There are some amazing sales jobs live on our site today. Grasp the moment and start applying. Here are three great sales roles that might be ideal for you:

Sales Executive – Elletson Publishing House Salary: £50K OTE in first year

Do you fit the bill as an ambitious Sales Executive interested in Government projects? Since the late 1980’s Elletson Publishing has become the UK’s market leader in the delivery of publishing and marketing solutions to Government Departments throughout the UK – particularly Local Government and the NHS.

The company offers Local Authority Departments a ‘one-stop-shop’ to help them communicate with the general public. From creative designs, high quality printed publications, distribution, web design, digital media, film production, to sponsorship and advertising sales; each stage is professionally handled and customer service is highly important.

EPH is looking for ambitious sales executives who will shine in this lucrative marketplace. No previous experience of the sector is needed but the company will be looking for an organized self-starter, who can work hard and communicate well.

A comprehensive and ongoing training programme will be provided and first year potential earnings of £50k is achievable.

Click here for more information

» Read more: Latest jobs: Get hired today!

The Institute of Sales & Marketing Management (ISMM) has announced the line-up for its annual conference, Successful Selling, celebrating its 20th year. A headline speaker will be Steve Backley OBE, Olympic medalist and javelin record-breaker, (pictured) who will give a motivational speech: Success is a Decision, Not a Gift.

The conference takes place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 12th October. Sales professionals will be interested to hear the views of business turnaround expert PY Gerbeau, New York Times bestselling author Larry Winget and world renowned author and speaker Allan Pease.

Pease will be exploring the issue of ‘How to be a People Magnet’ unearthing the mystery of charisma and how to get it. “There is no charisma gene; we are not born charismatic,” says Pease. “It is a learned skill. You develop it subconsciously or consciously.” He will talk about how to make lasting first impressions, how to effortlessly turn any situation to your favour, and how to “be a great conversationalist, make others feel important and become a 'human magnet”. Pease is known internationally as 'Mr. Body Language' since his definitive book with that title became a multi-million bestseller and the communication bible for organisations worldwide – four decades ago.

'The Importance of Selling in Today’s Economy’ will be a central theme of the conference, a big issue for sales professionals in the UK. Entrepreneur Phil M Jones will host a breakout session on ‘Proved ways to get in Front of the Right People’. In this session Phil will share, from his own experiences, exactly what it takes to win appointments with key decision-makers and how to stand out in a very crowded market.

The conference will be hosted by journalist Nadine Dereza and will feature two of the leading sales thought leaders in the UK, Grant Leboff and Andy Bounds.

“We are delighted with this year’s Successful Selling Line-Up, it’s our 20th anniversary so we wanted to give the sales profession our best ever conference,”said Jennie Harnaman, Events Director at the ISMM. “Where else would you be able to see an Olympian, two sales experts and three business experts from all corners of the globe? This is an event that shouldn’t be missed.”

Successful Selling will be on the 12th October 2012 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. Successful Selling Expo will again run alongside the conference.

Browse our sales jobs today.

Job hunting in the sales profession can feel like extreme selling, and that means taking a lot of rejection. Staying focused and positive will be essential if you’re hoping to land a sales job in the current UK job market.

We’re officially in a double-dip recession, but the message from recruiters we talk to at Simplysalesjobs is a resounding 'don’t give up'. Things aren’t that grim. Companies are hiring, and the smartest HR departments will be preparing for growth – that means bringing in outstanding sales professionals and being prepared for when the economy takes off again.

You know that the more persistent, confident and savvy you are when dealing with prospective employers, the more likely you’ll be to land that plum sales executive or sales manager role. So it’s time to put your well-honed selling skills to the ultimate test. To help you win in the sales job market, we’ve compiled eight tips that should remind you how powerful good sales techniques can be.

