Making a Career Change
Q: I have been in sales for 18 years. I have sold products in the beverage, cleaning product and high tech industries. I have increased my salary over the years to $100K plus but am not satisfied with selling anymore. I am not sure where to go from here as sales is all I know. I have a very outgoing personality, am good encouraging and making people feel comfortable. I have a good sense of humor but I just do not know what else I could do as a career other than the sales field. I have thought of focusing on the development side of sales like client management, coaching or public relations. I’ve even thought of working for my university’s alumni organization. Can you provide any guidance and direction?

A: You are not alone in expressing your desire to expand your horizons beyond sales. Salespeople require two things from their jobs: work satisfaction and remuneration (a pay cheque and other financial benefits). If managed well, both are capable of motivating a salesperson to reach his or her goals.

Second, according to Maslov’s hierarchy of motivational needs, there are certain essential needs (psychological, safety, love, esteem) that must be met first before an individual can satisfy the highest of all needs self-actualization. This level of motivation occurs when the individual begins to seek more altruistic satisfaction from involvement in activities that do not provide visible and tangible results. This is very likely the stage your at.

The most important thing to ask yourself is “Am I confusing an avocation with a vocation? For example you may want coach but you don’t want to be a hockey coach. The most important thing you can do for yourself is take the time to research opportunities and perhaps explore with your sales manager what might be available in your own organization (e.g. sales management opportunities) first before going outside of what you know.