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Success story: How a professional with a non-sales background found success in sales
I’ve always believed that the key to excelling in sales is a combination of one’s personal and professional experience and their unique strengths. Let me explain.
I once coached a woman who came to sales from a job running educational programs for underrepresented minorities. Despite experience, her professional background and extensive network of contacts made her an asset to the team; she was gifted at listening, empathizing, and connecting.
She was hired as a business development manager for an educational afghanistan phone number list startup, and I coached her for just 90 days before she assumed her role as a one-person department. In no time, she was driving multimillion-dollar revenues and was quickly promoted to head of sales.
Like others I’ve worked with, she excelled because she understood that her experience was her superpower. Whether you’re coming from a different industry or think your skill set is unrelated, there’s a place for you in sales.
It’s about growing three things: your industry knowledge, your network, and your skill set. This woman already had industry knowledge and a network. I helped coach her to use her skills in a way that made sense for selling for a startup, and she found success.