A Checklist Prior to Accepting a Sales Job

Since it is so important on so many different levels to be successful at each sales job you take, there are some questions you ought to ask yourself prior to signing that offer letter. Not only will these questions help you determine whether a particular position is right for you, they will allow you to do a synopsis on the entire industry.

1. Would you buy the product? If the answer is no, then you are setting yourself up for failure. When my company used to take on any and every client, pitching some of the jobs we had was torture. The reason why is because I didn't believe in the product (in this case an employment opportunity) I was selling. When you don't like what you are selling, it is nearly impossible to hide that from a potential client. This is not to mention how painstaking it can be.

2. What is the company's marketing strategy(s)? Does your prospective employer advertise or market themselves in any particular way? If so, do you feel that it is effective? In conjunction with you going out to prospect for new business, a company (unless it is a pure start-up) should have some incoming calls. You can't argue with the fact that incoming leads are a heck of a lot easier to close than outbound leads obtained via prospecting.

3. How well funded is the company? Since bouncing from job to job will hurt your value on the job market, find out how much backing this company has. The last thing you want to do is have to look for another job in 6 months.

4. What is the background of the executive team? For me, this is a huge selling point. To be truly successful, you must surround yourself with successful, ambitious, intelligent, business savvy and ethical people. If a company does not have this or you are not impressed with management, walk away.

5. Who are the competitors and how do they match up? Find out who the competitors are of this organization and, on your own time, determine your prospective employer's strengths and weaknesses. If the strengths outweigh the weaknesses, then you are on to something. If it is the other way around, more research is needed prior to job acceptance. Always get a second opinion.

6. Is this a replacement or a growth position? It is always a red light if a company is on the 3rd person in 2 years for a single position. The exception to this rule would be if the former employees all got promoted. It is not always a bad thing if it is a replacement; not at all. Though, be cognizant of the fact that a person did the position and see if you could uncover as to why he or she did.

7. What is the website like? It is the year 2010. No serious company should have a lackluster website. Clients and prospects alike are going to use your site as a reference. If the company which you are currently speaking to has a very poor site, this could make selling at your new employer's firm difficult and often frustrating.

8. What is their business plan like? Does your prospective firm have a definitive "go to market" plan? If so, what is it? Find out this piece of information as a company's business plan says a lot about where the organization is headed, their business aptitude and the executive team's vision of the company. Most importantly, you have to agree with the business plan. If don't, your tenure at the employer's company will most likely be short and frustrating.

http://www.unf.edu/dept/cdc/Employers/employers.html