SYP LDN Career Cafe – Tips & Tricks for your first 5 years in Sales

Posted on August 21, 2020 in London

 
Getting a foot through the publishing door can be tricky. Entry-level positions can be few and far between and knowing how to put yourself in the best stead to get your teeth into a role can be daunting. Thankfully, London’s #SYPCareerCafe series is deciphering all that confusion and asking publishing professionals at every level what we need to know to start our careers in… Sales.
 
On the 13^th August 2020, chaired by SYP London’s very own Jearl Boatswain ( @thevioletshelf ) who works as an International Sales Assistant at Bonnier Books, we gathered around our Zoom screens to listen to all things Sales. Spoiler: it’s not all numbers and spreadsheets.
 
Sales often gets overlooked as ‘the mathsy bit’ of publishing. While it’s definitely true that those in the Sales department see their fair share of spreadsheets, it’s a lot more creative and collaborative than you’d think!
Sales involves a lot of liaising and building rapport with clients and booksellers. At the end of the day, you’re representing the publisher as the customer-facing (telephone) voice of the company and every publisher wants to make their customers and clients feel as listened to and valued as possible.
If you’re a people person who can be flexible and analyse and present data in an interesting and understandable way, you’re already making some significant steps towards your first Sales job.
 
So, let’s meet our amazing panellists:
We listened to the advice and experiences of Alice Hamilton-Cox ( @AliceR31 ) who works as a Sales Executive for @sandstonepress . After studying her BA in English and History, Hamilton-Cox went on to do an MA in Publishing Studies.
 
Iman Khabl ( @ImanKhabl ) also gave us her insights into working in Sales. Khabl works as a Key Account Executive for Hodder and John Murray Press, both imprints of Hachette UK.
 
Lucy Swindells ( @swindells_lucy ) works as a Sales Coordinator for Germany and Austria at Cambridge University Press. She started at CUP as a Sales Support Executive before being promoted to her current role.
 
Toni Allum ( @ToniAllum ) works as the Publishing, Sales and Marketing Manager for British Museum Press. Prior to this, she worked at Pavilion Books for five years, progressing during that time from an intern to Sales Office Manager.
 
So, what were their top tips for working in Sales?

• It’s not all numbers and spreadsheets! Sales gets a bad rep in other industries for being the pushy people on the telephone that you can’t seem to escape but in publishing, that’s really not the case. It’s a lot more about building amazing relationships with clients and booksellers and being able to analyse data sets.
• Check out online courses for relevant entry-level skills. Skillshare is one of our favourites. Whether it’s online courses on Excel or understanding what on Earth a V-Lookup or Index Match is, Skillshare has it for you in easy, bite-sized chunks.
• Go for the independents! Getting a foot in the door at ‘the Big Five’ is no small thing so definitely don’t miss out on any opportunities at smaller independent publishing houses. You can build your skills in a more collaborative environment and you might even find you like the independent life.

 
Is there anything else you’ve like to ask about Sales? Send your questions to @SYP_LDN with the #SYPCareerCafe and we’ll get back to you!
 
As ever, keep an eye on our socials for future #SYPCareerCafe events including our Digital and Audio Careers Café on the 27^th August, and have a look back in your inboxes in case you missed our August newsletter last week!
 
Take care!