1. Keep a positive mindset

If you have opted for a career in sales, it’s pretty much a given that you will be thick-skinned and understand that rejection shouldn’t be taken personally. You also know that there are techniques and skills involved in successful selling, so try your hardest to keep thinking and behaving like a salesperson. If you stay positive in outlook and mood, you will be more likely to successfully use your communication skills, and draw on previous experience to secure the job of your dreams. Experts say that using a positive mindset can actually make you stand out from the crowd. Employers will be particularly keen to employ those who display a positive mindset who can swim rather than sink, in what’s likely to be a few more years of tough trading.
» Read more: Beat the recession: 8 steps to sales job success

In today's tough economic climate, identifying the sales stars of the future is more imperative than ever. All too many managers have experienced the stress of recruiting a salesperson who seems to excel in interview or on recommendation, but fails to live up to their hype.

Businesses can't afford to make mistakes and boards realise that their human capital is the company's most important asset. So if you're a sales manager, how do you ensure that you pick the best people for the role - those with the skills, know-how, experience and extra 'something' that makes them stand out? Or if you're applying for sales roles, read on to find out some of the key questions interviewers are likely to ask.

Attracting the best talent involves taking a planned approach. To identify the best salespeople, you need to be able to identify the qualities that will make them exceptional in the role.

The Interview Interviews are still the most important mechanism for establishing a candidate's suitability for a role. An application can be tailored with assistance or even professional help - and anyone can put the right words to paper. It's only when you're sitting with the candidates and engaging with them face to face, that you can you get a true sense of their abilities. After all, they'll be selling themselves during interview, so you'll be able to assess how they approach a 'prospect' first hand.
» Read more: Top 10 salesperson interview questions

In just a few years, the advent of social media has completely changed the way we communicate and interact with people in our lives. Combine this with the coming of the smart phone and all of a sudden everyone is online, all the time. Words such as 'like' and 'share' have taken on a new meaning and a whole new world of communication has been opened up to us.

As well as a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, social media also brings new choice, new opportunity and new ways of businesses keeping in touch with their customers. Every major brand now has a Twitter feed and a Facebook page, whether this is for the purposes of customer service, brand awareness or in an effort to generate sales leads.

Even small and medium businesses are popping up on social network channels in an attempt to keep their finger on the pulse of this rapidly shifting environment. In fact, the social channels are seen as so important to the successes of businesses both large and small, a greater proportion of businesses' marketing budgets are being allocated to the development of this media year on year. In 2009, the average spending on social media for the purposes of lead generation was around 9% of the total lead generation budget. That figure had almost doubled in the following year to an average of 17%.

Corporate websites more effective than social media
So, is this money well spent? Are companies seeing a return on their investment in social media? Unfortunately it would seem, following recent research by business consultants, Demandbase, that despite the efforts being made to move sales away from the homepage, the majority of companies' trade is still conducted primarily through the company website. In fact, the study showed that a company's corporate website is around seven times more effective in generating sales leads than any type of activity involving social media.
» Read more: Website sales leads vs social media sales leads

Sony UK’s sales director Mark Howsen has been appointed commercial development director at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE).

Howsen is to lead a new department for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe SCEE and will begin his new role on 23 April 2012.

As commercial development director, Howsen will head up SCEE’s licensing programme, in-game advertising and new business development.

He joined Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) UK, nearly 13 years ago as national account manager in 1999. He was promoted to UK sales director in 2007 and played a key role in the launches of PSone, PS2, PS3, PSP, PSPgo and PlayStation Vita.

"Mark has been a key member of the PlayStation UK management team and can feel justifiably proud of what he has achieved here,” SCE UK MD Fergal Gara stated.

“I would like to thank Mark for his contribution to the UK business and wish him every success in his new role".

SCEE VP of sales and commercial planning Tim Stokes added: "We are delighted to have Mark joining us here in our European HQ. Mark is a time served Sony man who brings a wealth of experience to this new role and will be a fine addition to our new team."

Mark Howsen commented: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at SCE UK and I wish Fergal and the team all the best going forward. I am relishing the prospect of my new role. The opportunity to help create, shape and build a new department within SCEE is a challenge that I'm excited to get to grips with.”

