10 Reasons Why Sales Is Considered a Great Career Path

Are you considering a career change? If so, sales should be on your list because it offers numerous benefits. Why is sales considered a great career path?

Sales is considered a great career path because you don’t need formal education, there aren’t limitations on compensation, and it offers plenty of challenges. It also offers flexibility, and company perks, and isn’t boring. Sales allows you to travel, connect with people and obtain formal recognition.

This article will explore the top 10 reasons sales is a great career path and give you some insight to determine whether it’s the right fit for your career. Let’s get started!

Recommendation: Find Sales Jobs on Salarship.

1. You Don’t Need Formal Education

Sales is considered a great career path for those who don’t have a college education. Although having a bachelor’s degree can help make you a more attractive candidate, having a minimum of just a high school diploma or equivalent can be sufficient for many sales careers.

Sales positions where college degrees aren’t required can include:

Advertising sales agent
Insurance sales agent
Car sales agent
Buyer
Manufacturing sales representative
Travel agent

Many sales career opportunities don’t require a degree but specific licensing. These can include:

Mortgage loan officer
Real estate sales agent

Without a college education, sales offers you the opportunity to move further up the corporate ladder and into a position that may have needed a bachelor’s degree, such as sales manager roles and corporate sales executive.

2. There Are No Limitations on Compensation

If you are looking for a career path that allows you to make more money than just a base salary, working in sales can be an excellent opportunity for you.

Many people who work in sales are motivated by the fact that there are no limits on how much money you can bring in. There may or may not be a starting base salary associated with your sales position, but the most exciting part is earning a commission.

Your location also matters since some sales professionals tend to make more money in certain metropolitan cities and highly populated states.

A successful sales manager position can earn a very high salary, with some making six-figure incomes.

3. Sales Allows You to Use Transferable Skills

A fantastic benefit of pursuing a career path in sales is that it allows you to use transferable skills.

These transferable skills can include:

Communication
Negotiation
Problem solving
Relationship building
Organization
Planning

Both verbal and non-verbal communication are essential for a successful career path in sales, and being able to bring those with you can help you achieve success in the industry.

Verbal communication skills are important to be able to sell a product or service. This includes not only talking to the customer but also listening to them.

Find The Perfect Job: 108,073 Sales Jobs Are Available on Salarship.

Non-verbal communication skills include listening to a customer’s body language to understand what they want from a product or service. By doing this effectively, you can tell when a customer is sold on a product or still not convinced.

Listening and delivering on a customer’s needs is vital to the overall success of a sales transaction and retaining customers for future sales transactions.

Negotiating, a skill that comes naturally to some individuals, is an important transferable skill you can use in a sales career.

Consistent negotiations and actively continuing to pursue a customer can determine whether you secure a sale. If you can anticipate a client’s request, you will be more prepared for sales negotiations and closing deals.

Building relationships with internal clients within a company, such as colleagues and other essential department leads, is important in a sales environment.

Equally important is being able to build relationships with external clients – your customers. Earning the trust of a customer can go a long way in helping you close a sale and progress in your sales career.

Another transferable skill that can be beneficial in a career path in sales is organization. Being well organized and following up efficiently with customers will set you up for success.

Keeping up with different consumer needs can be overwhelming, but the organization can help you stay on top of each customer’s particular needs and wants. This can include anything from a specific time of day to call them or a specific product or service they are interested in.

Lastly, creating well-thought-out plans can lead to a successful career in sales. Plans help with pursuing a sale and executing it effectively.

4. Sales Offers Plenty of Challenges

If you love having exciting challenges in your work environment, consider a career path in sales. Working in this industry means that every day is different, and challenges can involve winning over a difficult client or selling a hard-to-shift, high-ticket item.

You may also need to convince a customer who has changed their mind about a pending sale, requiring you to address their concerns until they are satisfied to proceed with the sale.

Another challenge is working with colleagues in a sales environment. During your sales career, you may experience pushback and criticism from colleagues who are not performing on a top level like you. It takes someone with a strong mindset and focus to deal with these challenges.

Sales is also a highly competitive field. If you love operating in an environment where you are constantly in a race to the top against your peers, sales could be perfect for you.

5. Sales Offers You Flexibility

One of the best benefits of having a career in sales is that your schedule can be flexible.

It’s great for those who aren’t fans of strict schedules or a Monday through Friday nine-to-five workweek. This career is a great fit if you are willing to work unconventional hours, such as during weekends or holidays.

Once you start showing your worth as a sales professional, your managers will be more likely to offer increased flexibility in your work schedule.

6. Sales Offers Unique Company Perks

A career path in sales is an excellent choice because many companies offer their sales staff fantastic perks.

Below are some examples of perks you can expect:

A company car if you travel to customers
A travel allowance
A fuel and maintenance allowance if you use your own car to visit clients
The opportunity to earn a higher percentage commission if you reach a certain target
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7. Sales Allows You To Travel More Often

If you love traveling frequently, consider a career path in sales. Many companies may require their sales employees to travel to various domestic or international locations, and they will pay for your travel expenses.

You will often see retail and buyer positions requiring travel since they may need to meet with merchants and inspect and select products before negotiating deals.

Some companies often host conferences for their sales representatives throughout the year, which could be hosted in various cities and states where you would need to travel.

Another attractive sales career for travel fans could be a travel agent. This type of sales position can be incredibly rewarding and exciting, as you’ll be able to offer your customers advice from first-hand experience.

8. Sales Lets You Connect With Different People

Are you an extrovert who thrives on meeting new people and interacting with them? If so, there’s a good chance you’ll love a career in sales.

This career path is very people-focused. You will meet and speak with new and diverse people daily, whether over the phone or in person.

An example of how you’ll connect with different people includes a position at Grainger.

This company’s outside sales representatives visit various clients within their assigned territories. The clients can vary from those in healthcare to industrial businesses, so you will meet and speak with folks across different industries.

Another example includes working as a travel agent. This allows you to connect with people locally and internationally. You will be able to talk with people from different cultural backgrounds, which can be an interesting learning experience.

9. Sales Provides Formal Recognition

Sales can be an excellent option if you yearn for more than monetary rewards in your career.

Some companies offer top sales awards monthly or yearly to recognize employees who hit the number one spot or land in the top three for sales.

Sales companies also recognize their sales staff by rewarding them with a celebration, such as taking them out for dinner or drinks. Having other employees celebrate each other’s accomplishments makes a sales career rewarding for the overall team.

10. Sales Is Anything But Boring

Sales can be a great career path for those who get bored quickly doing the same thing every day at work. If you lose interest fast in performing mundane tasks, then consider sales as the next step in your career.

Many individuals love having a sales career since they are continuously learning while doing their job, making it a practical one for professionals just starting in the business sector.

Each day and each client can be different in sales, making it an exciting and stimulating career.