6 Career Lessons I Learned From My 6 Months in Sales

6 Career Lessons I Learned From My 6 Months in Sales6 Career Lessons I Learned From My 6 Months in SalesHeres the thing I hate sales.Im not saying that without having conducted my due diligence My first job out of college welches in the sales and renewals department of a reputable magazine. Id hoped that being near editorial- if not in the actual department- was a close second to my English majors dream-job fantasies.While I loved my colleagues and my new post-grad independence, I soon learned that a sales position just wasnt the right fit for me.I felt uncreative, stifled by numbers, and disheartened that I wasnt doing what Id dreamed of when I was in college.So when I left after seven months, no one was particularly surprised.My manager even gifted me a copy of Death of a Salesman (seriously), and I moved to my next job believing Id left sales firmly in the past.But in the two jobs Ive had since, Ive realized just how valuable the skills I learned as a salesperson have been.Here ar e the six biggest lessons I learned from my brief stint in sales- lessons that are important whetherbei or not youre selling anything at all.1. Get Over Your Fear of the PhoneWhen I first started working, I had a serious fear of the phone. And for the most part, that was OK- I could easily bypass a phone call with a well-placed text or schmelzglas.When I began renewing magazine subscriptions, however, I had no such luck Phone calls were the most efficient and effective way of contacting elusive subscribers. Moreover, department leadership tracked our call volume throughout the day. I was sunk.After some anfangsbuchstabe hiccups (I once stammered through a phonetic spelling of a name, saying, It starts with F, as in... Fail), I not only got over my fear, but I realized the value of these verbal conversations. Now, rather than play a frustrating and time-costly game of email tag, I wont hesitate to pick up the phone when I need something clarified.2. Follow Up in WritingAny good sales associate knows that nothing really counts unless its in writing. I learned very quickly that I needed to follow up friendly phone calls with shrewd emails recapping the meat of a conversation- or nothing would move forward.Thats served me well in subsequent positions, even when Im not intently tracking goal numbers. After a lengthy team meeting or a one-on-one conversation with a manager, its helpful to send a quick follow-up email clarifying that youre on the same page and assigning next steps. Its a simple task, but it can preclude major pitfalls that result from miscommunication.3. Embrace MetricsWhen I worked in sales, my success was wholly dependent on monthly numbers. I was obsessive about tracking my progress I knew to the decimal point what percentage of subscribers I needed to renew in order to reach my goals. The last week of the month became stressful if I hadnt yet hit my goal.At the time, I decidedly disliked this dependence. But now, without having a goal percentage to hit or a commission to make, Ive found Im still obsessive about metrics- I even assign myself goal numbers independent of my managers requests. I learned that metrics, however frustrating, are in place for a reason. They help track what worked and what didnt, and this analysis can lead to improvements. For example, while Im no longer counting each subscriber and his or her dollar value, I am tracking every reader of my companys blog- where she comes from, what piece she reads, how long she spends on the site- and using that data to make decisions moving forward.4. Toughen UpWhen you work in sales, youll learn something quickly People are not nice all the time. No matter how respectful or polite you are, you might encounter people who are rude, curmudgeonly, or just plain mean.But youll learn to get over it. Once I had been hung up on, yelled at, and insulted over the phone enough times, I learned to let things roll off of my back.In any job (or situation, for that matter), Ive re alized that an outpouring of negative emotion, even if directed at me, doesnt necessarily have anything to do with me.Toughening up was a hard- albeit important- lesson to learn.5. Teamwork (Makes the Dream Work)By the end of college, I was my own best teammate when it came to schoolwork. From research papers to exam cramming, I had my own work style down pat- and I liked it.In the workplace, though, my self-motivation could only go so far. Without my talented and supportive teammates, I wouldnt have been able to tackle the volume of readers whose subscriptions I needed to renew. On a more qualitative level, they made my days way better- whether they were high-fiving me when we hit goal numbers or commiserating with me when we didnt.In sales, as in anything, you cant do it alone. And if youve got a good team of colleagues, dont forget to count your lucky stars.6. Take Off the Rosy GlassesWhen I graduated from college, I knew that I would be lucky to find a job- any job- in a particu larly depressing job market. Still, I nursed a hope that I would somehow stumble into a position that was perfect for me one that allowed me to be creative, to write constantly, and, of course, to avoid the dreaded phone.This didnt happen right away, and Im glad. Most people dont just fall into a perfect-fit profession- getting there takes a lot of work and a little trial and error. And not loving my first job helped me analyze the pros and cons of the position and assess what I really wanted in my future opportunities.In the two years and change since I left my sales job, Ive been surprised to see how often I recall those transferable skills in my daily work. Im pleased to see the sales(wo)man in me, long thought dead, resurrect herself from time to time and remind me of the lessons that, looking back, I would never trade.Photo of salesperson courtesy of Shutterstock.