Gift of the Gab or Power of the Pen?

If you are thinking of entering the sales profession, either as the start of a career or as a change in career path, you should thoroughly research the industry first. Find out what types of sales roles there are, which you feel you would be most suited to and if there is an identifiable career path that you could follow. Much is made of the importance of communication skills in the sales profession, and for good reason. But what is often overlooked is the extent to which written communications will contribute to your success. The profession is often stereotyped by the ‘gift of the gab’ image and individuals who could talk non-stop if you let them. The reality is that if you want to progress in your career, you will need very strong written communication skills too. At the basic level you need to able to craft emails that are professional and quick and easy to digest when promoting your offer and which can equally be clear, technically correct and unambiguous if you find yourself confirming sales or negotiating through this medium. So you feel that you are good at public speaking and presenting, don’t forget that you have to write your presentations first before you can deliver them. However better you think you can make the content of your presentation with your unique style of delivery, remember that presentations often need to be supplied in a printed or electronic format to be read after the event itself. This requires a different set of writing skills as you do not get the opportunity to present information in normal prose and have to cram lots of information into concise yet meaningful bullets. The content will need to make sense on its own without you being there to talk the reader through it. Probably one of the biggest areas where your writing skills will be called in is in the submission of bid documents and proposals in response to tendering opportunities. Bid writing is a skill which it can take time to develop when you are new to it. The simplest comparison to make is that it can be like writing essays when you were at school or college with an added exercise in comprehension thrown in. The key to writing good bid responses is to make sure that you are clearly answering the question asked (not just writing all you know about a subject, which is a common mistake), and bringing into play all the associated requirements the client is looking for which have been expressed throughout the bid documentation. You will find that the ability to read and digest and retain a lot of information is another useful skill to have here. If you are looking for professionals with strong writing skills to join your sales force, then contact sales recruitment agencies in the West Midlands for help in securing the best talent. If you are a sales professional looking for your next career move and you have great written communications amongst your skills, then get in touch with sales recruitment agencies in the West Midlands and let them help you find the ideal employer.