There seems to be a whole lot of sales jobs out there (license, highest)
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In this economy, it seems companies are forgoing hiring recent college grads and instead opting to hire professionals who have been already working in various skilled fields for at least a few years. Where does this leave recent college grads? Well, from what I've noticed as a recent college grad looking at job boards everyday is that there is a plethora of sales jobs out there in most big metro areas. America sure as hell doesn't manufacture anything anymore but you can obviously make a living selling stuff made overseas. Many, many older folks I know work in sales. My ex-brother in law is one of the highest paid car salesmen in the state and he makes a doctor's salary without a college degree.
Recently, I turned down a second interview for a sales/marketing manager in training position for a large fundraising company. I thought that I might not be cut out for sales as I went to school to study graphic design. It is no secret that the majority of recent college grads who are working are not working in jobs that utilize the specific skills they studied in college. However, it seems like sales is one of the only professions that is willing to give young people a chance. In all of the professional interviews for graphic design jobs, the companies clearly wanted someone with years of experience and a stunning professional portfolio (college work and internship work didn't count). For sales jobs I interviewed for, it was always pretty easy to get the job and having an amiable personality was much more important than having endless unrealistic qualifications. However, the past two sales jobs I actually accepted were terrible commission only gigs and involved either door-to-door harassment of regular people or involved tons of cold-calling of businesses. But I do know there are good sales jobs out there that involve warm leads and less stress on the individual salesman.
Has anyone in here taken a sales/marketing job that didn't think they would pursue this path? Do you regret your decision? Do you think you need a specific type of personality to perform well in sales?
Try banking. It's sales but the prospects are customers of the bank and they respect you. They also view you as a consultant/adviser as opposed to a sales person. Depending on the bank you may even get your own office. You receive good training, decent pay for a recent graduate, great benefits, and commission.
Try Wells Fargo, Bank of America, BB&T. The positions are personal banker, business banker, relationship banker or relationship manager.
I had a door to door Sales Internship in college with the famous Southwestern Sales Company. Sold books, study guides, and cookbooks door to door in Washington, PA. Lived partially on commissions, and it was rough. I think I only lasted 7 weeks, but it was quite an adventure. In our Group Sales Meetings you saw some people had the magic touch when it comes to sales, and they didn't rely on the scripted sales pitch. At least from this experience I realized how tough sales was and that it's not for me.
My friend in her early 30's is a Business Banking Relationship Manager at a large A-level bank. She was in a support role for nearly a decade at the same bank prior to taking the BBRM role. No college degree and she currently has a high base salary (just shy of $100k) and her goal is to obtain new clients/retain existing clients. Commission potential is ridiculous - performance is measured by the amount of deposits that a clientele makes.
For every $1 million in deposits, I think she gets a 1% commission based on the amount of bragging that she does. So that means an extra $10k in her pocket for every $1MM of deposits. Based on job postings that I keep seeing for a BBRM, "successful" Business Banking Relationship Managers will typically generate between $0.5MM - $20MM in deposits.
I do not know if those Commission numbers are residual though (meaning that I don't know if she gets Commissions on clients' deposits if client stays with the bank year-after-year). If it isn't residual, I imagine that sales folks may begin to "saturate" the local market and hit quota roadblocks.
P.S. I do not work in banking, but have seriously considered a career change - hence my somewhat deeper sense of knowledge about the job.
I was set to join the military out of high school and then blew out my knee, leaving me with a step dad that refused to cosign student loans and no plan. So I got a job selling cars 3 days after I graduated high school with the plan to save enough money to pay for college.
Many family members thought that I was kidding when I told them that was my plan, I was pretty shy in high school, and laid back, nobody including my sales manager father thought it was a good idea. In fact my father refused to hire me, which probably was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I was lucky I worked for a couple guys when I was young that taught me how to use my actual personality to sale as opposed to using canned lines and being the showman type of salesman all the time.
I also went on to sale life & health insurance and then finally mortgages. It took me years to finally make it back to school, but I must say that sales provided me a pretty nice lifestyle for many years, brought me out of my shell for the most part, and taught me how to talk to and work with people from all walks of life. Even after leaving sales I have used those skills throughout my career.
If I could go back and make the decision again, I would make the same decision, I may change some of the other decisions I have made later in my career, but the skills and knowledge I picked up in sales have helped me tremendously.
I am in sales now. Never thought I'd be here, my college degree is in Equine Studies, thought I'd be a horse trainer or farm manager. I do miss that version of me.
Life and surviving put me on a different path. I tried other things as I learned new things, admin, postal worker, retail for a pet store, my dad's DQ, bartending, etc etc. NEEDING more money keeps me open to anything.
My latest stint was merchandising, PT but two jobs. This made me aware of what I had to do to get paid more, and that was sales of a hot item.
Its difficult to get into, and stay in, a sales position that offers a base plus commission. 100% commission jobs are more common for the young and energetic who can be molded to the company pitch, or older very experienced people who have been there, done that, and can do it again easily.
