Ten months into my first job, I faced this when my boss asked me to make cold calls to prospective clients offering our services.
Imagine plunging into a sea of cold calls with trepidation, each call punctuated by disinterest and uncertainty, resulting in swift hang-ups. With its demands for persuasion and persistence, the art of salesmanship seemed light years away from my skill set.
Perhaps I didn’t try hard enough, or maybe my heart wasn’t in it. The undeniable truth was that I was painfully aware of my shortcomings in the sales realm.
The art of persuasion, persistence, and patience – fundamental in sales – seemed alien to me. The more I tried, the more I became an ill-fit puzzle piece.
The Turning Point
One fateful day, the turning point arrived. My boss inquired about the leads my calls had generated, and my feeble response was met with disappointment. I was chastised for not taking my job seriously. That was the moment of truth.
“If I had to make sales, I’d have joined sales,” I retorted.
The exchange was a clash of priorities, a realisation that this job was fundamentally misaligned with who I was.
In mere minutes, the decision was made. I resigned on the spot, ending a job that had once seemed promising.
Choosing Fulfillment Over Conformity
Barely ten months ago, I was hired as a Correspondent.
My boss and I were the only two employees in our company. We handled everything – securing the logistics, pre-production, research, scripting, interviews, and post-production. Besides, we ensured that all invoices were in order and payments were made on time to all our vendors.
My boss managed it all by herself before she hired me. But the nitty gritties consumed all her attention. She found no time to grow the business. I was hired to split the workload and free her for business development.
When I joined, I did all that happily. But not sales. It was not my forte.
Just like that, I quit a job that paid me well – more than my coursemates who graduated from the same institute less than a year ago. At the point of making the decision. I was aware that there was no job opportunity in sight. Yet I quit in an instant.
I was clear: I didn’t want to do something I neither enjoyed nor was good at.
I was 22 years old then. Though young and inexperienced, I knew my strengths and passions lay elsewhere. Acknowledging that success can be found by playing to one’s strengths proved beneficial.
Reflecting on my past, I find solace in my decision. The courage to say “no” to what didn’t align with my abilities led me to a fulfilling path.
My career had just begun. I didn’t want to feel miserable at work. I didn’t want to fail. I didn’t want to lie or circumvent the question when my boss asked me about my sales calls.
I liked other aspects of my job and felt well-suited for them. I didn’t want this one thing to pull me down.
As I sat down to write this, I contemplated whether I would make the same choice if I could relive that moment. Hypothetical as it may be, the answer remains a resounding yes. Compromising my sense of self for a role that clashed with my identity holds no appeal.
Personal fulfillment is paramount.
A Final Note: To Each Their Own
In the grand tapestry of careers, salespeople play a crucial role — that I recognise and admire. They possess skills I lack and undertake a task I find hard to do. This isn’t a tale of diminishing their value but a journey of realising one’s worth and uniqueness.
By embracing authenticity, I took a leap towards a fulfilling life, not confined by roles that don’t align with my identity.
There are differing viewpoints; some argue for grappling with challenges until mastery is attained. And while I respect that perspective, it all boils down to who you are and what matters to you.
As you navigate your career journey, remember you hold the pen to your story.
How you script it is your choice.
About Me
An international award-winning producer, I have steered over two dozen TV channel launches, rebranding, and refresh projects and produced thousands of hours of content for news and current affairs.