Obtaining an outside sales role
Q: I have been working the computer industry for the last 20 years as a System Support Analyst offering support to Auto-Dealers across North America. I was also very successful in assisting our Sales team with closing the deal and excelled at showing demo's. I would like to get into the sales market where I can go out and negotiate and meet people.

A: Many sales managers look within their own organizations first for qualified people or for candidates who can be groomed to fill an outside sales role. It’s often easier to take an employee who is already familiar with a company’s customers and train them as a salesperson than undertake a recruitment drive.

I would approach your company’s sales manager and HR department and express your desire to move into a sales role. You may be asked to take a sales aptitude test or some other form of assessment to determine whether you possess the key characteristics to make it in sales (optimism, ego-drive, focus, empathy and responsibility).