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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Marketing & Sales |
I want somebody to talk to me honestly about a career in sales? |
Here's the deal. There's a reputable sales company out of Atlanta that wants to move further north. They deal in industrial chemical cleaners, etc. They like my resume and loved my personality. We have had 3 telephone interviews. Pretty much I would begin a new territory with a 60 mile radius. They say salary is based around 30k plus 1/2 commission sales. However, since they would be new to this area, all of my calls would be outside sales calls; cold calls (with very few leads). An HR lady there told me that basically I would be in my car 8 hours a day. She said I would have to make at least 5 contacts per day and 2 sales per day. I have never had a "real" career in sales before. (I worked in restaurants where the food sales itself and in places like Best Buy where you sale but customers come to you hungry). I have a very outgoing personality and know that I could do this, however I'm very unsure about how I do feel or how I should feel about 8 hours in my car everyday. As an ex rep, you have picked a diffulcult item to sell.What you have to ask yourself-how much wear and tear on your vehicle? It will take a thrashing doing the sort of mileage you will have to do.Then there's your market . Industrial cleaners are available in supermarkets now and hardware stores etc.Have you checked out the territory yourself?It isn't a case of five contacts, and two sales, it's a visit to maybe fifty+ to get a sale.Believe me I know.When your territory gets over-worked there's nothing left. How many other companies are out there to?If it's a reputable company -fine, but they are expecting you to break new ground for them.If I were you, I 'd pick a job closer to home and give this one a miss. Its hard work, and people really dont like cold callers. If you can do it, you can potentially be very sucessful, but all those people you see where theyre like "oh I made a bajillion dollars with this company" are in the top 1%. It is WAY different than restaraunt or retail sales... I've worked both as well as sales. Your company is giving you a base pay and thats a good thing, because sometimes you will have a great month and sometimes you wont sell anything at all. that 5 contacts and 2 sales a day is harder than it sounds, and it is a lot of wear on your car. Theres a very good chance you wont make a single sale your first month as well, so prepare for that. But if you have the time and financial stability to invest into it, there is definitely potential. Okay I'm going to be honest with you as a marketing major. Look at the opportunity first. What types of consumers are in that products market. Industrial chemicals are usually going to be used by hotels, refineries, and places of that nature. Honestly, sales is a hard job. You'll make money sometime and then you might loose some another time. Also, you'll have to deal with trends. What that means is that some weeks, you'll be making more sales that you can shake a stick at but during other weeks or months, you won't have very man sells at all. It's because once you have made all the customers you can in that area, you've gotta expand out. It's very lucrative and great for an entry level job but honestly, do the job to move up to a better role. When cold calling, only one in ten calls eventually leads to a sale. Therefore, two sales per day = 20 cold calls (minimum per day). 5 contacts per day is unrealistic for two sales per day. You have to be thick skinned to be able to handle rejection. If you can handle the above, then the job is for you. Its not that easy...outside sales are hard in chemical sales. I think the formula is not 5 calls and two sales, that's BS. As a sales trainer for over 15 years the most typical formula in outside sales has been 40 phone calls-20 Decision Makers you speak to-4 make appointments-1sale. if you can do this every day you would be considered a super sales person. Get into a product or service that calls for larger market share. Like Credit card processing easy to learn, every merchant needs it, you make lots more money, some companies give you leads, you don't need to waste fuel, work one community at a time, get some walking exercise and let the merchants know who you are and keep visiting them. Honestly, there are still some reputable companies out there. Keep your options opened, by taking a look at the company I'm involved with. This company has a great track record. It has been in business for 22 years and is steadily growing. With this company, you can work from home. To get detailed information, email me to setup an appointment to listen to a free live hosted webcast or a live phone conference. |
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