When is it time to throw in the towel?
What are the indicators that should make you leave your current company or
sales position? When is it time to chart a new course? These are questions I’ve
been asked recently by individuals seeking change and by sales managers trying
to guide their employees.
Oftentimes we want to believe that we,
as career-oriented sales professionals, have a firm grasp on our capabilities.
In most cases we do (or we should). But, sometimes circumstances are outside of
our control, and our careers are just not going in the direction we want. It
may be due to the direction the company is headed by design or by chance. It
may be that the style in which the new sales manager manages is not in line
with your own approach. The company may have been acquired and you are
jockeying to keep your position. Or, it may have something to do with your
personal life, such as a health issue or family-related matter. Whatever the
reason that your sales career is not going as planned, it is not too late to
chart a new course.
Whether it’s happening to you or you are
attempting to guide someone down a new path, it is important to keep a few
tactical points in mind. First and foremost, be careful what you wish for,
because the grass is not always greener on the other side. In other words, make
sure your reasons for considering a change are valid, make complete sense, and
are not going to be a detriment to your (financial) well-being. Second, if you
have others relying on you such as a spouse and/or children, be sure to have a
roadmap in place to minimize any burden they may feel. Charting a new course
with your sales career can be exciting and rewarding, but with any rewards, you
must also accept risk. And finally, seek the counsel of others who’ve gone
before you, whether from your current employer or those that have made similar
changes.
Change can be scary and change can be a
breath of fresh air. Making sure that you are changing for positive reasons, a
step in an advanced direction, and changing in order to put all of your talents
to work will ultimately drive the rewards you are seeking.
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