What Are the Different Types of Sales Jobs?
If you are searching for sales jobs, then it is important to understand that there are a lot of options to choose from. Anyone who has been in sales a long time will tell you that the product doesn't matter, and to a point that is true. What does matter is the type of sales environment that you will be working in. Here is a quick look at the different types of sales environments so that you can better target the sales jobs that are right for you.
Indoor vs Outdoor
The first factor that determines the type of a sales job is whether or not it is inside or outside. This may not seem like an important difference, but on a 100 degree day or a day full of freezing rain, you will quickly understand the difference. Indoor sales jobs are pretty self-explanatory. You stay inside all day and either communicate over the phone, online, or person with the potential customers. Outdoor sales jobs means that you will travel from client to client. This could mean that you walk around door to door, or it could mean that you attend pre-set appointments in someone else's home or place of businesses. Either way, it means that you will be traveling, at least a little bit.
Retail vs Industrial
The simple distinction between these two is your client. With retail sales jobs, you will be making sales to consumers/people. With industrial sales jobs, you will be making sales to a company. This is also known as B2B or Business to Business sales. The biggest difference between these two types of sales is volume. You will often make less sales, but in greater quantities, when dealing with a business.
Direct vs Indirect (Aggressive vs Passive)
Direct sales jobs are jobs in which you will be finding your own customers. This could mean cold-calling, following leads, or even going door to door. With direct sales, you will be responsible for creating your own customer base. Indirect sales, or passive sales, you will essentially wait for the customers to come to you. A furniture salesman is an excellent example of indirect sales. They simply wait until a customer comes to the store and then tries to make a sale. With indirect sales, you will be leveraging the companies advertising efforts to bring the customers to you.
There are a variety of other factors that you also want to consider, especially whether or not you want to get paid based upon commission or not. However, all sales jobs can be lumped into types based upon the following descriptions: Indoor or Outdoor, Retail or Industrial, and Direct sales or Indirect sales. It is important that you choose types of sales jobs that you are comfortable with. Some people love door to door sales or cold-calling, while other cannot stand it. Once you identify the types of sales jobs that are right for you, searching for the perfect position will be much easier.
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