Great companies have great sales teams and for 2021 we’re seeing a consistent demand from our clients for good sales talent. LinkedIn datafurther backs this up with 'Salesperson' the number one in demand role on the platform. From a company perspective, sales are what keep a business going and the pandemic hasn’t changed this. While from a candidate perspective, it can be a challenging but also very rewarding role from both a financialand motivational point of view.
Within Cpl Galway, we’re seeing Galway’s reputation as an attractive employer base grow. The city is now home to a range of multinational and indigenous companies who need sales professionals. We expect these companies, and more, to continue growing with a continuous need for salespeople over the next 3-5+ years.
The great thing about sales is you don’t need any particular background to secure a role. What’s important is your attitude and people skills. If you’ve lost your job due to Covid-19 or are looking for a career change, sales could be for you.
What is inside sales?
First things first, once you start looking at sales roles you’ll see a variety of terms including in-direct sales, direct sales and channel sales – all of which are suitable entry level roles. In Galway, the demand is largely for inside sales with a focus on software and tech companies. The below quote from tech giant Salesforce sums up the role nicely.
“The job of an inside sales rep requires them to sell an organisation's products or services via phone, email or other online channels”
In short, inside sales generally relates to talking to customers and informing them about tech products and software. The role is perfect for remote working and doesn’t require any specific background.
The number of companies seeking sales talent is very high and the demand is growing, take for example global giant Diligent who are hiring several sales development people in Galway at the moment.
What skills do I need for a job in sales?
To be successful it’s essential to have the below skills and a strong, can-do attitude.
Good communicator – you should enjoy talking to other people and be able to communicate ideas and solutions easily (both verbally and written)
Good customer service – you should be good with people and ideally have some experience working in a customer service role, for example retail
Relationship building – sales is all about nurturing relationships, building trust and paying attention to customers changing needs. If you love meeting new people and building rapport, sales will suit you.
Good with technology – you will need to be comfortable using digital platforms. If you’re a keen user of social media or have experience in digital marketing concepts this will be a plus
Resilience – there will be ups and downs and you’ll need to be able to learn and grow from each experience
“Sales is all about storytelling and relationship building.”
Note: Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Sales - many large tech companies often require salespeople who can communicate with customers across EMEA, for these roles a second language is needed
What does a typical career path look like in sales?
Sales roles generally have a clearly defined career path, for example: Entry level sales role (business development or sales rep) > senior sales rep > team lead > manager > sales director > vice president and so on.
Once you prove yourself career progression can happen quick, all you need is the right attitude and an eagerness to learn and succeed. The skills you develop are also transferrable for many other people-based roles.
Overall sales is one of the few roles an area employer will take a chance on someone with no experience. It is all about attitude, tenacity, and the desire to work with people day in day out.
How to find a sales role with little or no experience
If you think a career in sales might be for you I recommend looking at job opportunities online to see what skills you might need to upskill in, talking to anyone you know who works in the industry and reaching out to recruiters who specialise in sales recruitment. The more familiar you are with the industry and the sales process you are the better.