Good People Services are a long standing recruitment agency based in Bolton are a real source of information when it comes to seeking employment, job opportunities and also recruitment support for employers.

Michael Sweeney Owner of Good People Services discusses below how the fantastic opportunities in sales roles are often overlooked by todays candidates seeking employment.

"We are asked by candidates which jobs are currently available.  One area that is always looking for staff, but is consistently overlooked, is Telesales.

We  can see the candidates we meet switch off almost instantly when the opportunities are mentioned.  This may be because a sales career is regarded by many as tantamount to selling your soul – with hordes of callers trying to sell products that no-one really wants. But it isn’t usually what many people think it is, and many people are much more suited to it than they imagine. 

A positive for many in the current jobs market is that many employers looking for staff do not tend to be impressed by qualifications – mainly because there aren’t so  many that are relevant to working in sales. A key characteristic for someone with little prior experience is to have confidence – employers will buy into this, just as prospective customers will too!.

Another key attribute is the ability to engage with other people in a friendly and professional way. Your people skills will include the ability to discuss your offering in a way that that maintains interest. Successful workers will get a good balance between sales skills and building a good rapport in order not to be too overbearing. Good organisation and IT skills are desirable too.

Some firms (not all) will ask a applicants to role play a call or a presentation during an interview to see how they come across. Once you’ve demonstrated a degree of confidence the ability to think on your feet is also useful – but this may not be quite as difficult as it sounds.  After all, if you’re asked a question and you don’t know the answer, it is sometimes quite engaging to admit you’ll need to check the details and get and get back to the questioner – which can be a useful way of building a relationship too!.  

The cold calling associated the job can be frustrating, as those called can be quite rude to cold callers.  Rejection is a massive part of the job, so it is necessary to be a resilient character.  One of the most successful candidates we know worked formerly on a packing line in a factory.  She doesn’t take the rejection personally (believing it says more about the abusive person than it does about her) and carries on.  She now sits at a desk with a computer, has ready access to tea, coffee and refreshments and she earns lots of commission too!  She thinks it’s far better than packing.  Her secret?  She just gets on with it. There’s a lot to be said for that."

If you are a candidate looking for employment, career change or  an employer wanting support around the recruitment process then contact Michael Sweeney