Membership Overview
Learn what being a member does for you
The Seller Styles
NASP Programs
Catalog
See a summary of all our programs and certifications
Online Certifications
Certified Professional Sales Person(CPSP®)
Develop your potential as a certified sales professional
Certified Professional Sales Leader(CPSL®)
Grow your impact as a certified sales leader
Certified Master Sales Professional (CMSP®)
Join the elite group of sales professionals and leaders
Certified Master Sales Trainer (CMST®)
Online Programs
Advanced Sales Influence (ASI)
Take your influence and leadership to the next level.
Certified Professional Sales Associate (CPSA®)
Learn foundational sales behaviors, strategies, and skills
Power of Contact Marketing
Learn from marketing expert and author Stu Heinecke
ProSeries Programs
Join the top 1% of sales professionals in the world.
Next Level Virtual Coaching
Sales Mastery
Join our ongoing dynamic virtual coaching community
Career Center
Explore job postings from some of the best companies in the country looking for sales professionals
Training Resources
Daily Dose of Influence!
Enjoy our video series of influence tips and strategies
Leads To Growth
Dig into our podcast featuring industry leaders and experts
Coaches Corner
Learn from our high-level sales coaching video series
Women of Sales & Influence – Facebook Live Series
Be inspired by our Facebook Live series spotlighting top women influencers
Women of Sales & Influence – Video Blog
Enjoy valuable, high-level sales strategies to empower your sales goals
Sales Resources
The Growth Quotient
You’ve heard about IQ, but what is your GQ?
Our Commitment to You
We are here to help your approach to sales, how you interact with others, and how you perform and execute
Articles
NASP Sales Blog
Learn from our member-submitted articles for sales professionals
About Our CEO
Standards of Conduct
Testimonials
Common Questions and Answers
Contact
by Thomas Phelps
Finding a job can be tough no matter how the general economy may be doing. Finding a good job when the economy is struggling is often times a full-time job, that demands all your resources, talents, patience and networking skills. Despite the actual or anticipated challenges to finding a job, there may come a time when you feel you must quit your sales job and take to your talents to the open market.
While leaving one job for another is usually an easier decision, leaving a job without another to go to takes courage, confidence and an unwavering belief in your ability to find a position. But when is enough truly enough?
Drastic Changes to Your Compensation Plan
While some may argue, most of us in sales are in sales in order to earn a substantial income. Yes, having passion for what you sell and enjoying those you work with are very important, but would you still work where you work if the pay was half what it is now?
Accepting that money is important, if your employer makes drastic changes to your comp plan that promise to reduce your income to a point that cannot sustain your desired quality of life, it may be enough to send you out of the door and out into the sometimes wonderful, sometimes horrific world of job searching.
Accepted Breaches of Ethics
If you hold your principles high and feel that ethical behavior from your employer (and employees) is of critical importance, then realizing that unethical behaviors are being tolerated or even promoted from your employer should mark the time you stand on your principles and take your skills elsewhere.
Evaporation of Work-Life Balance
For some, working 80 hours a week for their employer is no big deal. For others, anything over 40 is downright unacceptable. Only you can decide what a healthy work-life balance is for you and only you can decide if changes in your position have eroded your ability to maintain that balance.
Having no balance in your work and personal life can be very damaging; not only to your performance at work but also to your relationships, health, network and general sate of well-being. If changes at work are negatively affecting your personal life and the changes seem more long-term than short, leaving to rediscover your life’s balance may be in order.
A Host of Others and a Blend of Many
There are many other obvious reasons why walking out with nowhere to go is a good choice. For example, if you feel unsafe at work, harassed or grossly unappreciated. Sometimes, you hit the point of enough is enough not from a single, profound change but from a combination of smaller changes. I call this occurrence “death by duck bites.” One duck bite isn’t going to kill you, but get a few thousand angry ducks coming after you with aggressive beaks and you’d better take cover!
Quitting a job should always be done after much thought, reflection and honest introspection. Especially if quitting means you have no company name to put above your name on your business card!
About the author