Hello, it's been a while since I've written, shared anything with the readers of Blog by Catherine. How have you all been lately? I'm doing fine. Recently, I had the opportunity to undertake an internship at a logistics company. It's only been a month into this new journey, but I've already learned, absorbed, and gleaned quite a lot, so today I've decided to share with you through this post.
As the title of this blog post is "How have I changed my perspective on the sales profession?" I'll start by telling you about how I used to perceive it in the past.
I didn't like the sales profession.
For a while, as I was searching for jobs on various websites, most of the positions that didn't require much experience or specific expertise were in sales. Alongside that, I also read many reviews from those who had gone before me about this profession and found it unappealing. Overall, from then till now, I've harbored quite negative feelings about it with various personal viewpoints.
Firstly, 100% of the calls I received from them started with the phrase "I'm not interested" before hanging up, or if they were a bit more polite, I would let them talk until they got tired and hung up themselves. I felt annoyed not knowing how they got my number and fearing scams, so I often activated the airplane mode, except on days when I made online purchases.
Furthermore, I didn't like the job being tied to KPIs and the tendency for rapid recruitment and dismissal. Just for the sake of bringing revenue and profit to the company or for livelihood, many people gave me the impression that they didn't even know much about the products or services but still tried to persuade customers. Some even disliked the job but still accepted it. It's like cramming for exams or learning coping strategies to get high scores, except here, whoever wins the customer gets high pay, bonuses, and attractive commissions.
Lastly, I found sales not easy to swallow. It's like always having to find customers by any means possible, whether it's going around on the streets, telesales, sending flirty messages on their social media channels, meeting them for coffee/dinner to chat, or spending time with them as a friend just to close a deal. I'm not exaggerating, but there might still be many dark sides that I haven't fully discovered yet.
Hate what Heaven gives you.
Until now, I still hold onto these viewpoints, but they've softened a bit. It's true that the more you dislike something, the more you encounter it, and the harder it is to avoid. Since I already didn't like sales, being an introverted person who finds it hard to talk and make friends with strangers quickly, I was already facing an uphill battle. Each industry, each field has its own nuances, so the sales style I'm about to share below may only apply in the field of Import-Export (XNK) - Logistics, I'm not sure if it can be applied elsewhere, but you can read and see if it's relevant if you're interested.
The current overseas/trade lane sales position, initially, I didn't quite understand what this position was all about. I only briefly read about it from the blog of a colleague in the industry and then went for the interview a few days later. Back when I was in school, I only vaguely understood that sales in logistics meant selling sea/air freight and other services (domestic trucking, customs clearance, etc.). After researching a bit more, I knew my job would involve working with agents from other countries, but I still wondered, "Why would someone from another logistics company like mine need me to sell something to them?" and many other questions until now when I've slowly been enlightened through training. It's fascinating to have clear theories that I once studied but couldn't recall, now being dug up again for understanding in a real-world context. Here are the links to the two articles I read, you can check them out if you're interested.
1. Vị trí Sales Overseas/Trade lane trong công ty FWD: đọc tại đây
2. Kinh nghiệm làm việc với đại lý nước ngoài (overseas agent): đọc tại đây
In addition to my full-time internship at the company, I also assist my aunt and uncle's export coffee sales company - this is just freelance work, sort of whenever I have free time to spare. However, it has helped me understand more about the work of different businesses. Of course, there are differences between import-export companies and freight forwarding/logistics companies. One sells goods, the other sells services; one deals with tangible products that you can touch and feel, while the other doesn't. They are all very different, so it has helped me learn a lot of new things. I also just posted a new article on @blogbycatherine about this topic. You can read more on various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to understand better the differences between export sales and logistics sales.
The journey to deciding on the Sales Overseas/Trade Lane internship position.
The job search period after graduation was quite challenging for me, especially given the ongoing economic difficulties and the relatively high number of layoffs. So, even during my days in Taiwan, I edited my CV and sent out many applications, hoping to secure a job as soon as I returned home. Constant rejections had numbed me to feelings of sadness or disappointment; instead, I tried to find the silver lining, starting with understanding what I wanted, gaining insights into the industry/positions I pursued, and planning to improve my shortcomings. I'll share more about this later; today, let's focus on the sales profession.
After two months of sending out applications and waiting for graduation, I finally received some responses. The company where I'm currently interning was the first one to call me, and although I went for interviews at a few other places, I didn't feel the cultural fit. Two other large logistics companies also reached out to me for positions in marketing and sales overseas, but it was too late as I had already scheduled to start my internship a few days earlier.
Once, I read an article about choosing between a company, a boss, or a good salary. I believe everyone has different choices, and there's no right or wrong, only what fits with oneself at that time. For me, my goal is still to learn rather than just earn, so my answer is to choose the boss. Why?
Firstly, when I reflect, I realize I'm just a fresh graduate. Besides academic knowledge, which can be a hit or miss, with some things remembered and others forgotten, I've also accumulated a few extra certificates from short courses, extracurricular activities, and fun competitions. Soft skills and modest English proficiency are also in the mix. Of course, salary is important, and after the interview with the manager, the HR department also asked about it. I've thought a lot and discussed it with my family.
If I weren't from Saigon, needing to rent a place and spend on many other things, I might not have taken this opportunity. A stipend of 2-4 million VND for the internship is nice; it'll be a motivation to try harder. Understanding the difficulty of earning money also gives me empathy for businesses, makes me less demanding when I'm not sure if I'm doing anything useful for the company yet. It pushes me to try my best to complete this internship well. At least, to repay the efforts of the team who have spent some time guiding me and to thank the company for giving me this opportunity. Feeling the joy of learning, experiencing real-life situations in the field I love - Logistics & SCM - is fantastic; I think that's the biggest reward. Giving is better than receiving; money will come sooner or later.
