WHY ___________________________________________________
(Describe the benefits to yourself and your organization)
Diagram 1: Template for Creating a Personal Mission Statement
Here is an example:
“I, Samantha Smart, provide timely, reliable, courteous advice to doctors and other medical professionals in Toronto in order to improve the market penetration of Better Medications products and to ensure that my career will be fulfilling and fun.”
Anticipate and remove roadblocks. What kinds of challenges will you face? Make a list of them. The larger the potential sale, the more formal you would want to be. This being the case, consider documenting them using a force-field analysis (see diagram on the next page).
Don’t let yourself off the hook. Tell people what your goals are. Then, when you feel like slacking off, other people’s expectations will keep you going.
Ask yourself the hard questions. Do you really want the thing you’ve set out to do? Or is it a way to defer doing something else?
Harness your mental power. Can you envision success? Can you see yourself achieving your goal? This is how professional athletes take their performance to the next level.
Don’t become obsessed. The line between being driven and being monomaniacal should never be crossed. Your personal life, and quite possibly your health, will suffer.
Keep moving. Daydreaming will never get you where you want to go. What you need is action. You don’t have to do it all at once, however. After all, you don’t want the sort of thing that just falls into your lap. But if you make strides every day, you’ll get where you want to be.
Don’t beat yourself up when you stumble. And when you succeed, reward yourself.
Career Choices
Too bad that all the people who know how to run this country are busy driving taxis and cutting hair.
GEORGE BURNS (1896–1996), AMERICAN COMEDIAN
We all know it — the world has changed. Markets are global. Companies are downsizing and outsourcing. New strategic partnerships are also changing the nature of the sales process, requiring less knocking on doors and more management of relationships. This calls for fewer salespeople and more account managers and sales executives.
How are you going to position yourself in this new environment? The skill set of the new salesperson is a far cry from the old. Planning for your new role is important. There are many issues to consider as you contemplate your future either within your organization or in a new one.
While you rediscover yourself, ask yourself these questions:
“What am I all about?”
That is, what do you respect in yourself and in others? These are the things like honesty, integrity, decency, and congeniality — values that, if ignored, will sap your enthusiasm for your company and perhaps for your career. Write them down. Do you meet your own standards day-to-day? Will a prospective employer measure up to these expectations?
“What am I capable of?”
Do you have any skills that set you apart from others in the market? Keep track of your skills as you acquire them and put them into practice. Now, what sort of company would be looking for someone with just those skills? Do you want to be pushed to your limits? What gets you excited? What is going to make you want to work long hours?
“What kind of price am I willing to pay for a career change?”
Are you flexible? Are you willing to take risks? This is serious stuff. Consider the possibilities: the new job might not work out or you might be unemployed for a while. So now is the time to ask yourself whether whatever it is you’re looking for in a new career might not be available where you are right now. Let’s face it. Changing jobs can be frustrating. But if you are resilient and adaptable, you should be just fine.
To determine whether or not you could get what you need where you are right now, you need to decide exactly what you want.
First, figure out what you like about your current situation. Make a list. Do you like
your co-workers?
the challenge?
the autonomy?
If you are considering a career move, this list may be short. Be fair.
Now, make a list of the things you expect from your dream job.
What would you be doing?
Where would you be doing it? What is the environment like?
Who would you be working with?
How big or small is the company?
The next step is to put the two lists side by side. Now you can quantify the urgency of your move. What appears on the “ideal” list that is missing from the “real” list? How important is the missing piece?
Make a list of the most important elements missing from the “real” list. Keep this master list handy. This list will guide your upcoming decisions.
It’s time to start looking around. Look first at your own organization. Are there positions within the company that would meet your expectations? Perhaps you don’t have to leave after all. If you do, begin researching other organizations. What are you looking for? A position that meets the “master-list” criteria from step 2.
Once you’ve done this, and it could take a while, decide what your ideal position is and what your backup choice would be. Now evaluate each, keeping in mind that if neither makes the grade, you may be better off where you are. Here’s what to consider:
Potential hurdles. Would you need specific training, for example? Are you sufficiently familiar with your proposed field?
Steps to get over these hurdles. Are there courses you could take? seminars you could attend? Do you know people in this new field? Make a tentative plan.
The pros and cons of the new position. Weigh them carefully.
The worst-case scenario. Change can be difficult. Are you ready?
The best-case scenario. This should give you the courage to make your move.
Ultimately, your research and networking should result in a job offer. But how do you know whether to accept it? Make a list of the things you’re looking for:
salary
benefits
hours
location
everything you determined in step 2!
Don’t overlook good advice. Talk it over. Bounce your ideas around with
someone you can trust
someone in neither your new nor your old organization
someone who knows what he or she is talking about, that is, someone who has made a career change
a career counsellor who can test your suitability for this or that field and guide you more objectively than you can yourself
Getting Ahead
Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to “jump at de sun.”
We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.
ZORA NEALE HURSTON (1903–60), AMERICAN DRAMATIST
Aiming to be Vice President of Marketing or Sales? Moving up the ladder doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because of the choices you make. And waiting for something good to happen is choosing to do nothing. You would never explicitly choose that, would you? You have to take the bull by the horns if you want a promotion. Above all, always be assertive. Let your goals be known. Ask for promotions and opportunities whenever it seems appropriate. Here’s how to get yourself in the right position to make that move.
Take every opportunity to prove yourself. This means giving everything you’ve got.
Have the best attitude in the organization. Always be positive. And always be passionate about the organization, its people, and its products.
Take on as much responsibility and authority as you can and rise to the occasion. You may have to push yourself, but ultimately you’ll prove yourself worthy of the new roles.
Use the freedom you have in sales. Do things in your own time that will get back to the company, reflecting well on your commitment to the organization.
Do more than your job description requires. And keep a record of all you’ve done. Present these records at your next performance review. These new endeavors will be added to your job description. With a greater role comes greater recognition. You’ll be on your way up.
Lead by example in collaborative work. Give it your all and your team will follow your lead.
Step forward when others step back. Do that extra job; volunteer for that task force.
Share your strengths. Teach others. For one thing, you’ll learn from the experience. For another, you’ll be seen as competent and forward thinking.
Have a strategy.
Make a five-year plan. What do you have to do to get where you want? What stands in your way? Make a list of the obstacles and the things you have to do to get around them. Talk to your boss about how to achieve these milestones.
Track your progress according to the milestones you’ve set for yourself. Adjust your sights if things have gone astray or changed along the way. Always be moving in the direction you want to go.
Stay away from the conflicts that divide any office. There is no way to win these battles, and lots of ways to lose. But if you are going to be drawn in, make sure you pick the winner.