Q: My career in sales has spanned over the same major industry, and I've changed jobs each time to make more money. I am not attached to working in this particular industry, but I'm now considering changing fields because my job requires a lot of physical labor. I have to check product in our warehouses and sometimes bring it to customers when the delivery arrangements fail. I don't mind the traveling, but I want none to little involvement at a warehouse. If a warehouse is required, I want a job where warehouse workers handle products and I just sell. Cold calling is easy for me and I learn about products quickly. It seems though, that companies are under the impression that learning a different industry makes changing fields a detriment. I think changing fields renews a person's drive and motivation to sell. If I can learn products and industry information quickly, how do I convince sales managers that my being hired in a new area for me is not a drawback, but a preventative measure to avoid a job becoming stale?

I've done well, even in adverse markets, so I don't want to experience a set back in order to switch fields. I'm open to suggestions on how to achieve this.

A: You're not alone in trying to explain that it's your skill in selling that makes you successful, not the products alone. Any field may qualify as a specialty field, so it's your job to show sales managers that it's you who makes the difference, not the solely the products. The trades recognize this. A carpenter gets hired for an ability to work with woods and the methods in hanging items so they don't come apart or fall off walls. He or she doesn't work with just one type of product or one style.

Selling is a skill that requires a pleasant and helpful personality, clear communication skills, time management and attention to detail and accuracy, plus the knowledge of the products. Some products may be far more complicated than others, but if a person has the ability to learn, then learning can take place whether it's office copiers, furniture, cosmetics and skincare, jewelry, or any other product that requires representation to get it into the market and keep it there.

This is where branding yourself can lead the way into new areas to ignite your excitement and motivation to work. Boredom of products and of an industry itself can hurt your career in the long run, but your sales ability is what makes you stand out and sets you apart from other sales reps. Granted, if a salesperson has a deep interest in cars, staying in cars sales for the life of his or her career may be a plus, and moving from one car company to another may be the way to stimulate interest. When a person possesses sales skills, the product becomes secondary. While some industries and products require more extensive training, an appropriate personality type with the ability to learn should be able to sell anything.

Branding oneself will help a person control his or her career direction. Jeremy Goldman and Ali B. Zagat's book, Getting to Like: How to Boost Your Personal and Professional Brand To Expand Opportunities, Grow Your Business, and Achieve Financial Success (Career Press 2016 $16.00) serves as a quick and practical course in branding. According to Goldman, "There's tremendous lasting value in personal branding, especially for people who are transferring from one industry to another. For these individuals, it's critical to emphasize the skills that transfer particularly well. For example, if you're a project management pro with 10+ years in the beauty industry and want to move to financial services, emphasize the project management experience and de-emphasize that it has solely been in the beauty area." Detail in your resume and professional bio the project management skills you applied in your job, highlighting accomplishments unique to you as a project manager.

Golden says the "key to strong personal branding when transferring into new industry is to feel that you belong in that new industry. Make sure you have the lingo of your new industry down pat, and reference key publications and players in the field. The more you emphasize your transferrable skills and project confidence and competence, the more hiring managers in the new industry will gravitate to you."

Email your questions to workplace expert Lindsey Novak at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @TheLindseyNovak and Facebook at Lindsey.Novak.12. To find out more about Lindsey Novak, visit the Creators Syndicate Website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Quinn Dombrowski