Even the best companies can fail. Issues like a collapse in the industry, a serious economic downturn, or a product that suddenly becomes obsolete can bring down companies that seem perfectly healthy. Which means that you are left scrambling for a job under what are likely to be uncertain conditions.
If your entire industry is under attack, you'd be advised to look for a sales job in an entirely different arena. Fortunately, good salespeople are always in demand no matter how bad the economy gets. If anything, companies will be desperate to get their hands on a solid sales team so that they can keep the revenue coming. So before you leave your now-defunct company, grab whatever documentation you need to demonstrate your background as a top sales producer. Don't forget to get contact information for your sales manager and a few other co-workers who can be counted on to give you a good reference.
While you're collecting that paperwork, be sure to grab whatever data you can on your customers. Now that they won't be buying from your ex-company, they'll need a new supplier. These leads can be just the edge you need to get a job with a (former) competitor, and they can also ensure that you start off with a bang by bringing in several new customers right at the beginning.
Of course, before you loot those customer records, you'll want to verify that you aren't breaking any rules. Many employers include a clause in their hiring agreements that bars salespeople from working for a direct competitor for a certain length of time after leaving the company (usually two or three years). If your current employer has now gone out of business they probably won't care what you do next, but you should check with someone in HR or possibly even your own lawyer to confirm that you won't get into any trouble.
This is one time when a professional attitude towards your competitors will really pay off. If you've been bad-mouthing Company B for years, they probably know about it and will hesitate to hire you no matter what you bring to the table. Worse, if you've been telling your customers all along that Company B's products are worthless and then suddenly you're trying to sell them those very same products, your customers going to start looking for a new salesperson.
If Company B's products really are terrible, don't even try getting a job as a salesperson there. Selling a product that you don't believe in is a recipe for disaster. Not only will you have a real struggle convincing prospects of something you don't believe, but you'll feel lousy about it. If you can't get a sales job with a reputable competitor, you're much better off getting out of the industry entirely.
Assuming that you're lucky enough to get wind of what's about to happen, you can lay some groundwork in preparation for your move. First, start tucking away as much of your paycheck as you can possibly manage and cut your personal expenses back to the bone. That savings will help reduce your desperation level, which can make a huge difference when you're looking for a new job. Like prospects, employers can sense that air of desperation and it's a major turn-off. Second, find out if it's OK for you to gently warn your customers that big changes are on the horizon. Your employer may not allow this, and if so, of course you'll have to keep quiet, but if you can offer a few warnings and reassurances in advance you can greatly improve the likelihood that your customers will stick with you. If talking to the customers is not an option, you can still write up a letter and hang onto it until the bankruptcy becomes official, then send it out immediately to your customer base.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
If your entire industry is under attack, you'd be advised to look for a sales job in an entirely different arena. Fortunately, good salespeople are always in demand no matter how bad the economy gets. If anything, companies will be desperate to get their hands on a solid sales team so that they can keep the revenue coming. So before you leave your now-defunct company, grab whatever documentation you need to demonstrate your background as a top sales producer. Don't forget to get contact information for your sales manager and a few other co-workers who can be counted on to give you a good reference.
While you're collecting that paperwork, be sure to grab whatever data you can on your customers. Now that they won't be buying from your ex-company, they'll need a new supplier. These leads can be just the edge you need to get a job with a (former) competitor, and they can also ensure that you start off with a bang by bringing in several new customers right at the beginning.
Of course, before you loot those customer records, you'll want to verify that you aren't breaking any rules. Many employers include a clause in their hiring agreements that bars salespeople from working for a direct competitor for a certain length of time after leaving the company (usually two or three years). If your current employer has now gone out of business they probably won't care what you do next, but you should check with someone in HR or possibly even your own lawyer to confirm that you won't get into any trouble.
This is one time when a professional attitude towards your competitors will really pay off. If you've been bad-mouthing Company B for years, they probably know about it and will hesitate to hire you no matter what you bring to the table. Worse, if you've been telling your customers all along that Company B's products are worthless and then suddenly you're trying to sell them those very same products, your customers going to start looking for a new salesperson.
If Company B's products really are terrible, don't even try getting a job as a salesperson there. Selling a product that you don't believe in is a recipe for disaster. Not only will you have a real struggle convincing prospects of something you don't believe, but you'll feel lousy about it. If you can't get a sales job with a reputable competitor, you're much better off getting out of the industry entirely.
Assuming that you're lucky enough to get wind of what's about to happen, you can lay some groundwork in preparation for your move. First, start tucking away as much of your paycheck as you can possibly manage and cut your personal expenses back to the bone. That savings will help reduce your desperation level, which can make a huge difference when you're looking for a new job. Like prospects, employers can sense that air of desperation and it's a major turn-off. Second, find out if it's OK for you to gently warn your customers that big changes are on the horizon. Your employer may not allow this, and if so, of course you'll have to keep quiet, but if you can offer a few warnings and reassurances in advance you can greatly improve the likelihood that your customers will stick with you. If talking to the customers is not an option, you can still write up a letter and hang onto it until the bankruptcy becomes official, then send it out immediately to your customer base.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
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