Secondly, the company that is good hasn't met my criteria or the recruitment requirements. Looking at my CV, spending time researching the industry, and the results of my applications have shown me where I'm lacking. I'm just a normal person who knows how to feel disappointed, doubtful, and compare myself to others, but because I don't express these feelings outwardly to those around me, I tend to internalize them, becoming irritable. Every day, I try to practice not sinking into negativity for too long, learning how to balance my energy to do other work. It's a way to help me improve myself every day, with small efforts to meet big goals, despite feelings of discouragement, procrastination, and lack of perseverance being barriers that are hard to avoid.
Một ngày làm việc của mình, cảm nhận chung sau hơn một tháng vừa qua?
My internship lasts for 3 months, and then it depends on the company's evaluation and my own aspirations to determine whether I can move up to a permanent position or not. I haven't thought much about that yet; currently, I'm just enjoying this journey to reduce my aversion to sales in general and to explore whether I can engage with it in the future. Of course, everyone has flexible plans to deal with life's changes, which is completely normal, but there are things in life that make me believe in the saying "what will be, will be," and I believe that God will never give me any challenge beyond my ability.
Currently, each day at the company is a joyful one for me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with a team that always helps me wholeheartedly, ready to answer my questions, even though I know I ask a lot (including some trivial questions). Sometimes, everyone encourages me, saying "if you have any questions, just ask; not asking is a loss," "anything that can help, I will do my best to assist," and even the senior manager stays behind to mentor me after work. These small things make me very touched; even though I'm just an intern, feeling welcomed like this is truly heartwarming.
Regarding my daily work, it's probably similar to other sales positions, but for interns, it seems a bit easier, with less pressure. In the first couple of weeks, I spent time learning the basics, such as understanding the company, reading emails to understand the workflow between departments, and the standard procedures from approaching agents to closing deals with them, and handing over the rest to other departments. During that time, I felt like a sponge because there were so many new things, even things not taught in school, so every day felt like a repeating loop of reading - observing - questioning - getting answers, getting enlightened - noting down and moving on to the next thing.
After two weeks, I proposed to the manager to participate in real tasks. So, my daily tasks usually include the following:
Searching and sorting data about agents from organizations that my company is a member of, as well as searching on LinkedIn and other networks.
Approaching agents through email, telesales, and messaging on various platforms.
Updating freight rates for agents whenever there are new rates.
Checking freight rates and domestic costs, then quoting prices for agents based on their inquiries.
Carrying out necessary steps after closing deals with agents, such as confirming information with shippers, booking cargo, issuing bills, and preparing other documents.
Maintaining relationships with agents for long-term cooperation.
And so it goes, repeating the same tasks, those are the most basic tasks of a sales overseas/trade lane position. With little experience, I can only share this much for anyone interested to understand more about this job position. If you ask whether this job is difficult or easy, in my opinion, it's both. Easy because the job of sales, in general, is just about finding and closing deals with agents, calculating fees, and handling paperwork, but it's only a bit meticulous, not requiring too much attention to detail like the docs team, or having to go the extra mile to take care of the shipment like the ops team. However, the difficulty lies in not being able to close deals immediately if agents aren't found, there are cases where clients check the price but it doesn't match, or sometimes it takes a whole month to get 1-2 deals. I think sales help develop patience, gentleness, calmness, persistence, and the ability to deal with agents' rejections and many other troubles of shipments. What's more difficult is often more attractive; that's probably how it goes!
To sum up, there's nothing in this world that's both easy and earns money easily; all the good things that happen are the result of effort, trying a little harder every day, you have to go through difficulties to appreciate the results more. From now on, I've reached out to dozens, hundreds of agents from different countries, giving me the opportunity to understand them, their cultures, and work styles better, and also forming friendships with many "friends" who are overseas partners. Let me share two recent stories instead of concluding this article.
Once, I approached an agent from Taiwan, taking the opportunity to update information about the shipment and chat with them about many things, from the recent earthquake to my experience of studying by the sea, and other random things, turning into "friends" without even noticing. One time they even said if we had a meeting, they would teach me Chinese and invite me to dinner if I ever returned to Taiwan, it was such a pleasant surprise.
Another time, I called agents from Canada, which is usually done via email but just recently I tried telesales from home due to some time zone differences. It was nerve-wracking, but luckily that day I encountered some really nice agents, and I could understand about 80% of what they said. The surprising thing was after the exchange, they messaged me to thank me and promised to send any inquiries to me, it's very rare for such types of agents, considering until now I could count them on my fingers.
Since then, I've kept in touch with them as friends, because they're managers so I also got acquainted, asked about their work, and learned a lot from them. The most enjoyable part is when they offered training, helping with what I didn't understand: "Anytime again you can ask me anything. I’m very open. That’s how I was coached in the industry. My mentor was really hard on me and pushed me to achieve. I’m sure with your questions you have you will be very successful in this industry and move up quickly."
This world always contains wonderful things, maybe I haven't discovered them yet or they come a bit late, that's all. When you truly want to achieve something, there will be people who will naturally come to find and help you. I never thought I would have such wonderful friends, customers like this, who are so far away, maybe halfway around the world.
I don't know how things will turn out in the future, but lately, I've been happy, grateful, and content. How about you? Tell me your story!
Catherine Nguyen
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