The one skill that will give your career an advantage.
There is one skill that seems to decides whether a career change not matter how big or small feels possible or punishing. It is not resilience. It is not knowing your transferable skills.
It’s sales.
Not cold calling. Not being pushy. Not coercion. Or arrogance.
I mean the ability to build relationships and communicate value persuasively so another person can see your value and feel safe taking a bet on you. The same skill sits underneath interviewing, networking, pitching for internal moves, or starting a business. If you cannot make your value legible to a busy, risk-aware human, your career can becomes a lottery.
In today’s organisations, it’s rarely just about doing a good job. That may get you so far as a junior level but as you progress getting good grades doesn’t necessarily cut it.
Most people hear “sales” and immediately picture performance. A persona.
Sales, as I mean it, is much simpler (and much more human) than the stereotype. It has six moving parts.
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Listening in a way that helps your message land: picking up what the other person values, what they’re worried about, and what would make them say yes without regret.
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knowing what you’re trying to get across: being able to name your value in a sentence, not a life story, and choosing the detail that proves it.
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The courage to be seen: making the ask, sharing the point of view, following up, tolerating the tiny sting of “no”, and doing it anyway.
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Belief in yourself to deliver (or belief that you can learn to deliver), because persuasion collapses when you don’t fully trust your own competence.
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Consistency: most career opportunities come from repeated, low-drama visibility rather than one perfect performance.
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Handling discomfort and objections without either fighting or folding: staying curious, naming the risk, offering reassurance or evidence, and making it safe for someone to choose you.
If you can handle these six things, you’re in a genuinely strong position to move your career in the direction you want, because you’re no longer waiting to be “noticed” by luck or rewarded by proximity. You can make your value clear, build trust, and create momentum on purpose.
If you’re ready to challenge yourself, to change your actions and your mindset that results in more fulfilment and helps you progress your career then you book a call with me: here.
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Until next time,
Rebecca
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That’s it for this week.
Keep showing up, keeping on and building something you love.
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