While the current economic gloom may have seen unemployment rise in the UK, research from Simplysalesjobs.co.uk has provided some good news for those looking for a new sales position.

» Read more: Sales vacancies strong despite economic downturn

According to The Sales Pro, the wealth of information online about companies and the people that work there – on websites, blogs and social networking sites – is making a marked impact on the sales process. In the last study into global sales effectiveness by CSO Insights*, nearly two thirds of sales professionals said that the Internet has had a significant impact on account research and a quarter said it has had a noticeable impact. For more on this story go to thesalespro.co.uk.

According to Zoom Info, prospecting for new business is not an easy task. Many get weighed down by the thought of having to call someone they do not know, who is not expecting their call. Ugh! However, for those of you who are new to the game or looking to re-evaluate your approach, here are four tips to make your lead-generation process more effective. To read the rest of this story go to zoominfo.com. Picture: Elisabeth

Looking for a new sales role? Throughout 2011, the job market has become more and more competitive so as we prepare for 2012, it's important that you present yourself correctly to stand out from the crowd. Often, the most confident of interviewees believe they can still simply 'blag' an interview by putting on a good performance, but fail to put in the legwork and preparation beforehand. The old adage definitely applies here - 'fail to plan, plan to fail'! So first of all, give yourself plenty of time before your interview, if not your actual application, to research your target organisation.

Research in this context doesn't simply mean a quick visit onto the employer's website. It means something a little savvier that shows you've really put some thought in. You need to demonstrate that you know who their clients are and do some research into their competitors. Try to ascertain why their customers use the business and what are their strengths and conversely, what are their weaknesses. If it's appropriate, why not put a call into their sales team as a customer and find out their current sales strategy.

This research gives you the same head start that you get with successful selling. The best salespeople tend to do the most research and for your interview, it demonstrates to the employer that you are willing to put the time in and use your brain. It will also give them an instant appraisal of your approach to sales meetings and customer visits, so it's a chance to demonstrate your skills in action.

Also, identify the skills that the prospective employer is looking for. Read the job advert and person specification in real detail. Think around it and understand what you can bring to the role. Think of examples where you have demonstrated the required skills in previous situations and what the results were. Ideally, take evidence of these results with you, whether that's previous sales stats, references, payslips or other forms of achievement evidence. By providing a tangible back up to your claim, you can establish a trustworthy rapport from the start, demonstrating that you can back up your claims, unlike salespeople who claim the earth but ultimately deliver no such thing!

Make an impact
When you attend the interview, make the right impact from the word go. This means looking the part and being confident and open, without coming across as arrogant. Keep an eye on your body language. Keep it open and receptive to build rapport without dominating space. Show that you are in control of the situation by keeping eye contact and building an engagement with the interview. Avoid showing your nerves, even if you do feel them.

Expect questions designed to test behaviours and key competencies that relate to the role, such as resilience, adaptability, persuasiveness, presentation skills and negotiation. Look up typical questions and prepare some answers before you go in. Also, research and prepare for questions that test how well you understand good customer service, which is a vital aspect of sales. Reference papers, industry publications, relevant experience, blogs, networking groups, recent sales you've closed and respected speakers and thinkers in the field, anything that shows your deeper interest in the profession and enthusiasm to learn and progress. This will show your potential to advance to more strategic positions.

Know your figures. You will be asked about your targets, average order values, achievements against objectives and average client spend. It's amazing how many salespeople stumble when asked about the basic figures, so don't be one of them. A strong awareness of your numbers shows competence and trustworthiness.

Your own questions
Don't make it a one-way conversation; come armed with your own questions. Show that you want to know more about the role. Rather than homing straight in on the package and benefits, ask what has made predecessors successful in the role, what the company's objectives are, what the challenges may be and the best and worst things about working for the company. Asking great questions is another way of demonstrating strong sales skills first hand. Also, make notes as you talk, to show that you're genuinely listening and absorbing the information.

Of course, make sure you close! Any sales manager interviewing a potential recruit will expect the candidate to close the interview well. Overcome any given objections and close. Hopefully, they will see how resilient you are. If the objection comes, close. If another comes, work around it and close again. View it as a chance to demonstrate your abilities with the most important skill in sales. These steps should help you feel more organised, prepared and ready to face your next sales interview head on and come out with the result you want, which is your next sales job!

Picture: Samuel Mann

2011 has been a tough year for salespeople so as we look forward to 2012, delivering the perfect sales presentation is more essential than ever. Whether you want to win a new account and gain potential sales or simply sell yourself to potential employers, planning and research are the keys to success.

Before making any presentation, it is worth remembering that first impressions really do count when you initially enter the room. Confidence and pride in your own appearance inspires confidence in your work. Therefore, dress accordingly to match where you will be presenting. For example, if everyone wears suits it would look out of place if you turned up in jeans. If you are planning on taking your own laptop, folders or materials, make sure they all look professional and clean with no crazy screen savers or items covered in stickers.

Make sure you have a clear idea of where you are going with printed out directions and pick out another route to take if you end up in traffic jams without warning. Turning up late will almost certainly not help to make a good impression and will leave you no time for preparation before the presentation. Reviewing your presentation and key names of anyone you are likely to meet before you enter the building will help focus your mind on the task in front.

Now turn your attention to the actual presentation to create a pitch that will win them over. Start by doing your homework and thoroughly research the company or individual before putting together a presentation. Many lost sales opportunities arise as a result of not enough research and therefore either the wrong solutions are put forward in the sales presentation or you find you are unable to answer questions. Most research needed can be found through the internet and company websites or brochures.

