In an ideal world, you work in a sales job that gives you personal fulfillment, an obscene amount of money, and coworkers who you love spending time with. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world where finding the right job might take some time, and where lots of salespeople are rightly (or wrongly) disgruntled with how they’re treated.
If you’re not happy with your sales job, your first instinct might tell you to get out of sales altogether. But before you do that, there are a few things you should try first. Here are eight things to do if you’re not happy with your sales job :
1. Figure out if the job is the real problem
You need to understand whether it’s the job or something else that’s making you unhappy. You don’t want to rush to blame your job when something else might be going on. Of course, it’s possible that it’s a combination of factors, including the job, but the last thing you want to do is to leave only to find out that it doesn’t change things for the better.
2. Ask yourself why
Identify what it is about the job that’s making you unhappy. Is it your management? Is it your coworkers? Is it the day-to-day activities? Is it the compensation plan? Is it everything? You have to identify the problem if you want to have any chance at fixing it. Also, you need to identify it so that you don’t put yourself in a similar situation at your next job.
3. Perform
Mark Cuban once said that sales cures all problems in a business. This could be the case with your unhappiness at your job as well. See if buckling down and pushing yourself to become a top performer makes things better. Not only will you make more money, but you’re likely to get treated better by management. Of course, being a great performer doesn’t mean that you won’t be unhappy at your sales job, and top performers tend not to stick around where they’re not treated well.
4. Try to change your mindset
This might be easier said than done, but try changing your attitude. The human brain is wired to put us into cycles of negative thinking, where one bad thought leads to another, and so on. Getting out of that cycle is difficult but can make a huge difference. Top performers and business leaders know how to focus on the important things, and don’t spend time dwelling on stuff that doesn’t get them closer to their goals. See if you can do the same.
5. Consider the upside
Before you move on, consider the positives of the position. Every job has an upside. Are you making a lot of money, but not being treated well? Are you being treated well even though you’re underpaid? Is the commute short? Keep all of these things in mind when making your decision, because sometimes it’s worth it to tough it out. Lots of people have stayed in jobs that they didn’t like in order to save enough money to prepare themselves for their next career step.
Related: 10 Reasons Why Salespeople Fail
6. Try to make it fun
You can always make even the most challenging experiences into fun ones if you try. Make a game out of it. Use one of Spiro’s personal sales assistant personalities to make follow up reminders more entertaining. Don’t just show up at the office in an awful mood every day. If you have to be there anyway, try to enjoy it.
7. Discuss with your supervisor
You should always try to address any issues with your supervisor. A good leader will be empathetic and try to work through them with you. Even if the supervisor is the problem, bringing up the problem directly to them is the professional thing to do. Maybe things will improve, maybe not. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and you have to try.
8. Move on
If all else fails, and you clearly understand that the job is the problem and nothing is going to change, then it’s time to move on. Do it professionally, even if things are spiraling out of control. Give your notice in writing, don’t badmouth the company, and try to have another job lined up beforehand. And don’t be so hard on yourself about it. Sometimes, a certain job just isn’t the right fit.