September 25, 2008 in Blog by Dawn Williams

Recession proofing your career

Can you recession proof your sales career? Of course you can. As sales people we know that we hold our destiny in our hands. In these uncertain times, we need to be concerned about the economy and our jobs. When your employer has to make job cuts, your role is the make sure that you don’t make the “cut”. Strong and consistent sales performance almost always guarantees that you get to keep your job. If however, you do get the axe with stellar performances, ensure that you get glowing letters of reference before you leave. Don’t take it personally and leave with your head high. It will surely not take you too long to find a new place to hang your hat because “sales” is the one role that all companies will still look for in an economy heading south.

Another way to recession-proof your career is to continue networking outside of your company. Get to know your customers, meet and continue relationships with other salespeople and attend seminars and self-improvement courses whether they are academic or not. These are great places to meet people in a non-formal setting.

Keep abreast of industry news. Monitor what your competitors are doing and most of all, know what is going on at your company. If your company is publically traded, read the quarterly reports, listen and read analysts comments about your company and engage your managers in conversations about the future of the company.

Either way it plays out, you have an opportunity to shine where you are now or better your lot in life. Look at the situation as the glass half full.

Cheers and happy selling
Dawn