How a Better Economy Will Affect Sales and Marketing Jobs

It started the first day of the New Year when my company got in more hiring inquiries in a day than we have since I was working out of an apartment. We totaled in at the double digits.

This is great, but the most telling thing was the types of jobs that were coming in and what they were paying. All of the sudden, the "70k's became 90k's and the 90k's became "We'll pay market price if the person is worth it."

What Is the Effect?

For the most part, a heightened employment rate brings positive change, but for many it can also bring a heightened amount of urgency, thus creating a heightened amount of stress and tension to get the right person hired.

Moreover, it can also change the scope of many sales, sales management and marketing jobs.

What Are the Changes?

Sales - A better economy obviously means more sales opportunities, but it also means that small, cheaper competition is going to try to push itself into the market.

Also, sales professionals typically deal with bosses inflating their expectations, usually in the form of a quota much more than what is humanly possibly.

After all, many sales managers feel the pressure from above and are not economists. I cannot judge, as I slept through economics in college (if it was such as perfect science, world hunger would not exist).

Regardless of quota changes, sales personnel are going to make more money both in base salary and in gross take-away.

Marketing - Marketing personnel are one of the last to be hired and first to be fired, and consistently ignored during bad economic times. Companies who are short on cash need quick fixes via hiring sales professionals with a Rolodex, not reprogramming their website.

I am an outlier who believes marketing should always be at the forefront. But if you have to choose between marketing and sales, marketing is not going to pad a bank account during tough economic times.

Marketing jobs are not popping up readily as of yet, but my firm is working on a few high level marketing jobs, which is a lot better than last year which was all sales.

Management (Sales and Marketing) - If the job market continues to improve, then management is going to shift from hybrid sales and sales management roles to more pure management positions. The more subordinates a manager brings on, the more need for day to day management functions than if the individual is only responsible for a handful of people, thus needing to moonlight as a sales or marketing rep.

Therefore, in this type of economy, many management jobs and, subsequent day to day activities, shift towards recruiting employees, training new employees and ensuring proper management of the ones that are under him or her.

In the End

I do think that hiring will continue to improve just yet, at least not drastically. But then again, I'm not an economist. But even yet again, does an economist know better than someone who lives and breathes the job market for a living?

Be Your Own Boss in Sales and Marketing Jobs

Being your own boss, it does sound interesting? Well a sales career can actually give you the autonomy to make an impact, be independent and decide your pay check. India is fast rising as the corporate hub of the world and marketing is an important aspect of all companies. The opportunities in the field of marketing are abundant with so many multi nationals and domestic companies vying to dominate the market with their products and services.

The jobs available in the field of sales and marketing are marketing executives, market researchers or analysts, sales marketing manager, brand or product manager etc. One can reach the pinnacle with hard work, dedication and the enthusiasm to sell and the want to serve.

A sales or marketing professional must possess the ability to sell his ideas, tangible products, services or business to business (B2B) sales that include pharmaceuticals, health-care, insurance, manufacturing etc. Good executives sell what the customers really need. Some companies also deal in direct selling that is a marketing medium to bring products directly to consumers through demos. Rejection, disappointment and failure are a part and parcel of the field of marketing but a can do attitude helps to sail through.

As the career graph rises one can become sales manager. The sales managers job is to organise and lead his team by encouraging and setting precedents. Most managers have entire area under their command where they have to reach set targets with their teams. Once the seniority increases sales marketing managers also get involved with product development, tapping new business opportunities and developing strategies.

A Sales marketing manager must be aware of the latest trends in the field. Nowadays every company is using the medium that everybody is hooked onto i.e. the World Wide Web. The advancement of technology has opened new channels of interface with the customers.

Marketing through Internet sites, portals, blogs, search engines and the popular social networking sites is a big rage. Social media marketing can nurture relationships as well as provide quick solutions to any issue. Mobile marketing can also be a useful marketing tool but the path needs to be chosen carefully. A sales marketing manager while devising strategy should be aware of these latest fundas without forgetting the basics of the field i.e. to forge strong ties with the clients.

A career in marketing can be very rewarding and the incentives astounding based on individual performances. Although companies need qualified marketing executives with an MBA, B.Com or M.Com, yet a graduation in any stream can get you a job in marketing. However, you must possess social skills like the ability to communicate well and study intently the needs and trends of the market.

Hiring for Outbound Lead Generation - 4 Tips for Sales and Marketing Management

When hiring for lead generation, candidates who are a good fit for outbound prospecting share 4 key qualities. Over time, experience confirms that these traits are still important today. Sales and marketing management may find itself with an ample candidate pool. Here are four qualities to keep in mind as you hire employees to build leads through outreach.

1. Outbound Prospecting Ability and Willingness

Many sales and marketing managers believe that inbound lead generation representatives can easily take on the duties of outbound prospecting. More often than not, this doesn't work out because the skill set required for outbound prospecting is different than the skill set required for inbound response. Be sure your candidate is capable, experienced, willing, eager and hungry to prospect proactively and take on outreach activities.

2. Client and Relationship Orientation

Another important sales and marketing management trait to evaluate is representative's ability to engage with a potential prospect. Warm or otherwise, they must guide a conversation with people they have never spoken with previously. This is not an easy task. It requires skill, knowledge and finesse, at the very least. It is truly an art to make a connection with a potential prospect early on, and to establish a relationship. An individual who values and demonstrates strong client relationship skills is key to success in generating leads through outbound prospecting. This is especially true if the outreach campaign includes engaging with senior level executives.

3. Strategic and Focused Mindset

A hunter mindset, combined with a consultative approach is crucial for outbound prospecting success. Especially when focusing on targeted, more complex accounts, it's essential for the representative to understand the account and key players in a strategic, managed, organized fashion during the engagement process.

4. Industry Knowledge: Quick Study and Sponge-Like Absorption

To connect and engage at high levels, a lead generation outbound prospecting representative needs a sponge like ability to quickly grasp and retain industry knowledge, key target market and pertinent target audience information.

At Exceed Sales, we are passionate about lead generation as an art and science. We help you achieve results beyond your expectations with our lead generation services. CEO Elisa Ciarametaro is author of the Exceed Sales blog, and the free Focused Outreach Lead Generation E-Book.