Where can I work in a maritime sales or business development role?

Software providers, technical hardware providers, chemicals and lubricants companies, provisions and stores companies, spare parts suppliers, shipmanagement companies, ship agency groups, ship survey companies, training providers, navigation products, maritime data companies, satellite communications, payment solutions providers, charities … pretty much every service or product that can be sold to a shipowner, a shipyard or a trading company (mining groups, oil and commodity companies).

Sales and business development roles are available globally.

Key skills and experience

There is no barrier to entry or specific qualification required.  So much of what a successful salesperson does is down to their personality and style of working.  You have to be willing to pick up the phone and not believe that sending an email means you’ve been in touch. You have to be proactive, which means spotting opportunities and pouncing on them straight away – if you leave it until tomorrow, it’s too late.  And it’s extremely important to be resilient and able to take rejection and disappointment – you won’t always clinch a sale and while you have to take personal responsibility for your results, you can’t take things personally.

As you progress in sales, employers will be looking for specific sector knowledge, who your key connections are, and quite possibly knowledge of particular types of products.

You should always bear in mind that the best salespeople don’t always make the best managers. In contrast, some of the best strategic thinkers and managers are awful at sales!