Should I quit sales? Is it time to move on?

Let’s face it. A career in sales isn’t for everyone. Maybe you didn’t grow up with the “sales gene.” Maybe you’re just not cut out for pushing products on customers.

If you suddenly find yourself at the breaking point, first take a deep breath. Secondly, let’s think this through, together.

So to start, I’d like to draw up a Pros vs. Cons list to help clear things up before we dive a bit deeper.

Sales Career: Pros vs Cons

Sales Career Pros

Earn More – Sales professionals often are among the highest-paid professions in the world. This is probably the obvious one and the reason most people enter sales in the first place. A very successful sales rep has the potential to earn more than the CEO who’s hiring him.

More Freedom – “Freedom” has many definitions, and especially in business can be relative. But for most sales professionals it means the ability to make your own schedule and spend time with family. As my sales career grew, so did the time I have to do other things. Eventually, this led me to invest my time in other companies that I always wanted to be a part of.

Chance To Work In Many Industries – Sales is extremely diverse and usually provides opportunities to work in many different industries, should you choose so. You definitely get to see how different companies work, and you get exposure to tons of people across many industries. Once you know how to sell, it’s a skill that’s transferrable no matter where you go.

Build Relationships – Many people who are good at sales excel at building relationships with others to help them achieve common goals. Having excellent relationships and networking well can lead to much more than just short-term, monetary success.

Learn What Makes People Tick – As a result of so many relationship-building engagements, you’ll eventually learn more about people and how to make them feel special. If you were to take this skill outside of your job, you’ll quickly learn how to make people feel great, and be admired for it.

Earn While You Learn – Besides just learning how to sell — a sales career is an excellent way to build transferable skills like problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, and communication. Succeeding in sales will teach you a lot about what it takes to run businesses, have great personal relationships, and succeed highly in all levels of life.

Sales Career: Cons

Pressure – Salespeople are often under intense pressure to close deals, especially those that are paid entirely on commission. If you’re new and without a book of business — the pressure can pile on, quickly. Working in sales can be extremely stressful because it’s common for professionals to carry the weight of the sale on their shoulders. If you make one mistake, the entire deal could be compromised.

You’re Gonna Be Monitored – Not everyone is cut out for being judged on how many new customers they bring in to an organization or what percentage of those they keep as long-term clients. Almost every aspect of your business will be monitored, and if things start to slow down, don’t be surprised to be put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan).

Burnout – The stress of losing high-stakes deals can cause people to burn out quickly in this career. Once you make it big – then you also have to deal with doing the little things that got you there in the first place. Dealing with rejection, time and time again, is not an easy thing to do — especially if you feel you’re above that because of your income or success level.

Potential To Do Unethical Business – Sales is one of the most common professions where employees are faced with ethical dilemmas. There seems like no limit to stories about both big and small “sales scandals.” You might have to push a product that you don’t believe in. Or perhaps your company asks for favors or encourages mistruths. Maybe you’re working strictly on commissions and you need to close a sale to pay your rent. What are you gonna do? How will you handle things? Are you gonna get desperate and resort to measures that you know aren’t right?

Long hours – You might have to work hours that are typically reserved for a 9-5 job, and then some. When I started in sales, I was working 16-17 hours per day. Not because I was forced to, but because I thought it was necessary to build my business.

Should you look for another sales role?

So a lot of the times when I speak to reps who are ready to throw in the towel and call it a career – they usually just need two to three things.

1. A change in environment.
2. A vacation.
3. Need better training.

Maybe quitting sales altogether is NOT the right option for you yet. But instead, you just need a break and/or a new environment. Remember – It’s ALL ABOUT THE SITUATION. You can go from loving your work to hating it within an instant. And sometimes, that doesn’t have anything to do with how much you’re paid or even the type of people you work with.

Have you weighed the Pros vs. Cons list? Can you put up with long hours because the potential for pay is just that damn good?

Who knows, even if you feel like you’re ready to quit sales altogether – you might end up loving your next role so much and realize that you just needed a few different changes to light up the room again.

So how do you find out if your current position is a good or a bad fit? I hate to say it, but sometimes the grass is greener. Here are the top 11 signs you should probably be looking for another sales role, instead of quitting sales altogether.

