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")

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Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Kraftwerk posted:

Agreed. The worst thing that happened to me was finding out shortly after I was hired that I wouldn't be allowed to sell into the United States. You can't sell precision engineered industrial packaging in huge volumes if you don't have any high volume factories to sell to in the first place.

I'm gonna try and see if there's any startups or new entrants hiring and try to get in that way. I have over 4-5 years of big corporation experience so that may be very helpful even if my actual sales experience isn't that great right now. All I want to do is learn to be a better salesman and have more opportunities to practice it. Feels like I'm getting nowhere cold calling randoms and expecting them to give up their existing supplier relationships for a product that can't even add that much value right now. Packaging is such a bullshit industry.

I recommend finding a company that you'll be selling a service instead of materiel product. SaaS is easy enough but be prepared for stiff competition, cold calls, and specialized sales roles.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2016 19:57

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 07:58

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

shut up netface posted:

Well... poo poo. That's not a lateral move. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for openings within NJ/pa. Admittedly the positions in the pacific Northwest are tempting.

Any possibility of any referral?

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, was probated for a week lol.

My brother would do a referral. email me at snatchduster at gmail dot com with your name and poo poo.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2016 16:45

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Alfalfa posted:

I took a new "sales" job at the start of January and although the pay is good, I'm not actually selling (or ever will be selling). I prospect for appointments all day on the phone and when I do book an appointment our account executives go to the meeting.

Then my commission is based off if they close the deal or not.

I want to be in a sales role where I'm doing all aspects of the sales process.

My question is, should I list this on my resume, and what should I say so it doesn't read like I just did telemarketing?

What you are doing is appointment setting aka New Business Development.

Most companies start off green sales people in this type of role, to see if they can take rejection. Most companies are moving to this type of sales specalization, and NBD is its own field outright. Not all great NBD make good closers, but all great closers are decent NBDs. At least, that is the theory.

The system is broken down quiet well in Predictable Revenue.
http://predictablerevenue.com/

EDIT: Hunter/Farmer/Fishers is the break down. The Executives aka closers are called Hunters. Farmers are Account Managers, people growing the account. The fishers/nets are NBD who grab as many leads/small deals as possible.

Snatch Duster fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Feb 3, 2016

# ¿ Feb 3, 2016 00:38

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Alfalfa posted:

It's not so much what I'm doing that bothers me. It's more that this was not the role discussed at all during the interview process and definitely does not play to my strengths (especially in selling). NBD I'm fine with and I'm really fine with rejection.

What I'm not fine with, is not being able to come up with the solution or find out a prospects actual problems and let them know how I/the product or service/our company can help them.

I will say having to do nothing but NBD behind a phone for a few weeks has definitely helped reenergize my desire to sell, compared to when I ran my gym and wasn't worried so much on that side of things.

Edit: also there is no strategy or training in place to move someone from the NBD role into an AE or manager role, which is another red flag to me.

If you were in Portland area I would say come on into my agency for an interview. We have two positions open, a NBD and AE role. I would think your experience would fit for the AE position.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2016 16:29

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Alfalfa posted:

Have any contacts in Houston? lol

Unfortunately no I don't.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2016 00:10

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Tots posted:

Do you have friends?

I haven't had friends since school. Since working, everyone is placed in one of two columns: Prospect | Worthless.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2016 16:57

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Count Freebasie posted:

There are no Alec Baldwins from "Glengarry Glen Ross" at my company, because snakes like that are easy to spot and a bad reputation builds fast and carries far. They normally don't last long.

I agree with everything you said, except this part. Alec Baldwins "Blake," or gently caress YOU, isn't a snake. Blake is the superstar that always performs, but you never see him actually work. He is Napoleon, a genius at what he does but he doesn't help or teach anyone on how to repeat his success. All you see is his massive ego and absurd numbers.

The snake is Sheldon Levine. He is the guy that bring in bad deals by being charmingly fake and acting as a "salesman."

# ¿ Mar 22, 2016 18:37

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Count Freebasie posted:

I was using snake as a pejorative; more along the lines of a douchebag or fuckhead. I agree with your assessment of the characters. I meant only to imply that guys who are assholes like that don't last in the (at least my) industry. If your type of sales is like theirs, where you make your deal and move on to the next target, you may be able to get away with that, but if you are in a type of sale that requires relationship building and maintenance, and the ability to network well using your past customers as referrals, you get black-balled pretty fast, at least in what I do.

We have a few people like that at my company, but it's not a good position to be in. As a manager, sure, my main concern is my reps are hitting their numbers, otherwise I don't hit mine. But, people like that are riding only on their numbers, and when the time comes that they start slipping, we pull the trigger on people like that fast, and we do it with pleasure. I have a team that reports to me, and toxic people on my team (or any in the company) are like a cancer and just bring others down. If you're universally disliked at a company, the axiom "You're only as good as your last sale" will apply to you, fast. People like that will never be leaders, as their only concern is themselves and everyone is easily able to see it, so they are never groomed for management or advancement. They will eventually piss off the wrong person or burn the wrong customer, and then they become a liability, and I can normally find a good replacement for anyone on my team within a few months, if not less.

Yep, I agree completely. My industry is rife with salesmen that are like Blake, but like your company we do not hire folks with that personality.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2016 04:08

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Volume posted:

This seems like a good enough thread to ask. I recently started a phone job in a small business. Real small. As in so small I was already interviewing other candidates when I was only employed for a month because no one else was available to do it.

They want me to start cold calling businesses in our area to set up vendor service through our company. This is the first time I've ever had to do any sort of sales work that's not all "Well that's the price tag on the shirt, miss" retail bullshit. I'm not a very social person, I personally don't think I'd do well in this. I'm great at inbound calls because I have information, the customer has a need, and I just put the two together. This feels like a whole other beast to me.

There's no goals or quotas so I'm willing to at least try and they are very happy with my work at my current responsibilities so I'm not worried about losing my job if this doesn't pan out but I would like some beginner tips and all that.

Have you read SPIN Selling? That book is probably your best bet to figuring out how to do outbound sales. Its about crafting questions to be asking your prospective clients. It works for selling Xerox machines up to 50 million dollar advertising contracts.

http://www.amazon.com/SPIN-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/1565114205

# ¿ May 16, 2016 17:22

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 07:58

Snatch Duster: Feb 20, 2007; by FactsAreUseless

Impromptu Flip posted:

I read this thread ages ago out of interest and I wasn't a big fan of sales, but since then it's grown on me and one of our two sales guys is leaving the department. I'm on really good terms with him and he asked me if I would want his job, so I thought about it for a while and the more I explore it, the more I think it's what I should be doing. Some of what Count Freebasie wrote sold me on it and I see myself in a lot of those points. I went in strong with an email to the CEO - closing with the line "Give me the opportunity and I'll impress you." which I'm quite proud of - and he's on board.

I may or may not have to go through an interview process. I feel pretty well-prepared and I'll burn through SPIN Selling in the next few days to kick things off. If anyone has any pro tips I'm all ears. The role involves basically all sales activities so it seems like a perfect place to start getting experience. I'm excited to get stuck in and start taking the reins for our existing clients, most of whom I already know.

Thanks thread, you probably created a salesman!

make it very very clear that you are hungry, ambitious, and do not give a poo poo about benefits or work life balance.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2016 21:13

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")

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