These days, it’s borderline hackneyed to say, “If you can’t learn to code, learn to sell.” And yet, I’ve noticed that many of the brilliant young grads I work with give sales some serious side-eye. I get it. Back in my business school days, if someone told me they had a sales background, I immediately knocked a few points off my mental estimate of their IQ. But I was totally wrong, and if you’re making the same assumptions, you are too. Here’s why.
Why sales?
This should probably be obvious, but if you have a product and no one buys it, you do not have a company. Unfortunately, this fact sometimes gets overlooked. I recently read a book by a rather famous venture investor that claimed to be the end-all be-all guide to starting a startup, and literally none of the chapters were about acquiring customers and selling your product. I was baffled.
Sales are more important than ever because venture cash is tightening up. When unicorn companies take big markdowns because their sales projections weren’t tied to reality, it will impact everyone. Investors are going to be looking closer at the top line. With funding timelines extending, companies need to have money coming in the door to stay afloat. That means more than just creating a product—it means getting the product in the hands of a paying customer.
On a personal level, if you are good at sales you will probably always have a job. (Or at least, most of the time.) When times get tough, smart companies actually beef up their sales teams. You’re likely to get paid more than your friends over in community management or social media because it’s much, much easier to measure your effect on the business.
Who can sell?
Believe it or not, not everyone is temperamentally suited to sell. But all you humanities and social science majors should rejoice because sales might very well be for you. (Take it from me, I studied philosophy and government — double whammy! — and have thrived in a sales role.) Why? Because you are probably a better-than-average communicator. Persuasion is a skill. Psych majors can rely on their understanding of human motivation to craft a proposal. English majors can fine-tune an email that will rise above the noise. Poli Sci folks probably understand how to leverage their networks to get to a decision-maker. Companies will pay you for this.
Sales can be shockingly creative. Yes, there are sales roles that require 100 cold calls a day and some super robotic, semi-automated funnel process. But the person who can design improvements to that process and get it adopted by the whole company? Nearly guaranteed a promotion. Look for companies that give their sales staffs leeway to customize the product or deal structure (subscription vs. one-off or whatever the case may be), as you’re likely to be able to think creatively in the job.
The added bonus of sales: nothing feels better than landing a big sale. Trust me. Having a tangible professional accomplishment to point is so, so amazing.
Okay, I’m super convinced sales is for me. Where do I start?
If you’re still in school, try a public speaking or debate class. I rely on my debate background for thinking on my feet and developing customized tactics essentially every day. Develop your listening skills — good sales requires understanding what the customer wants and making them feel heard, not pushing features. Seek out heads of sales or business development for informational interviews or even to shadow at a pitch meeting — they are likely to be super flattered (as long as you are humble and non-creepy in the request).
If you’re already looking for a sales job, find a strong mentor. You are unlikely to start as the sales lead on day one, but this is the kind of job that is definitely best learned by doing. You’ll get it wrong a few times and maybe say something embarrassing to a potential client, but having the resilience to keep at it will make you an excellent salesperson (thick skin is a huge requirement of the job).
A final (anecdotal) note: throughout my career, I’ve noticed that the women I know don’t tend to seek out sales roles as frequently as men. I think this is a mistake. Not only can gaining sales experience accelerate your career, I legitimately think that women are better than men at sales on average. If you’re a woman interested in sales, go for it. Ignore the “bro sales guy” stereotype (and culture, if possible) and just crush the numbers — you’ll rise to the top!