Spend a few minutes setting up your presentation so that you look organised with all material needed to hand. Try to engage and establish a connection with the people you are delivering the material to before you start the presentation. This is a great way of putting everyone including you at ease in the room. All employers want to know that you will fit into their business.

During the presentation highlight your unique selling points and credibility in order to differentiate yourself from others. Showcase your portfolio and industry knowledge plus testimonials if appropriate. These are essential in order for employers to see what exactly you can bring to their business.

Whilst giving the presentation, focus on the main points you need to get across and always keep to the agreed timing. If your presentation time slot is ten minutes, time your material before you go to ensure there is no overrun.

Remember that although you are in control of the presentation and how it runs, questions are likely to be asked at the end. This is good and shows that they have listened to your presentation and are interested in what you have to offer. Always try to agree at the end, a follow up schedule or feedback and set some timescales for these.

Picture: Ian Muttoo

Among salespeople who make prospecting calls, there’s a hot debate about whether or not you should leave a voicemail message, according to www.eyesonsales.com. Some experts say you should leave a message, but only once every three days. For a voicemail to have any impact, however, you have to avoid the common blunders... and many of them are easy to make. According to the website,  the top 20 mistakes made by sales people include: - failing to stick to one topic per voicemail message - not verifying that you have the right contact before leaving multiple messages - forgetting to mention a common colleague or someone who has referred you The full list can be found on the www.eyesonsales.com website. Photo by herlitz_pbs.

Sales jobs form the basis of nearly every business in the world and sales are often the primary way that a company makes profit. Sales careers can be very interesting and rewarding, both financially and emotionally. Sales careers are not for everyone but if you think you are interested in a sales job, read on. Sales Jobs Information

• Sales jobs require a certain set of personal skills and attributes in order for the individual to be successful. Those with successful sales careers will be confident and excellent at forming relationships with clients. Good communicative and interpersonal skills are essential.

• To find success in a sales job you need to be highly motivated and enthusiastic. The ability to work under pressure to meet targets and deadlines is essential and you also need to able to work in a methodical and organised manner.

• Sales jobs can be varied in terms of your day to day activities. For instance, some sales jobs require the individual to travel and meet clients while other sales jobs will be conducted almost completely from an office using the telephone.

• It is important to be well presented and have a smart appearance in a sales job, especially if you are going to be meeting clients. A friendly and polite demeanour will get you a long way in sales careers.

• Sales jobs can either be B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer). Those with a sales job will be expected to find and follow up on leads to find new clients. Sales jobs will come with sales targets that need to be met and a lot of companies add generous commission packages when these targets have been met.

• There are often excellent career progression prospects in sales jobs. The salaries for sales jobs can vary dramatically depending on the position held and experience levels. You can search for a wide variety of sales jobs here on Simply Sales Jobs.

Media sales jobs are primarily focussed on selling advertising space or time in a particular medium such as TV, Radio, print or the internet. As more and more people consume the media for more of the time, sales careers in the media have taken off and people who are good at media sales can make good amounts of money. To find out more about media sales jobs, read on. Sales Careers in the Media

• Those with media sales jobs need to develop business leads by phoning up client companies and arranging to speak to marketing staff in order to persuade them to buy advertising space or time in a particular medium.

• To be successful in media sales jobs, you need to be able to describe to them the benefits of the medium using stats and various usage data. The ability to negotiate on prices is essential and you should expect to spend a large amount of time on the telephone.

• There are a number of skills that apply for all sales careers and media sales jobs are no different. You will need excellent communicative and interpersonal skills which are used to build relationships with clients. You will also need to be confident, persuasive and patient in media sales.

• You will need a good level GCSE education for media sales jobs and A levels or a degree will be beneficial. Many media sales jobs will come with in house training to maximise your success in the sales job. The possibilities for career progression are very high in media sales jobs.

• The average salary for media sales jobs will be between £15k and £18k depending on experience and the company. Many sales careers also come with generous commission payments as well so a sales job can be very highly paid. You can search for media sales jobs here on Simply Sales Jobs.

Sales careers can be found in a number of different sub-categories and fields. Media sales jobs entail selling advertising space to promote a service, product or image through a variety of media including print, internet and television. With progress working in media sales can be an exciting and interesting job choice. For more information about these sales jobs, see the following guide. •    Most of the time, a media sales career will begin in a call centre environment, which can become fairly monotonous. However, after paying your dues, progress can be made and more varied tasks will be assigned. •    The working environment of a media sales job is fast-paced and definitely not quiet. The pressure is high and there are always new challenges. For this reason, media sales jobs are suited to those who thrive in these conditions. You will work to targets and deadlines and will be among very competitive colleagues. •    Media sales jobs require outgoing and experienced sales people to sell media space successfully. Working for clients, the type of work involved can be different from one to the other. Products and services must be assigned to the most suitable media possible, so knowledge of modern and traditional outlets is necessary to match them up correctly.

Media sales jobs involve the sale of advertising space through a number of different media in order to promote their services, product or image. As sales careers go, working this sort of sales job can be extremely interesting and varied as you progress. If you are interested in media sales, see the following guide to this sort of job and what it entails. • Media sales jobs require outgoing and experienced sales people to sell media space successfully. Working for clients, the type of work involved can be different from one to the other. Products and services must be assigned to the most suitable media possible, so knowledge of modern and traditional outlets is necessary to match them up correctly. • The working environment of a media sales job is fast-paced and definitely not quiet. The pressure is high and there are always new challenges. For this reason, media sales jobs are suited to those who thrive in these conditions. You will work to targets and deadlines and will be among very competitive colleagues. • Most of the time, a media sales career will begin in a call centre environment, which can become fairly monotonous. However, after paying your dues, progress can be made and more varied tasks will be assigned.