Other recent key sales moves include Aimee McKay’s appointment as sales director for blowUP media, which is part of the international Ströer Group and European experts in Giant Posters.

McKay joins blowUP media from Clear Channel Outdoor where she spent 10 years. McKay's role as Sales Group Head, saw her managing sales across Clear Channel's Pinnacle premium format sites as well as their Reach and Digital formats.

Prior to Clear Channel, McKay worked as a media consultant at Look Outdoor Limited (now APN) in New Zealand where she worked across their Airport media portfolio.

Source: MCV website

Picture of Sony Playstation’s Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet by hyku

What are the top sales trends for 2012? Here’s my list based upon my experience of studying and working with some of the world’s greatest sales organizations last year.

Sales Linguistics – For 2012, it’s not only what you say, but equally important, how you say it. “Sales linguistics” is the revolutionary new field of study about how customers and salespeople use and interpret language during the decision making process. If you are in sales, you make your living by talking. If you were a pilot, you would attend years of flight training school before you were allowed in the cockpit of a jumbo jet.

For the full story please visit the Heavy Hitters Sales website.

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Sales Question: "I'm doing my best to take advantage of "social selling" with LinkedIn but I'm having a hard time getting prospects to accept my connection requests. Any suggestions?"

Answer: LinkedIn is a powerful social selling tool that can help you increase sales - if used correctly…

For the full story please visit the Eyes on Sales website.

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Photo by Coletivo Mambembe

Making sales calls isn't always easy these days, but developing a positive attitude towards the variety of objections that will no doubt come your way can only benefit you and make you a better sales person. Being able to turn an objection into a chance for you to ask questions and learn more about your potential customer can often mean the opportunity to make a sale.

Here are some of the most common responses to sales calls and suggestions on how to overcome them, starting with the old classic, "Is this a sales call?"

This response is a regular one, especially when calling a potential client and reaching a secretary or receptionist. Remember, their job is to stand as a sort of invisible barrier to the decision maker and they will often do it very well. But this doesn't mean that you should be discouraged. The secret here is to be truthful. If you are making a sales call, then simply admit it. Likewise if you are fact finding, introduce yourself and say you are looking to find out a bit more about the company or person you were hoping to reach. Sales calls are often a chance to build a relationship with your client and the more you know about them and their company the better. If you believe that their business would benefit from the products or services you are offering, make that clear and ask to make an appointment with a decision maker.

Another objection is, "We currently use someone else". Don't be dismayed, just because they already have a supplier doesn't mean they are happy with their services or that you can't offer them a better deal. People and businesses change service providers or suppliers all the time for a number of reasons. In this case, show you understand that they are already using these services but that you may be able to offer them something better, such as saving them money or providing a number of new features.

Likewise, the objection, "I'm happy with my supplier", brings about a similar response. Again, let them know you will be able to give them the best information to make an informed decision. Start by saying something like, "A number of people I have spoken to today were also happy until they heard just what we could do for them".

If you are targeting department heads who hold a budget, you will probably have heard the classic, "I don't have any budget right now". This objection can put many sales callers off - after all what good is it if there is no budget left to buy your services or products. However, this can often be a white lie in an attempt to avoid sales calls, so do persevere. Try to make it clear that even if that's the case, you would still love to come in and show them exactly what your company can do for them. At best, the no-budget line was a fabrication and there is potential there to make a sale. At worst, the client likes the look of your products or services and will make a point of securing budget when it is available.

For any negative objections, try to look for a way to turn it to your advantage. For example, if you get the often-heard, "You've let us down in the past" or "We've had a bad experience with you", then don't panic. The secret here is to put yourself in the position of the client and acknowledge and apologise for their experience regardless of whether it happened before you joined the company. Something along the lines of, "I know there has been some problems in the past but these are all sorted out now", can work wonders. Talking about how the products or services have changed and highlighting the new features and benefits could also restore faith. See this as a chance to build relationships. Ask exactly what happened in the past so you can be aware of any problems and get them sorted out.

