Deciding on a Job Offer

Finding a sales job can be tough. So for many who are actively job seeking, the temptation to accept the first offer that comes along is a powerful one. But many who accept a job offer that they are not fully comfortable soon discover, they probably would have been much better off not saying “yes.”

While many rely on their “gut feeling” when deciding whether or not to accept a job offer, others use a simple 5-Step analysis process to help them make the right decision.

Is the Industry a Viable One?

When it comes to sales, there are hundreds of different industries: some that are flourishing and some that are fading fast. The first thing you need to research when considering accepting a position is whether or not the industry that you may be selling in is growing, holding steady or contracting. If the industry is either considered to be an “emerging industry” or one that is growing, you should feel comfortable advancing to the next step in your analysis.

If the industry is “static,” meaning that it is not growing or declining, you should cautiously advance to the next step. But if the industry is contracting, getting smaller or fading away from being viable in the market, you probably should either consider the position as a short-term one or should continue your job search elsewhere.

Does the Market Support the Product?

If you’ve advanced to this step, the industry is either growing or is at least stable. Despite how the industry as a whole is doing, you also need to determine whether or not the market that you will be selling in will support the product or service.

As an example, if the solar powered home space heaters industry is booming, but your territory or “market” will be in southern Florida, you should realize that your market will probably not support the product, no matter how well the industry as a whole is doing.

How Good is the Company’s Reputation

This step will take some research and homework on your part. Fire up your computer and run some “customer review” searches on the company you are considering working for. Understand that many of the reviews you may find will be from disgruntled customers, as more unhappy people like to tell others of their problems than happy customers like to tell people of their good experience. Regardless, if you discover an abundance of negative comments and reviews, you may be setting yourself up for an unpleasant work experience if you decide to accept the job offer.

You should also, if possible, have conversations with current and past employees. While most current employees will not be very willing to offer up a lot of negative things about their employer, you can still learn valuable information about the work culture, the relationship between management and employees and a general sense of how strong of a sales team you will be joining.

And if you do have the opportunity to talk with past employees, make sure that you are not seeking advice from people who were fired as they usually hold a grudge and might try to poison you with their vendetta-biased views.

Can You Earn the Income you Need or Deserve?

While money should not be the most important factor when deciding to accept a job offer or not, it is important nonetheless. If you feel uncomfortable when determining if you can make enough money to allow you living the lifestyle you want, you need to either negotiate a better comp package with your potential employer, find ways to cut your living expense or walk away.

A great way to destroy your motivation for your job is not making enough money. Don’t accept a position that you know wont provide you the opportunity to earn the money you need, want or deserve.

Will You Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance?

While having a good work-life balance is not important for everyone, it is for many. And for those that having a healthy balance is important, working for an employer that demands or expects their employees put work before all else will struggle to keep their attitudes positive and their motivation levels high.

Like it or not, we all need time away from work. Whether to be with family and friends or to just recharge: time not working is often as important as time at work.

If you’ve passed through all these steps and feel confident that each step can be answered positively, congratulations on your new position!