A career in sales of software or oursourcing services?

A career in sales can be extremely rewarding. A sales person primarily assists a customer decide on the product or service they need, collect payment and provide customer service

Sales of services can include consulting, hospitality, courier, software, outsourcing, banking and financial services, insurance – the list can go on.

With the advent of technology, some professions vanish and new ones come up. An individual’s strength lies in moving with times and being in touch with the times and the trend.
Two decades ago, one would have never imagined the need for individuals in the field of sales and outsourcing services. Today, it is a highly paying job which many professionals have entered leveraging their prior experiences.

The growth in the software and outsourcing industry over the last decade has been astronomical. This has created a large number of positions for individuals with different background combined with sales skills. By virtue of the global nature of the business, the personnel required need to possess very diverse capabilities. The job is like most other corp to corp jobs that are not restricted to a typical 9 to 5 schedule. The global nature may require one to works nights interacting with partners in the other side of the world.

While there are no specific required qualifications, most employers prefer a graduate in engineering or management for sales of these services. Companies have today evolved into selling to niche industries. Sales representatives with experience or knowledge in a specific industry have a distinct advantage. Example, a person who has earlier worked in the chemical industry will find it easy to sell services to the same industry vertical with their prior subject matter expertise..

Soft skills that most employers look for are a pleasant personality, good communication skills and tact in responding to queries. Multiple languages can be an edge to leverage, especially in offshore delivered solution sales. Knowledge of presentation techniques is a major advantage.

Here is what www.monster.com says about Outsourcing & Software Sales:

Outsourced Services Base Salary: $150,000 to $200,000 Commissions: $200,000 to $500,000 Any task a corporation can outsource is a chance for a salesperson to earn a hefty commission. Call centers were among the first outsourced tasks, but there’s also plant maintenance, office administration, human resources, payroll and legal compliance. This is one sales job you can walk into mid-career, because companies actively look for salespeople that come out of the sector they’re selling into, Gaffney says. “You know where strengths and weaknesses are and where companies are vulnerable in what they’re doing,” he says. Keep in mind that selling may require a completely different skill set than the one that made you successful in your field. For instance, running a call center and selling call-center services are two completely different jobs.

Software Sales Base Salary: $80,000 to $100,000 Commissions: $250,000 to $1 million Successful high-end software industry salespeople know how to combine consultative sales with just the right amount of arm-twisting, says Gaffney. To start as a junior salesperson, you’ll need a college degree and demonstrated aggressiveness, such as having played a varsity sport. An IT or marketing major will also help land this position. If you work in the industry using a software product, you may also be able to move over to sales mid-career, because you know the industry players, as well as the application’s technical and functional specifics. “You’ll still have to have an aggressive personality if you want them to take a look at you,” Gaffney says.

It’s the perception that helps a salesperson succeed:
Two shoe salespeople were sent to Africa to open up new markets. Three days after arriving, one salesperson called the office and said, "I'm returning on the next flight. Can't sell shoes here. Everybody goes barefoot."At the same time the other salesperson sent an email to the factory, telling "The prospects are unlimited. Nobody wears shoes here!"

"WHAT NEXT" is provided by Ramesh Anand, President, American Personnel Resources LLC. ( www.aprllc.com )

Please conduct further research for this and other careers of your choice.