I work in sales. I am a sales person. There, I said it. It’s not a dirty word, it’s a skilled profession that can earn you a good living (and your own business). But why would I never say that when asked what I do. “I’m an Accountant”, “I’m a Data Scientist”, “I’m a Nurse”. Nobody blinks an eye. Me? “I work in recruitment”. So why does it appear so unappealing and has it always done so, or has society changed?
My intrigue has always been there but it hit me a few months ago. I was presenting at a 6th form careers conference to circa. 200 young adults and I asked who wanted to work in sales. Literally not one person put their hand up. I revelled in giving them the good news that practically all of them will work in sales at some point. Not least in selling themselves at an interview, but the doctor sells a course of treatment, the banker has to have a customer and even the microbiologist might need to find some funding. But I digress.
We see it in our day to day recruitment. Place an ad for a sales role, maybe a handful of applicants. Place an ad for a Data Analyst? You will be at 100+ within the day.
I have no empirical evidence but there does seem a trend among young candidates to shy away from sales roles. Why? A few suggestions below:
- Perception of Pressure and Stress: Sales roles are often seen as high-pressure environments, with the spotlight constantly on targets and quotas. Understandably, many of us fear rejection.
- Pushy Stereotype: Many young professionals worry about the stereotype of being pushy, fearing it may conflict with their values or personality.
- Reputation of some firms / sectors: we all fear the door to door sales person or the call selling you Crypto, does that very small (but highly visible) part of the profession put people off?
- Job Stability Concerns: Sales positions can sometimes be perceived as less stable due to the reliance on commissions and performance metrics.
- Changing skillsets: Some young candidates feel their skills are better suited to other areas, perhaps not realising the diverse skill set that sales actually requires.
- Lack of Understanding: There can be a gap in understanding what a sales role truly entails, which often goes beyond just hitting targets. It's also about relationship building, problem-solving, and strategic thinking.
I will focus on the last two points.
As we ‘doom scroll’ on our phones all day, we talk less. We communicate less. And at its heart sales is about communication. It’s showing someone how you can solve their problem. Some of the changing skillsets have been brought about by the ‘tech revolution’, but some have been out of everyone’s control, Covid. School leavers of today spent a long time in their bedroom, on their own and not through choice.
Then there is the lack of understanding of what ‘sales people’ do. We build long term relationships, many of whom we get to know personally, some we invite to our weddings! My job is about solving problems, it’s about data analysis, it’s about strategic thinking. I am a marketeer one minute, a Board Advisor the next. Myself and my team genuinely change lives on a weekly basis. As do Mortgage Advisors. As do Financial Advisors. As do Estate Agents. And who doesn’t feel good starting up a new car.
I will make one last point. AI. Look at what this is good at? Guess what, it is not great at building long lasting relationships. It’s very good at Data Analysis though.
So my advice to any young person is go out and talk to people, find a job in retail when you’re young, build those interpersonal skills. Who knows, you might just love it, but if not, I can bet you that those skills will get you far in any other career you are going for.
Maybe the term ‘sales’ needs a re-brand. Problem Solver sounds about right, although the first memory unleashed is Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction. Strategic Advisor? Whatever the re-brand, maybe companies should position sales roles as more of a skill-based profession rather than simply a target-based one. We for one have never placed sales targets on our consultants, more trusting the process and skill of our consultants to make the right long term choices, not to hit a short term KPI (that is not to stay KPIs do not have their place in some environments).
To conclude, the declining interest in sales careers among young people is not due to a lack of opportunity, but rather a mismatch between perception and reality. Sales today is evolving, becoming more strategic, technology-driven, and customer-centric. However, unless organisations modernise both the role and how it is presented, they risk missing out on a new generation of talent. To anyone who enjoys speaking to people, I encourage you to go and try sales, it is a pathway to strategic influence in an AI future world where the human approach is going to be more important than ever.
What do you think? Are there any other reasons young candidates are hesitant about sales? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out to us.