What is your company doing for your career development?

As a dynamic and determined sales person, you invest your time, dedication and energy into promoting your company's products or services. You put in the early mornings and the late nights needed to close the deals. Journalist Polly Devaney asks, have you ever wondered if your company is really investing in you?

You may be rewarded financially when you make a sale – but how does their commitment to your career development through benefits and training stack up alongside sales jobs elsewhere? The latest Global Workforce study found that 50% of employees think it's important for a company to invest in their development – yet many firms are failing to offer even basic training or career progression.

As Marian Gold, managing director of London-based sales recruitment firm Carlson Hughes says, "It's true that the grass isn't always greener and the tough economic climate has put many people off even considering a job move – but there are now some excellent sales jobs available for impressive candidates who are able to deliver great results."

Occupational psychologist and career coach Sherridan Hughes points out that as a successful salesperson, you should be held in high regard by your company, "Many senior managers and directors prize the sales as the 'stuff' not the 'fluff' of the organisation and, of course, a company cannot exist without making sales. However, there may be a tendency to simply let good sales people 'get on with it', without considering their further development needs or future career path."

What could you get out of it?

Your organisation's investment in your development can include training in 'hard' skills such as product knowledge and sales skills such as 'closing a deal' and 'networking' – or softer skills such as team-building, emotional intelligence and stress management. Giving you a promotion, additional responsibilities or moving you to a different type of sales can all help build your core competencies. If you have always been a field sales rep then consider asking about a move into national accounts.

Similarly, if you are currently a sales executive you could speak to your line manager about if or when they envisage giving you a sales manager job. A good company will consider succession planning and groom you for a bigger role, yet many sales people find themselves stuck in a rut.

Denise Edens, director of education at the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management says, "We are finding that more and more people are valuing training and qualifications in sales, as it can make the difference between a good salesperson and an excellent one in difficult economic circumstances – and ultimately time and money invested in training is shown to reap a positive financial return. The traditional belief that salespeople are born and not made is changing and companies are now seeing the value of improving staff performance via training."

In fact, some of the more successful companies are now setting up their own 'sales academies' which can be virtual or concrete, in-house or conducted off the premises. ISMM's Edens adds that the type of training on offer is also important, "In our view the best sales training is based on National Occupational Standards for Sales (known as NOS) which have been developed by sales experts over a number of years and are freely available for all to use."

Personal Group, which sells Employee Benefits packages, says offering a variety of compensation options is important for a sales job, "We believe that we should both reward and incentivise our sales team. We do this by offering a basic salary, which is incentivised in line with targets, commission and a generous bonus scheme. Where possible we also include partners to thank them for their support, because we ask our sales people to work away from home most weeks. We also offer an internal diploma, which is designed to up-skill our best sales people and our future business leaders." It's certainly worth considering the employee benefits on offer at your organisation and whether voluntary benefits such as child care vouchers, discounted retail vouchers and travel discounts are on offer alongside private health care and pension contributions.

What to do if you don't feel supported?

So what should you do if you feel your company isn't investing in your career? Hughes advises, "Do a survey of similar sales jobs and compare the salary and commission structure and training on offer. Use this at an appropriate time (such as when you have just won a large order!) as ammunition to ask for a raise, promotion or further training. If this is not forthcoming, seek another position and don't be afraid to consider a sideways move to broaden your experience, perhaps from selling products into selling services or from B2B sales into consumer sales."

As Carlson Hughes' Marian Gold says, "If your sales targets were not revised to a more realistic level in the light of the tough economic climate, you may want to consider what kind of firm you are working for. Companies are asking for candidates to tick more boxes than ever before, but the right person who can show examples of great sales performance can be cautiously optimistic about finding a new role."