Tips for Noobs: Six things I wish I’d known before launching my sales career

By John Sterling

After 25 years of managing, hiring and training over 200 sales reps right here in Greenville, I’ve seen first-hand how getting aligned to the right job early with the right training can jump-start careers. That’s why I’m on a mission to help “noobs” get their best start in sales. Here are the six tips I wish I knew when I first started out.

Align yourself with what you love.

What are you most passionate about? You might love basketball like I do — but chances are, you’re not going pro. That’s ok — just find another way to stay in the hoop world. Coaching, recruiting, sports marketing, sports admin, selling for Nike/Converse, Sports agent etc. … find a way to stay in the game you love  — even if you can’t go pro.

Choose where you want to live, unless…

The world truly is your oyster. Move out West, back East, down South, up North, or grab your passport and go. Nailing down your location will help you hone in on local opportunities. 

The most aggressive of you will move to the mecca of your area of interest. For example, if you want to work in finance, head to Wall Street. Movies? Hollywood. Tech? Silicon Valley. The main thing? Pick your spot and, with that as a starting point, it will make your search simpler.

Start this project early.

Start your ideal job search process early.  Research successful people who love what they’re doing in sales areas that interest you. Find them on LinkedIn (I’d love to connect by the way!) and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions. Remember — the first step is not getting an offer, but discovering what your ideal industry is. Start as early as now for example.

Not all sales are the same — know your niche.

People lump “sales” into one bucket. Remember — there’s big sales, small sales, sales where you’re in the field, and sales where you’re on the phone — so find where you fit best. How? Shadow successful people in your area of interest and take an assessment test like Kolbe to better understand how you think, work, and thrive. 

Forget the front door, find the secret back entrance.

One of the best ways to get a leg up on the competition is to set yourself apart. Do this by immersing yourself in your passion and working in the field you want to go into — even if it’s NOT in sales to start. Find a way in and you’ll stand out.

Practice, practice, practice.

Nailing your first interview is critical — but I’m telling you that you won’t nail it unless you practice. Partner with friends in your sales program to do mock interviews, or ask a parent or coworker to help. Record yourself. Find your flaws. Find where you shine. And keep practicing.

Questions? I’d love to hear from you! Email me at info@noobschool.org and we’ll answer them in a future article.

– John Sterling is the Amazon bestselling author of  “Sales for Noobs” and CEO of NOOB School, an online resource for new salespeople. Previously, John helped build and sell Datastream for over $200 million. He has trained and hired hundreds of sales reps globally. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for new sales content every week: https://noobschool.org