Seeking those who have mastered the sales pitch

Dubai: Salespeople may have been among those affected by the massive job cutbacks in recent years, but they remain highly sought after by organisations looking to keep revenue streams flowing and explore other markets. Companies in the region are in fact expanding their sales force and are on the lookout for talented individuals who have mastered the art of the sales pitch.

Among the industries currently recruiting sales professionals in the region are design engineering, finance and professional services, oil and gas, infrastructure, aviation, hospitality, retail, interior design, property and manufacturing. Those in the fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries have also added to their sales teams.

The sales profession is among those ‘misunderstood' by many, but hiring experts say salespeople are the heart of every company and without them, organisations would find it difficult to meet their financial targets.

"The truth is nothing happens in any private sector business until a sale is made," says Andrew McNeilis, group managing director of Talent2 EMEA, a human resources solutions and executive recruitment organisation.

‘Much maligned'

"Any business that has survived the well-documented downturn will have done so because they aligned their business offering to what their customers require and had superior sales process. An integral part of this success will have been the quality, motivation and dedication of the sales force."

He says careers in sales are "genuinely misunderstood and much maligned", yet only the true sales professional will truly understand how much the financial crisis benefited the professional standing of their profession.

"There is no doubt that true sales professionals are in demand across the Middle East and in the UAE in particular. It is a growth discipline and presents a superb grounding for anyone who is serious about their career," he added.

‘Sought after'

However, hiring is now driven largely by quality, rather than quantity, according to Helena Houia, principal consultant, Talent2. She said: "A large focus for many international, regional and local businesses is sales/business development, therefore professionals with a proven track record of success are being sought after."

Houia says companies are now implementing strategic plans to expand their business. "In 2010-2011, many businesses froze plans for growth to undertake organisational restructuring and subsequently redefining key business objectives and potential revenue streams for growth in 2012 and beyond."

Mark Timms, director of the Gulf Recruitment Group, says companies across the region did try to trim their headcount in the wake of the global financial crisis. "However, defensive markets like FMCG, pharmaceuticals and oil and gas for example did grow their sales teams in the search for new revenue streams outside of the UAE, with particular focus on Saudi and Iraq."

"As employer confidence has continued to grow over the last four to six quarters, the Gulf Recruitment Group has seen a steeper growth in sales-focused roles than in any other area. However, the financial services industry, with exception possibly of insurance, is still to show a similar trend."

The company lifeline

Salespeople are highly instrumental in generating money for a company. They are the ones that convince people to buy a product or service and without them it is difficult for an organisation to keep their business afloat or growing.

The job often involves meeting with clients and requires excellent negotiation skills. If you're looking to pursue a successful career in the sales field, it is therefore important that you possess people skills coupled with a great passion for your product.

"Above all, you need three things—superb listening skills, outstanding commercial understanding and passion for what you are selling. Without these, you will struggle," says Andrew McNeilis of Talent2.