The Reason You Aren’t Being Hired to Sell

What will you read here is straight talk. But it comes from a good place.

A lot of people are looking for work in sales. They send me their resumes, even though I don’t place salespeople. They send me InMails on LinkedIn to tell me and everyone else that they are looking for a new position. And then these job-seeking “salespeople” post their resumes on job boards and “apply for work.”

The problem here is pretty fundamental: the people looking for work in sales are supposed to be salespeople.

A company hires a salesperson to win new business. The first step in that process is reaching out and developing a relationship so that you can create that opportunity. Prospecting is what salespeople do every day. Except it appears when they want a job. When they want a job, they email people, post their resumes, and sit and wait by the phone. Or laptop.

If you are the kind of salesperson who emails people and patiently prays for a call, then you aren’t establishing that you are the kind of salespeople people need. You are projecting that you are exactly the kind of salesperson that most sales managers and sales leaders avoid hiring.

What should you do if you want to be hired to sell? Pick up the phone and call the hiring manager and book an appointment. Call them and ask them to interview you. Demonstrate that you have the exact skills they need. You will prove that you know how to prospect. By calling directly, you will have proven that you can sell. More importantly, you prove that you will sell—instead of waiting around for someone to read your resume and call you.

• How close to your prospecting plan is your plan to get a new job?
• What are you projecting as a salesperson while you are working on finding work?
• If you were hiring a salesperson, how would a job-seeker distinguish themselves?