1. You don’t believe in the product. This is probably the biggest one on the list. You might be a terrific salesperson, but not having a strong belief in what you’re selling will wear and tear you down faster than anything else. If you hate what you’re selling, it shows. And your customers can sense it from a mile away. In fact – they’ll actually be turned off by the way you feel about your product or service. You don’t ever want to go there – because this will eventually lead to low sales performance and decreased morale on every level. This is one of the BIGGEST reasons people think they should quit sales altogether and look for another career. But like I said, sales is very diverse. Almost all sorts of industries imaginable are out there looking for salespeople. Life is short — why not sell something that interests you?
2. You don’t like the customers. I’ve heard it time and again – how people love their product or service, but hate the customer or type of person they work with. They would never tell their boss this. But you’re not the only one to feel this way. When you actually LIKE your customers, it shows through your customer service, relationships, and ultimately the revenue that’s brought into the company and commissions in your pocket.
3. You HATE Cold Calls. We’re big advocates on cold calling — if done right. But the truth is, if I had a nickel for every time someone told me they hated cold calling – I’d probably have a ton of nickels right now. I’ve met many people who hated cold calling so much – that they actually quit on their first day of the job (even though they knew it would require cold calling). A few of them actually had left for lunch and never came back, they lasted about two hours. Look, if you hate cold calling, there are plenty of sales jobs that do NOT require it. Don’t jump into a role that requires it if you ultimately know it’s not what you want to be doing.
4. You don’t like the role you’re in. The wrong fit for you could make you miserable, no matter how much money is coming in. If you feel like there are better opportunities out there – it might be time to start looking. Don’t wait until you’re burnt out, miserable, and ready to throw in the towel. You need a change of scenery before that happens. How
5. You feel like your talents are going to waste. This is another reason why many people quit their jobs and try to find another role in sales. Not every industry is the same. If there are other roles out there that make better use of your skills, talents, and abilities – it’s time to consider moving on. You could also consider a job shadow or internship in a new role so you can better see if it’s for you. Don’t just quit because your skills might not match the role – vet out other opportunities to make sure it’s what you’re looking for.
6. You aren’t making enough money. This is a pretty simple one. Are you being paid your worth? If you’re brand new in a role, and working your way up — expect to be paid a bit less. If you’re seasoned and have been with the company for a while, constantly hitting your targets — but still being paid less than industry peers, consider looking elsewhere. HOWEVER – This isn’t always an easy choice. Some value loyalty over higher pay. You need to decide what’s right for you.
7. You feel taken advantage of. If all of a sudden your compensation plan changes beneath your nose – it’s probably time to look for another job. If you are being passed up on opportunities, or there is clear favoritism, trust me — there are other sales jobs out there that will appreciate your talents and reward you accordingly. And if all else fails, leverage you’re worth somewhere else – whether that be through a recruiter, in a new role, or on the job market.
8. You don’t like your boss. Similar to feeling taken advantage of and feeling undervalued – you need to respect your boss and vice versa. If your relationship with your manager or boss is tenuous or toxic for whatever reason – evaluate whether or not it’s worth staying with them overseeing your career. I’ve had bosses that I really admired and others who I knew, didn’t care for or respect his workers. The ones who treat you right, will end up being rewarded for it.
9. You feel unappreciated at work. Some companies go above and beyond when it comes to rewarding their people, others do the bare minimum. If you’re working for a company that isn’t publicly recognizing your contributions or giving you feedback that helps you with your performance – maybe look elsewhere. Don’t stay somewhere that doesn’t appreciate what you bring to the table. If it’s not something you care about, no worries. But me personally, I always liked knowing when my efforts were appreciated.
10. You don’t have a strong team supporting you. Having a great manager and a solid team behind you makes all the difference. But if your team doesn’t believe in what they’re doing (or you) – it’s time to consider looking for another role where your team can make more money together, or at least respect each other.
11. You are simply burned out. This one is the most obvious. If you’re waking up at 4:30 AM on a Monday morning dreading the start of another week (and every day after that) – it might be time to consider a change of scenery. Maybe you just don’t want to work ridiculous hours anymore or have as many responsibilities. That’s completely fine. As I said, the sales industry is very diverse and there are sure to be options that will be more accommodating to the sort of schedule you prefer.

When is it time to throw in the towel?

So this is a tough one. And a lot of it comes down to how you weigh the things mentioned in the Pros vs Cons list. If you really, truly, feel that a job change won’t do anything for you – then it’s time to start thinking about future careers.

But don’t be afraid of change! Embrace it. The skills you learned and developed as a salesperson will help tremendously in whatever you choose to do next. And the skills you learn in your next role can be parlayed into another one (and so on and so forth). What you do in life is very dynamic — almost like a game where you keep trading up until you don’t want to play anymore. So don’t think of it as a loss – if you decide to move on, you’ll be better equipped to handle the next thing that comes your way. And it doesn’t mean you’re any less of a salesperson, it just means it’s time for something new.

One final word of advice is to take advantage of professional development opportunities when they present themselves! It may not feel like it at the time, but trust me, you will appreciate it later. You never know where they might lead.