A day in the life of…

A day in the life of any profession can be an eye opener. I am not suggesting that a day in the life of a sales person is any more difficult than that of doctors, nurses, police or fire fighters.

On the contrary, the aim of this article is to offer support and guidance to those wanting to start a career in sales and to give an insight as to what to expect, sales is not a career for the faint-hearted.

Morning has broken

According to Salesforce, some 76% of salespeople wake up before 7:00 am and start work before they reach the office. https://www.salesforce.com/quotable/interactive/day-in–the-life-of-a-salesperson/#

Those who wake early achieve more

The working day starts from the minute they wake up. Usually checking emails that arrived during the night from overseas and responding to them immediately.

Sales people are usually early to rise, early to work. The working day starts from the minute they wake up. Firstly, checking emails that arrived during the night from overseas and responding to them immediately. After all, the early bird catches the worm!

Keep fit

Regular exercise is proven to increase oxygen levels, increasing blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.

As a result this leads to improved brain health and memory function.

Whilst working alongside sales professionals I noticed a pattern in the number of colleagues that exercise before, during lunch and after work. Whether that be a class, gym workout or playing golf at a weekend.

Many studies reveal that endorphins released during physical activity help to relieve pain and stress, as a result boosting happiness. This explains why sales people are positive, confident and able to work long hours.

A passion for exercise is noticeable in other professions, doctors, nurses and the police force often engaged in regular physical activity.

Make it a strong one

Coffee is the perfect way to start the day and the stronger the better.

Studies published by the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information), suggests caffinated coffee has a beneficial effect on alertness and improved performance on a variety of tasks.

(Ref: Health Psychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, University of Wales Smith AP¹, Brockman P, Flynn R, Maben A, Thomas M. ) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1356551

Always on the look out

A day in the life of a sales person never stops. You will always be on the look out for new opportunities, in and out of your working hours.

Sales professionals spend a large majority of time searching for prospects, using social media as a route to identify quality, new business opportunities.

Before you seal the deal with clients, you need to do the groundwork.

A great sales person spends long periods of time searching for their next opportunity, constantly sifting out the quality prospects. See article – Good vs great sales person.

Salesforce research shows that 50% put relationship building as their favourite deal-related activity.

https://www.salesforce.com/quotable/interactive/day-in-the-life-of-a-salesperson/#

Hitting your targets

Targets are set for sales teams to maximise productivity and to get results.

Sales has always been seen as a numbers game and here is why.

1. Profit – all businesses need to make a profit.
2. Productivity – It makes sense to set high targets, it encourages competitiveness, hard work and for employees to aim high. It would be too easy to set low targets.
3. Set for a reason – The company bosses will know what their revenue looks like and will have an idea as to how much revenue the business needs to bring in. Target numbers are rarely plucked from thin air.

That being said, sales has started to move towards building relationships and finding long-term partnerships.

Although it makes sense to set targets, it is important to recognise the benefits of long-term client relationships and the prevention of churn. See Research Runner defines what churn is and how to prevent it

Work hard, play hard

Sales people are known for working hard and playing hard. A release for stress, sales people will frequently been seen out and about town.

Attending events prove profitable in terms of networking and sourcing new business opportunities.

Networking usually involves out of hours socialising and is a good way of using your personal face-to-face skills and making an instant impact on prospects.

Networking is about cementing long-term relationships and building up a reputation. Benefiting both parties and opening doorways for a ‘you scrub my back, and i’ll scrub yours’ mentality.  

Although socialising can be a great stress release, it is important to know your limits and avoid a burn out.

Be drink aware and remember ‘loose lips, sink ships’.

Importantly remember the health implications of excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking too much the night before will affect your ability to wake up the next day.

Remember to strike a good work life balance, make time for yourself, family and friends.