Wednesday 11 June 2014

Happiness in Work & Looking for a new Role – Sales Survey 2014

Aaron Wallis has recently undertaken the largest sales survey of its type which explores changing trends within the industry as well as a powerful insight into the minds of sales professionals.

With 62 questions answered by 726 completely anonymous sales professionals we have captured some impressive results helping us promote professional sales, raise awareness and gain a firmer understanding on how to succeed in sales teams.

To receive a full free copy of the 2014 UK Sales Survey please follow this link – 2014 UK Sales Survey Report

Smiles cost nothing

It is a well-known saying that if you love your job, you won’t have to work a day in your life. One of the essential ingredients to achieving a happy working life is to actually enjoy your job but that is hardly ever the case. When the interviewer asks the potential client whether the job is all about the money, they’re obviously going to say no although their mind is screaming yes! It seems that the majority, 7 out of 10 sales professionals, are content, happy are very happy with their chosen career which is great to see.

  • 15% opted for number 1 as they weren’t happy at work
  • 13% chose option 2 as they were somewhat happy at work
  • 23% selected 3 as they were their work.  However;
  • 27% elected 4 as they felt happy at work and;
  • 20% felt 5 was suitable as they felt very happy at work
Either sales professionals are lying about being happy at work or they genuinely do enjoy their work.  In my experience of interviewing about 600 sales professionals a year I find that nearly all, despite the obvious occasional frustration, are happy. 

Stating back to the previous statistics, 19% of the workers had been at their existing job for less than one year so perhaps the honeymoon period for their work is still there. However different things appeal to different sales professionals when looking for a new role so we asked what would be the top priority that sales professionals would look for when looking for a new role:

Just 4% wanted a better mentor to help improve their skills and direction whereas 8% looked for a better commission scheme and 17% looked for the company’s reputation. 7% saw it as achieving a greater challenge, 4% wanted greater stability and 8% wanted the change for a more improved work-life balance. Whilst 1% wanted more recognition for their work, a tremendous 23% saw it as an opportunity to progress and develop their career. Only 1% looked for a job closer to home, 13% wanted a higher basic salary and another 1% wanted a job with improved benefits. 9% felt this wasn’t applicable to them and 3% felt they had other necessities to look out for when they looked for a job. In conclusion, it appears that people are willing to better themselves to climb up that successful ladder and to get a better name and reputation for themselves.

Subsequently, having a good rapport with your boss can improve your mood and make your work-life happier and easier to cope with.

When asked what the relationship was like between the Sales Manager and the sales employee, the participants disclosed their honest answers to reveal that:

  • 20% felt their relationship with their lines manager was excellent, which allowed them to speak easily with their supervisor or feeling at ease
  • 34% perceived their relationship to be good with their line manager in the sales team
  • 16% considered their relationship to be average
  • 3% felt their relationship was below average, creating an unpleasant atmosphere in the workplace
  • 4% thought it was poor
  • 23% felt the question was not applicable

Written by Liam Oakes
Liam is the Office Manager at Aaron Wallis and has been with the company for 3 years after having a career with the RAF; Liam has helped hundreds of Sales Professionals secure a new Sales role and ensures that Aaron Wallis runs smoothly.

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