Ask/Tell us about being in Sales! (We're a notch below "Child Molester")

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Ask/Tell us about being in Sales! (We're a notch below "Child Molester")

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

Plus campuses are generally pretty large so they can make some money renting them out to private functions.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2014 16:32

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:43

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

This might be a weird question but how hard is it is cold-call a buyer like me (or just show up at my office door like most do?).

Lyon posted:

As for day to to day expectations... we were expected to make 150-200 calls a day and set a minimum of two appointments per day (averaging 10/week). We were provided with leads but you very quickly learned to be in the top of the group you had to dig up your own leads on LinkedIn or sites like Jigsaw (Data.com now I think). We were paid $32,000 (lower CoL than the bay area by a wide margin so probably about the same after adjusting) and made $30/appointment with a manager or below, $40/appointment with a director, and $50/appointment with a VP or C level executive. We also got paid a % of any deal that closed based on an appointments that we set. There was a board that showed everyone's current number of appointments set that week, appointments set for the month, year, and each person's completion % (number of appointments kept divided by number of appointments set) so it can be pretty competitive within the group.

How would your bonus work on a level where a director/VP/C level has no buying authority like in mine? Would you get the 50 dollars for meeting with me?

Also how much would any of you kill to get a sweet government contract?

# ¿ Jan 12, 2015 20:33

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

Krono99 posted:

Jesus, how the hell do I get one of you at my job? I'm one of the top salesman at one of the top dealerships in the US for GMC but company policy states I'm not allowed to have an assistant, even if I pay their salary 100% out of my pocket.

I would LOVE to have someone making my follow up calls and handle some of the day to day time-sink activities so I could focus on capitalizing on actual customer contacts and squeezing out a few extra sales a month.

Mostly it's because people have forgotten what assistants are for. I have yet to see a reason that most managers and executives are doing their own typing when in theory they should have better things to do with their time. Most companies would be better off with assistants around then without people having them.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2015 15:43

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

Waroduce posted:

Reminder to bring kosher donuts to closings involving jewish clients

loving kosher donuts

Oh we can't eat them if they aren't kosher

Im going to wear a fuckin yamica next time

I"m sure kosher donuts taste great like many kosher things.

This also reminds me of when I was a supervisor at a call centre and agents couldn't wish clients "Merry Christmas" of course this would piss people off and they would scream. Nothing shut them down faster then politely telling them that I was Jewish.

# ¿ May 25, 2015 16:16

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

lazercunt posted:

I've never understood the anti-Merry Christmas thing. I get that people aren't Christian, and I'm Jewish as well, but at the end of the day it isn't about the Christmas thing, it's just someone being polite and nice.

It's like when people say "have a blessed day," it's weird and I wouldn't do it, but the intent is good and they are being nice. I worked with a lot of Muslim and Hindu people, and I don't celebrate Christmas, but we were telling each other Merry Christmas during the December sales cycle because it's about being nice and all.

I've never understood it either but then again I'm not a crazy person who gets upset about those kind of things.

# ¿ May 25, 2015 19:06

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

Kraftwerk posted:

Right but your product is actually something that serves a more lasting purpose. Packaging is something necessary but always a thing you can cut corners on. You use it and throw it out so unless your poo poo is super sensitive to transportd damage, no one invests in it.

To give you an example a client bought pallets from a competitor and was willing to accept deviations in its length despite their warehouse rules saying the pallet can't be shorter than the box on top of it.

I tried to upsell them on our own which I know are built superior but they wouldn't have it. "Too expensive" and it was end of discussion after that.

I get RFQs for cool projects on a daily basis and I always lose the business because Joe Blow's garage discount crates n skids undercuts our manufacturing cost let alone any margins we might get...

I would kill my mother for good skids, sadly we aren't allowed to buy any till we use of the warehouse of crap we have.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2015 18:04

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

Alfalfa posted:

So I'm more than likely going to end up taking a new sales job selling business services, risk management, benefits, insurance, etc to middle level c-level businesses.

The executives of the companies in the industries that I'll be selling into will mainly be older 55-65+ biz owners who are more that good ole boy type.

I can hold a conversation with them but it still seems forced on my end and in the past I've never felt like they get comfortable with me to really allow me to help work with them and help them out.

My business attire might be a little too fashionable for them (aka tailored slacks w/out pleats, tailored patterned shirt, tie, and dress shoes, compared to them wearing dockers, loafers from 1995, and an otr yellow shirt w/ old tie).

Any advice to help fit in with them better and develop a better relationship with them instead of coming across as a young(er) salesman just trying to take their money?

learn to play golf.

Also product first.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2015 16:10

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:43

sbaldrick: Jul 19, 2006; Driven by Hate

grvm posted:

Does anyone have any experience in sales with Cintas? A recruiter reached out to me about a senior sales position and I had a phone interview with the regional sales manager today. He gave me some info: It is an external sales position, looking for new business-to business sales. He told me it's a base 43-45k, uncapped commision doing outside sales. He also said the average sales rep (company wide) made $113,00 /year (median average I think, he wasn't sure), they offer $355 /month allowance for a car which goes on Cintas company insurance and I get a gas card. They also match 401k up to 6%, and after 6/mo's I get 1 week off per year.

Of course it sounds appealing coming from the recruiter and manager. I've done a little research, but I wasn't planning on looking for another position yet so I am pretty unprepared. I'm in Enterprise's Management Trainee program now.

What are some things I should look out for? Is this a stable position? What are some questions I should ask? Has anybody done external sales with Cintas? Or any other positions with Cintas? Anything you wish you knew going into it?

Thank you

It depends on what kind of business you area has. If it's the Cintas uniform company then you will be able to get through the door at least in most places.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2016 16:22

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Ask/Tell us about being in Sales! (We're a notch below "Child Molester")