Sales Job – Looking for the highest paying job in the world?

You do not have to be in sales for 10 years and have a Princeton diploma to be able to land a highest paying job in the world.

Surprisingly a lot of young sales professionals still think that things like their previous job title, years of experience and education are crucial when applying for their dream job.

In fact there is only one thing that will make you standout among other candidates. Actions speak much louder than words.

Let’s tackle some of the misconceptions that young sales professionals have about job application process when looking for the best job in the world.

Credentials Are Subjective when looking for a sales job

It happens all the time. A sales manager interviews a candidate already knowing they’re going to hire them. They knew this before interview. Why? Because the rep has great credentials and the attainment achievements to back them up.

This is controversial to say but – credentials are subjective when hiring for the sales job.

Things like education, past job experience, job titles, achievements, and yes… even annual performance are subjective when evaluating candidates during a sales job application process. It is impossible to determine whose qualifications are better just by looking at a piece of paper.

It’s a huge misconception in sales and a big mistake on the part of hiring managers everywhere. Settling for high achievement or solid work experience is a trap. Let’s take a closer look at how to avoid it and what you can do differently.

Credentials

It’s impossible to tell if a candidate with a 3.4 from Princeton will be better on the phones than a 4.0 from UMASS. How do you REALLY know if a candidate who sold 258% of quota will be a better than the other candidate who finished at 91%?

For those of you who think that Princeton and the 258% of quota are better… think about this.

No one goes to Princeton to learn how to close a deal. Some of the best reps I know didn’t even go to college. It’s a soft skill and not part of the curriculum.

And in terms of sales quota… think about a bluebird!

In sales job, a bluebird is a deal that gets signed without the rep knowing much about it. Typically, the rep who have participated very little in the sales cycle. It’s usually a contract that gets signed without their knowledge… and happens quite often.

So, let’s pretend this candidate who finished at 258% had a bluebird come in worth 200% of their quota. If that were the case, they’re really only be responsible for bringing in 8%. Weird how that works right? This is so common!

When it comes to other credentials, job titles are also be misleading. How can a sales manager determine if an “Account Executive II” at SalesForce will turn out to be better than a “Named Account Manager IV” at Oracle? There is no way to distinguish between job titles because every company has its own nomenclature and ranking. But still… some sales managers hire based on title!

So, let me get this straight…

When applying for sales rep sales job, things like previous job title, attainment, education, and experience are irrelevant?

Not entirely. They’re not worthless. They’re worth outlining but at the most, they’re subjective. The point is not that these things don’t matter at all. It’s more that credentials can be misleading while evaluating sales candidates.

So what should you do to stand out when navigating through a sales job application process?

Credentials are a non-factor, or at the very least subjective. Candidates find themselves trying to navigate the sales job application process in many different ways. They try several approaches yet are always left wasting time, wondering how to differentiate themselves. There is only one way to separate yourself from other candidates, and it is through proactive demonstration of action.

A sales manager may not come out and actually say it. But they are always looking for a candidate who can come into the organization, learn the specific sales process, and follow it repeatedly to generate more revenue for the company. End of Story.

What a sales manager is looking for?

That’s the only thing that a sales manager is looking for in a candidate during the sales job application process. Even if the sales manager talks about having other standards. Ability to consistently follow a sales process is the only thing that actually matters to them.

• I never met a sales manager that cared about your GPA.
• Neither a sales manager that was interested in your job title.
• As well as a sales manager who cared if your internship was at a Fortune 500 company or at your Uncle’s company.

I should clarify – I have never met a good sales manager who cared about any of those things. Occasionally, you will come across a poor sales manager who hires solely based on subjective items. Like a manager who hired a Princeton grad because he went to Princeton. If you find this to be the case, trust me, you wouldn’t want to work for this type of manager.

Poor sales managers care more about what kind of watch you wear rather than how many prospects you met with. You only want to work for a good sales manager. It is often better than working for what people consider to be “a good company.” Sales managers matter. The ones who enable you to carry out your sales process more efficiently are the ones who will help you make more money. So, if a good manager cares more about the process than credentials, how do you demonstrate that you can follow a sales process?

Well, you could just come right out and tell them you are good at it…and not get the highest paying job.

This happens a lot, and it’s a very common approach I see with candidates. I have interviewed many candidates who explained to me how great they are in a following a sales process. When I hear this, I will put them to the test and request a follow-up email. Email on three specific items that we talked about during the interview. Once we are done with the interview and talking about how great they are, the candidate will close me, shake my hand, smile, and leave. And then I never hear from them again.

When a candidate tells me that they are very process-oriented but never cares to follow up on items that I specifically ask about, it is a huge red flag (as it should be). If you do not have the sense of urgency to follow up with me, there is a high probability that you will not have the sense of urgency to follow up with our prospects.

Follow up with the hiring manager

I am very direct with candidates who don’t follow up with me after interviews.  They usually tell me that they act differently in front of prospects than they do in interviews. With prospects, they always stick to the process, but with me, they forgot to follow up because they were busy with something else.

Therein lies the fundamental problem with candidates during the sales job application process. Actions speak much louder than words if you want to get the highest paying job in the world.

If you are going to be applying for a sales job, you must carry yourself like a sales rep throughout the entire sales job application process so that you properly demonstrate through action (not words) that you are capable of following a sales process from start to finish.

Think about your recruitment like a sales process

I realize that it may sound cliché to identify the lack of follow up as a reason for not hiring a candidate. However, during the sales job application process, I have witnessed candidates miss on all kinds of different parts of a sales process. I have had candidates not close me, show up late to an interview, forget their resume, and I have even had candidates be rude to our receptionist. I have observed candidates doing a million things that directly demonstrated to me that they were incapable of following a sales process from start to finish and be aspiring for the highest paying job.

From the moment you decide to begin searching for a sales job, you must be able to demonstrate your ability to follow a sales process. It can only be done through action. Your credentials, your performance, and what you bring up in conversation are all going to be subjective. Your actions will be the highest weighted part of any sales job application process, but no one will ever tell you this. It is the best-kept secret in sales. Your actions are the only measurable indication of how you will act and interact with customers, prospects, and sales management if given the job.

If you want to get the highest paying job in the world you need to stay proactive

During a sales job application process, you must be proactive and demonstrate that you can follow a sales process every single step of the way. Even if you’re at 258% of quota and think you can walk on water, trust me, the good sales managers are looking for a proactive candidate who carries themselves well throughout the process.

If you want to learn more on how to get the highest paying job you must consider purchasing my book called How to get a sales job book. Find out more details on the dedicated website.