There are three types of salespeople looking for a new sales job:
- Employed, closing deals, and only looking for the better deal
- Employed, missing quota, and looking for a new job fast
- Unemployed, desperately looking for a new sales job yesterday
But wait, there’s a fourth type that comes around every now and then:
4. Employed, with unlucky and unfortunate circumstances looming.
Sales is a difficult profession. We’re constantly training our minds to focus on the things we can control. Yet many times we’re faced with situations that are out of our control and can still affect us negatively.
So how do we react and move forward in times of unlucky and unfortunate circumstances?
When You Know a Turn of Events Is Ahead, Don’t Wait Too Long to Act
If you sense layoffs are coming, an acquisition is in the works, funding won’t materialize, or your boss is leaving, it’s time to update your LinkedIn profile and notify your network.
Don’t wait until you get called into a meeting where they draw the blinds and fire you.
You can be certain this is about to happen if an executive gives a speech and says, “Don’t worry, we’re not laying anyone off.” The irony is that usually a month or less after that statement, layoffs happen. Take all red flags as a sign to be prepared to move on, and know the signs it’s time to leave your sales job.
Stay proactive, and don’t wait too long to leave. Unemployed salespeople are not perceived as prudent hires by many employers, so do what you can to stay out of that category.
And if the unfortunate event (acquisition, CEO departure, funds drying up) impacts everyone on your sales team, the longer you wait, the worse off you’ll likely be. Because you’ll be competing with your current colleagues over the available jobs of the day.
As a recruiter, I can tell you that when an “event” takes place at a particular company, it’s not uncommon for us to be working with several people from the same sales team. Those are the people you’re competing with, because they have the same current experience you do.
Get ahead of the mass exodus, and you’ll face better employment options with less competition.
Loyalty Is a Virtuous Trait, But Not at Your Personal Expense
Today’s employers want to see salespeople who have demonstrated tenure. One and two-year stints are not as desirable as three and five-year stints, and if you’re someone who feels very loyal to your employer, that is indeed a virtue.
But it has a drawback if you stay when you should be looking: your company is getting acquired, your paycheck bounces, solutions can’t be implemented.
If negative, impactful changes are on the horizon, there’s no time like the present to notify your network. Looking for a new sales job used to take a month. Now it can take up to four months, depending on the type of role you’re after.
Let’s Get Moving
If you find yourself in unlucky and unfortunate circumstances, today is the day to take action.
1. Update your LinkedIn profile.
2. Invest time in your job search now, not next week.
3. Prepare to take the unlucky event in stride. You were looking for a job when you found the one you have. And if the blinds-drawn meeting happens anyway, here are eight ways back after losing a sales job.
4. Remain positive, and refuse to speak negatively about your current employment circumstances. If you’re harboring resentment, which is very common when an unfortunate event happens, it’s time to let it go.
If you’re considering making a change, explore the sales roles we actively recruit for here.
