A varied working life and the ability to determine your own income means that plenty of people are looking for flexible roles in sales, and door-to-door product and service promotion can be a great place to start. But what exactly does it take to forge a successful career as a field representative? Here, we reveal three of the secrets to success in this role.
1. You are a natural communicator
The best sales specialists are natural communicators. This is about more than simply being confident and having the gift of the gab. Talented sales experts understand that securing new customers is just as much about listening as it is about speaking and selling. A great field representative engages with people in a friendly and open way, responding to their questions and delivering tailored messages that are relevant to each person they interact with. At Appco, we call this personalised approach our Human CommercialTM. It is about respecting customers and giving them the best experience possible, so they are positively engaged in and informed about the product or service you’re representing.
2. You thrive under pressure
It has to be said that sales roles are not for everyone – and certainly not for those who want an easy ride. Often, sales roles are commission-based or paid on performance. This means that to thrive in the field, you have to be able to not only cope with pressure, but also thrive on it. Those who tend to do well are driven self-starters who want the opportunity to define their own career paths and who are prepared to work hard.
It’s also important for field representatives to have a positive outlook. No matter how skilled they are, all sales specialists experience bad days or weeks when they simply don’t get the results they would like – which is the case in any career. The important thing to note is that the best salespeople learn from these experiences, and have the resilience to bounce back and channel their disappointment into achieving better results in future.
3. You are a fast learner
Being a fast learner is another must for field sales reps because it’s absolutely essential to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the products or services they are selling. For example, when field representatives are promoting Appco UK’s client Hello Fresh, it is essential that they are fully aware of the products and services Hello Fresh provides and are passionate about them. To achieve the standard that organisations like Hello Fresh value, self-employed field representatives in the Appco network take part in regular product training sessions, and those who are able to absorb the most information during these meetings tend to be best equipped to engage with potential customers.
So, if you’re considering a role as a field representative, and you believe you have these three points covered, a direct sales career could be perfect for you!