Whatever objections you encounter over the phone, remember that the way you handle yourself will say a lot about you and your company. Never argue or get confrontational with a client. Use these situations as a chance to better understand your buyer and where he's coming from.

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If there's one criticism levelled at the modern world, it's that our speed and immediacy of communication often comes at the expense of good manners. In a former generation, for example, it was unheard of not to send formal thank-you notes to express gratitude for gifts, shared experiences and social events.

But do we go to such an extent today to express thanks and build that quality aspect of our relationships? Probably not. And that's just in our personal lives. The way modern business is conducted means that the pleasantries and old-fashioned manners that led to such expressions of gratitude and recognition have also largely disappeared.

Does it matter?
Some might argue that such things are now irrelevant in a fast-paced, results-focused and increasingly digitised world. But is this the case? Chances are you remember the last time your boss, colleague or customer thanked you. It probably made you feel good and stuck in your mind. And if they'd taken the time to send you a note to that effect, then you probably kept it.

You would also remember that person's name as well and now have their details to hand and be inclined to think favourably of them. If you work in sales, you no doubt already realise how potentially valuable such an approach could be to building up your network and referrals.

How do I incorporate it into my working life? Sales people are notoriously fast-paced, so to incorporate thank-yous into your day, you will have to slow down. Focus on the long game. Expressions of good manners such as this will show that you're committed to going the extra mile in your working relationships and you take them seriously.

Expressing thanks suggests a person who is thoughtful, reflective and considerate. These are the qualities that a customer wants to see in an account manager - not a hard-nosed results-driven sales person, motivated only by commissions.

So think of situations where you can take a few minutes to send a simple thank-you note. It can be email for something brief, or handwritten for the 'high-impact', personal approach. To thank someone for spending time speaking with you on the phone, a brief email or text is adequate. If you met someone in person, an email is good, but a handwritten note with a business card and follow-up is even better.

After a demonstration to a company, take the time to follow up. And after a sale, a beautifully crafted, handwritten note really goes the extra mile. Similarly, think about referrals and consider a note of thanks even when the customer has gone elsewhere, to keep the lines of communication in place. They'll appreciate your professional response and bear you in mind for the future.

Keep it genuine. Keep it classy. A written thank-you is powerful and personal, so much more so than the rushed thanks at the end of everyday communications. Of course, keep giving your thanks in person, but follow it up with the written approach. Make sure you follow the basic rules to a follow-up thank-you note. Write it within 72 hours of your contact and be professional. Use good-quality company stationery and be careful with your handwriting. Consider getting some professionally printed cards or stationery if there is nothing already in place.

Keep your thanks brief and to the point. Be specific about the event for which you're expressing gratitude and explain why it was important to you. Avoid jargon or corporate buzz words and keep it friendly. This is a chance to show your real character, so maybe suggest a future opportunity to meet up, such as a lunch or a catch-up at a forthcoming event. Make an offer to host a follow-up meeting, meal or other event if you know the contact already. Show that you're being proactive in developing the relationship further, without being pushy.

Be creative It's valuable to spend time with your team looking at ways to creatively express gratitude, to your customers, prospects, colleagues and contacts. It helps to build that all-important network. There might be ways to thank contacts and show appreciation without resorting to old clichés - which are often expensive and likely to be quashed in the current economic climate.

Small, quirky, personalised items, nicely hand-written, high-quality cards, a thoughtful small item that relates to something you know about them - these are the ways to show your engagement in the relationship and your investment in that person. Don't use impersonal corporate communications with everyone you meet.

In conclusion By spending time investing in these slow-burning relationships, you should find yourself being remembered for all the right reasons. Those referrals, sales, or simply interesting new 'contact of a contact' openings will slowly increase in number and quality in a way that might have previously eluded you.

By presenting yourself as a person too, rather than simply a corporate sales vehicle, your prospect, customer, colleague or contact will engage with your authentic, best self and you should reap the benefits.

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