Careers Hub | Get back up! But how?

Let’s face it, when working in sales there are always highs and lows; however, it’s how you get back up that makes the difference.  Here at Pulse Recruitment, we deal day in and day out with salespeople, and we also have firsthand experience with the sales side of recruitment, so you could say we see the highs and lows a lot. Sometimes deals fall through, and sometimes clients drop out. It is the nature of a sales role. What makes the difference is your resilience in these situations and how you get back up again.

I asked around the office to see how the consultants foster resilience in their day-to-day activities and how they deal with those nasty drop-offs. Here are their answers…

How do you prepare yourself for the highs and lows of sales?

• Living a healthy lifestyle– Means that you can better process and manage the pressure that you are under.
• Gym or Sport – The guys in the office use our Table Tennis court to cool off when they need an outlet, but this could be any kind of physical activity!
• Alcohol– Let’s face it, one glass a day is healthy, the DRs say so, and a glass is always going to help bring down the pressure of a long day.
• Walking away from a situation-This can help you to take time to think of the best solution to a situation.
• Taking a breather– Sometimes, you just need to control your emotions; taking a second so you can respond appropriately will help you manage the pressure of a sales situation immensely.

Is there anything you do to help yourself bounce back faster when you hit a low period?

• Setting up other deals for the future– When in a low, set yourself up for your next high.
• Focusing on the other things in the pipeline– This allows you to not get caught up in the low period and focus on the next win.

Do you have any strategies to minimize the impact of the sales cycle on hitting your targets?

• Think about every situation and possibility– If you haven’t prepared for it, then it is going to make a huge impact when it happens.
• Don’t count on anything– This is a big one to remember for us here at Pulse, people say what they think you want to hear, and we make a huge note not to ever count on something because there is always a way it could fall through.
• Build the pipeline– Don’t rely on just the one deal to hit your target, have a few extra things in the pipeline ready to go for that just-in-case scenario.

There you have some firsthand experience on how to manage, cope and get back up when in the sales industry.