Entrepreneurship and career advancement make the perfect couple! The combination is equivalent to having your cake and eating it too.
When you next move to doing the exact opposite of where you currently are at, you will learn at a far more rapid rate. Especially if you prefer the type of position you have but are stopped from advancing forward, there is definite advantage in making the detour for a while. In the end, you will find an accelerated outcome making the detour well worth the effort.
Let me provide a couple of examples for better understanding. Years ago, I was in the business equipment industry selling printers. After a two-year stint, I opted to sell print services. While this new position was not ideal, I learned in-depth the reasons why some companies prefer purchasing print services rather than investing in equipment. But I also learned the downside of print services. While on this job, I questioned every department head at major corporations on how they viewed the pros and cons of one service provider over the other. By the time I ended that job to return to the business equipment industry, I was well prepared to make a huge difference in my sales numbers and bonuses.
Likewise, if you have been unemployed for a while or just received your notice, seriously contemplate what you have learned in the corporate world and apply that to an entrepreneurship. Reviewing the knowledge in your head, you may be able to begin consulting or create products and additional services. You might begin training others and employ someone yourself. Additionally, you can turn around to teach someone new to your field and feel good that you are helping others.
Don’t get me wrong, entrepreneurship presents an enormous learning curve and the hours are long if you are an over-achiever. But by the time you have achieved a few important goals that you set for yourself, the reward will be invaluable. In addition, your confidence will soar as will the excellent connections you make along the way.
Now with all of the experience under your belt, you will be well positioned, should you choose, to return to the corporate world in an advanced capacity from where you left off. The lessons are invaluable. You gain far more appreciation for what a company provides you as an employee. For starters, your hours are much shorter and you are more likely to fully enjoy the weekends. Secondly, if you aren’t a tech person or a bookkeeper, or you dislike managing details, employment becomes a great relief.
Finally, in the moment of appreciation is when you are better able to build solid relationships with management versus fighting them every step of the way. As an entrepreneur you also learn the value of collaboration or in the corporate environment of teamwork. Putting all of these pieces together, you are far more likely to leap frog your career. And as you do this, your personal brand is brilliantly built as “the perfect employee”.
Adapting these entrepreneurial and corporate insights to your style will advance you to the Smooth Sale! For further sales and business development advice, consider our online Summer Sales School roster of classes.
Author:
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, (800) 704-1499, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed inspirational keynotes for conferences. Elinor is available for consultation.