100% commission to me is a bit of a crock unless you're working for yourself like a real estate agent. Working for a company, 100% commission is a way for a company to hire you to work for free, and if you don't perform well its no skin off their nose.
Having a base plus commission usually means strict quotas and if you don't perform, you're out. This is where I'm heading now. But the base is an unheard of livable wage for the frugal, and the commission potential is significant if not mind blowing.
I'm not sure I REGRET where I am, I do wistfully wish for the days of old. My horse farm career was cut short with my job choice out of college, the place went bankrupt after 8 months, I went to another farm and the trainer abused the horses. I had to go back home and start over again just 3 years after college.
However, all that being said, now, 25 years later, I have such wide and varied life experience that it allows me to quickly build rapport with a customer, and that is a base key of sales. When I can stand there and say, I did that, or this is how I can empathize with you because I've been there, customers feel comfortable and they will buy. People are astounded at just how much I "know". I know a little about A LOT of things. Being able to relate to people leads to higher success rather then just pushing a product, at least with what I sell.
People buy from me because they like me better then the last guy who tried to hard sell them into the same item.
I'm going into my next sales position for the reasons mention by jwiley, it will make me a better person to learn the skills better, and where i'm going has awesome training.
doesnt matter the amount of training, the market is hurting across the board in every industry. we are a consuming people and we will pay for food, clothing, medical, shelter and transportation. thats the market trend right now until secondary lenders step back up to the pump people will cut costs everywhere, including sales positions at a cheaper rate
doesnt matter the amount of training, the market is hurting across the board in every industry. we are a consuming people and we will pay for food, clothing, medical, shelter and transportation. thats the market trend right now until secondary lenders step back up to the pump people will cut costs everywhere, including sales positions at a cheaper rate
Sales/Business Development for a wide range of manufacturers and technical companies is an high paying, respected and difficult career. Some perceive that 'if one can't do something else, they can always sell,' but, the opposite is actually the truth (plus they usually have S/BD and Retail sales mixed-up). Think about it this way: Sales/BD is one of the highest paying professions in industry --- because only a few have the intelligence, resiliency, perseverance and temperament to succeed in it.
Sales/Business Development and Retail sales are actually miles apart: In S/BD, one must go out into the corporate world and identify or develop needs and customers ... and then market their products/services through a network of specifiers, executives and buyers. In Retail Sales, one waits for potential customers to come to a store, car lot, office, bank, etc. --- and then assists them in the purchase of a product.
Thus, Sales/Business Development pays the highest salaries, including expenses, base, commissions and other perks, in industry (while Retail sales pay only minimal salaries). S/BD also provides the greatest personal and corporate growth opportunities (while retail sales is more often than not, only a 'dead end job'). Many people make lifetime careers in S/BD (while RS most often involves a myriad of short-term positions).
My point is that if one is actually considering "Sales", it is important to understand the difference between S/BD and RS. Otherwise, it's easy to paint them both with the same 'Death of a Salesman-type brush' -- and miss out the 'real career opportunities.'
Sales/Business Development for a wide range of manufacturers and technical companies is an high paying, respected and difficult career. Some perceive that 'if one can't do something else, they can always sell,' but, the opposite is actually the truth (plus they usually have S/BD and Retail sales mixed-up). Think about it this way: Sales/BD is one of the highest paying professions in industry --- because only a few have the intelligence, resiliency, perseverance and temperament to succeed in it.
Sales/Business Development and Retail sales are actually miles apart: In S/BD, one must go out into the corporate world and identify or develop needs and customers ... and then market their products/services through a network of specifiers, executives and buyers. In Retail Sales, one waits for potential customers to come to a store, car lot, office, bank, etc. --- and then assists them in the purchase of a product.
Thus, Sales/Business Development pays the highest salaries, including expenses, base, commissions and other perks, in industry (while Retail sales pay only minimal salaries). S/BD also provides the greatest personal and corporate growth opportunities (while retail sales is more often than not, only a 'dead end job'). Many people make lifetime careers in S/BD (while RS most often involves a myriad of short-term positions).
My point is that if one is actually considering "Sales", it is important to understand the difference between S/BD and RS. Otherwise, it's easy to paint them both with the same 'Death of a Salesman-type brush' -- and miss out the 'real career opportunities.'
This is quite accurate. I'm in retail sales, but not quite walmart, its still a niche that requires much educating to many consumers and knowledge from the salesperson, hence a good base plus commission.
My SO is in BD. Much higher base and commissions, longer time frame to the actual commission though too. Between the both of us I provide cash flow, he gets the bigger chunks here and there.
My position fills my need. I have a real estate license and my intention, when I'm ready, is to naturally finally begin selling real estate. To get there, I need money in savings, more then what I have now. So the commission potential, and the extra training which will aid me when I try to get my own listings, is what I need now.
And I don't no where the previous ranter lives, but people are buying what I'm selling around here, and all over the world. And now consider it a basic need.
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