desire for more money, benefits or a little excitement, employees start to long for something new.

This is startling news for employers who, after five years, have spent lot of time and money training, coaching and investing in employees. The article goes on to list five reasons why employees will leave their jobs in 2013. Interestingly, the very reasons people might quit their jobs are five reasons that a career in sales is so attractive.

1. Job Security. While no job is completely secure, a job in sales offers a measure of job security. First of all, every company that sells a product or service needs salespeople. And good sales professionals are rarely out of a job for very long. Also, when a company is in a downturn, salespeople are often the last to go. Cutting the sales staff means cutting the primary means of generating revenue. A company needs to keep old customers and find new one.
    
2. Compensation. In sales, the sky can be the only limit. Sales professionals usually are compensated by a combination of salary and commission. Some positions are commission-only. Regardless of the setup, individual effort, professionalism and effectiveness determine your pay. Instead of being locked into a pay scale with incremental cost-of-living raises or caught in a wage freeze in hard times, sales people have the ability to control their earning power. 
    
3. Respect. Sales is a competitive business. In order to motivate sales teams, companies set sales goals and commission rate incentives. Some offer bonuses and lavish vacations for top producers. Companies rise and fall by the bottom line. Top salespeople earn the respect and recognition of their companies and managers by making the numbers that keep the company financially strong. Earning the title of top sales person for the local office, division or national company can mean a higher commission rate, promotions and other awards. 
    
4. Health Benefits. While this reason may be changing for all employees, sales persons show a measurable return on investment. Keeping a sales team healthy and worry free by offering health benefits could be a smart investment. 
    
5. Work-Life Balance. Sales people can put in long hours. They are often on the road, away from the family and the office for long periods of time. A good sales person doesn’t spend the majority of her time in the office behind a desk. She is out making sales calls, servicing clients and networking in the community. This type of flexible schedule gives some freedom to take time out for family responsibilities and personal tasks while traveling about in the course of a day. A sales person can work 60 or 80 hours a week, or drop back to accommodate other activities. This will vary with the job, company and industry, but as long as he “makes the numbers,” he has some control over his schedule and work hours.

Some people fall into sales while they are trying to break into another career. Or, they take a sales job as a “foot in the door” to a company they like. If Sales is a fit for you, stumbling into a sales job can be the beginning of a long, profitable and exciting career. The opportunities are endless. The skills are transferrable to many other careers. Successful sales people often make successful entrepreneurs and business owners. And while others are getting the five-year itch, they are just getting their groove on. 

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