The next question about suitability --
as it was for my friend -- is whether you have a sales personality. Sometimes it doesn't matter. There are some jobs where it's tacitly understood
that you are there to learn the fundamental skills while you're either becoming good at it or (if both you and the employer
realize you're just not the right personality but worth a temporary risk) that you can build your skillset without putting
the employer in the red. (Now there's another topic to discuss.)
Sometimes it isn't a matter of having the right personality for the job. It's knowing how to apply your skills to the situation
in order to get results. Results flow from using a number of techniques in light of particular circumstances. Let's say, like
my friend, you are a moderate personality. You use a soft approach and don't push. For the customer who likes gentle suggestion,
informative persuation, or an approach where the idea is planted today in order for the customer to consider and return on
another day, you're the best person to work with the customer.
Let's now say that you are a more stalwart personality. Nothing takes you by surprise. You revel in challenges and love competition
for the sake of the race. You boldly go into situations and immediately start barking orders after a minute or two of assessing
the playing field. Those you serve are of similar temperament and so is the company. Let's say you've got a customer who is
on the fence and needs that last little nudge because it's obvious to everyone (literally everyone) that this is indeed the
best choice available. You will probably excel in situations like this and be the savior of the day. You'll be the one who
steps in when your more moderate colleague needs to excuse themselves.
There are techniques in every field that are good to learn and can be applied to most situations under particular circumstances.
They're fundamental to doing business and develop you as a more complete person with a well developed personality. It's part
of building experience and maturity.
The important thing is to learn those fundamentals, learn the psychology, learn the techniques so that you are not at a complete
loss and essentially useless at that particular function when called upon do add to the formula in the future. It's essential
to learn those
elements of business life so that when you are the leader, even though you're not actually involved in the doing of
that task, you have some idea of what's involved in it so that you're not making unreasonable demands on your group or have
no idea how to lead them.
In actuality, you may be the one who has the personality to create the calm in the midst of
confusion. You may be the one who can decipher things that seem complex. You may be the one who's excellent at collecting
and counting. You may be the one who just loves putting things in order. You may be the one who has the patience of Job. These
are strengths in their own right. There's a place for them in every organization.
As to Assessing Skills and Interests
Back to the topic of sales. If it's merely a survival job, use the time to learn more about sales techniques and count your
blessings that you have the paid training opportunity. If you're reticent to leap into the water, take an assessment to see who you are. Learning in a general way which personality type you are, where your interests and skills lie, is integral
to making good choices for your path without undue stress, grief and frustration, and multiple restarts. When a good determination
of where those skillsets
and personality traits fit best, it will be time to take the next step. But that's even another topic for another day.
