A Career in Sales – Pros and Cons
Sales is a career field that can be highly lucrative and provide someone with fulfilling work. But before committing to a life in sales, it’s important to consider both the pros and cons.
Pros
- Earn Money: The financial rewards in sales can be quite large, depending on the skill and position of the salesman. It is easy to earn bonuses and commissions based on the amount of products and services they successfully sell.
- Sense of Accomplishment: Sales can be an incredibly rewarding career, as there’s a sense of accomplishment that comes from convincing someone to make an important purchase. It’s a feeling that is difficult to replicate in other fields.
- Networking: Sales puts the salesman in direct and daily contact with a lot of different people. These people can be potential partners, employers and customers. This provides an opportunity to build a wide network and could be beneficial for future opportunities.
Cons
- Relentless Pressure: Sales work can often be quite fast-paced and have tight quotas and deadlines. Salesmen are expected to be highly productive and may feel pressure from upper management to maximize their sales numbers.
- Irregular Hours: Sales often require a lot of travel, so those who take on sales jobs can expect to sacrifice a lot of their time. This may mean weekend work or early morning flights, so it is important to factor this into the considerations.
- Rejection: Sales is a cut-throat industry, which means a lot of potential customers may reject your product. This can be demoralizing and take a toll on the salesman’s drive and motivation.
Making the decision to pursue a career in sales should involve considering both the pros and cons. While the potential financial rewards are substantial, there is a lot of pressure and rejection that can diminish the rewards. It is important to be aware of these factors before taking on a sales role.
