Careers And Employment

Sales SkillsProducts Relating to 'Sales Skills'

It was on my threshold of 50s that I was sudenly struck by a mixed feeling - that must have haunted many who needed to decide on the routine in life sometime or the other at this advanced age.We sit down everyday to think back on our professional skills, which I may herewith term as sales skills as we try to sell our skills to the best bet in life. Bored with our working routine we may be forced to just quit a job that is well paid in terms of money and -stress. In my case the same happened in a slightly different manner. I was relieved not to worry about staying up all night, work on the next day's presentations, meet the tight deadlines polishing my sales skills as I may term it! I finally felt like taking a holiday trip to Paris that I had always yearned for, learn a new language, continue my PG in English literature (which I did, to again persue my sales skill !)What next?

It was then that reality dawned upon me, my sales skills assessment were in great demand.It was evident that severe shortage in skills and unwillingness among the youth for hard work, forced organisations to recruit and retain workforce at 50+. I remember the days when the double grads were in high demand then the IIMs but we have begun to question ourselves what is it that our 40+ executives lack?sales presentation skills ? And the graduates of the top universities possess? The belief that the young workforce being more enrgetic,talented and productive does not hold water any more, they lacked sales and marketing skills gained by experience.

Countries with a small youth force are forced to tone up the leadership skills of their veterans while the developing countries like India got underway to find the sales motivation of the young freshers, that forms 65% of the population,and aslo considered polishing the skills of their experienced workforce.The young executives were seen to be highly restless and not easily satisfied despite the fact that the employers met their huge calls on comforts.Apart from this the cost of training them was heavy on the company shoulders.The managements in the past few years have finally begun the necessary correction factors within the industries. The result is the retention policy of the older and more experienced 'consultants'.

Though it makes more sense to employ young brains for computer and and advanced technical skills, the older experinced employees are not left behind thanks to the innumerable online training courses offerred by the companies. It is at 50s that people quit their well paid posts to start off on their own with a good capital of sales prospecting and a perfect head on their shoulders. Their immense knowledge and wide contacts keep them on the top from the very beginning.

Another good oppotunity for the older generation is setting up of training centers for freshers and executives who lack skills in workplace , where many have tried and succeeded. The growing economies especially the service sector is placing new demands for people in senior positions irrespective of age. Senior employees are seeking to hone their professional skills in various allied fields to meet the current job demands more effectively.

Late career switches are becoming more and more common in developing countries too. This is due to the changing economic scenario and shortage of advanced sales skills and patience among the highly educated youngsters. Thanks to medical research, the Art of Living and other yogic practices in many organisations health is no longer a constraint for the aging employee who take to these trainnings readily.

Like Wine they are Better with Age. WHen Narayan Murthy of Infosys announced his retirement he left people thinking why such a youing personality needed to retire? The Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam is the Youth Icon among the masses and none wanted his tenure to end.

It is easier to live at the verge of retirement than ever before. A professionally skilled person can continue to work as a professional consultant thanks to his evident sales strategies . Life can start at 50!

Article Published: Wednesday 25th July 2007