I’ve had a pretty great life so far, so the following may come off as complaining, but I recognize I’ve had it good.
My wife and I have owned a wedding photography business for 13 years now and it’s provided us with a great income, travel a ton, and both be home to raise our kids. As health insurance has gotten more expensive, I’ve envied friends who work for Fortune 500 companies and their benefits. Last year, I got talked into joining New York life selling mostly life insurance. Well, it turns out I’m good at sales but this side of it is not my favorite-so I’m looking at options.
So far I’ve tuned down an export food distributor and other health/financial gigs. My background is that I majored in biochemistry and was accepted to dental school 15 years ago- but our business was going so well that I passed. I’m in the final rounds of a surgical sales job that I think I would enjoy, but I’m also curious about what else is out there. I’m really interested in the idea of industrial sales, does anyone here do that?
Basically, what is a secret sales gig that is awesome and how does a guy who’s owned a successful business but has little corporate experience get into that?
I hear selling magazine ads is pretty fun...
Before reading my answer was going to be medical/surgical sales. Sure enough, you've got what they look for.
Lots of "mouth breathers" can do industrial sales...I have. The hard combination is to find someone who is both "scientific" and can sell. That is a rare combination and if you have the combination you can find quality jobs that want you to be happy and don't want you to leave.
For you, maybe medical imaging equipment. I was trying to combine scientific with photography and mechanical aptitude.
Mndsm
MegaDork
9/18/19 7:30 p.m.
Tom Suddard said:
I hear selling magazine ads is pretty fun...
Wow, it's almost like you're looking for another sales rep.
I can't help thinking that virtually any company that sells to businesses would LOVE to have a sales guy with a background in running his own successful business for 13 years. The whole science thing is just icing on the cake.
I predict a bunch of really enjoyable interviews in your future.
This is coming from someone who hates sales...
I found auto repair to be remarkably rewarding. When I started, I had plenty of experience in hot rod shops building customs. When I moved to managing general repair shops and transmission shops, I had never even seen a timing belt, nor had I ever worked on anything newer than about 10 years old. Fortunately, the translation was easy and I learned FAST.
The sales are much easier because people only call you when they need YOU. The marketing is handled by someone with a bigger office, and cars always break down or need maintenance. Once the phone rings, it is easy to get them in with honesty and candor. My secret was being honest and earning trust, and it paid off very well for me. I charged a fair price that paid the bills at the shop, and my commission was usually $2k/wk or better. It was a 9-6 job, paid benefits (not terribly good ones, but it was an independent shop) weekends off, paid vacation.
You kinda have to love cars and thinking critically. If that isn't your thing, skip it. Turns out I'm mostly a whiz at diagnosis, which earned the respect of my techs, and it paid off in gross sales. We could turn out repairs faster and more accurately. It made the owner happy, and made customers happy, and put money in my pocket.
With the exception of one ball-busting, jerkoff owner, I never took work home with me - literally or mentally. That one guy was a real douche and made me hate my job for a few months, but fortunately he got thrown in jail for selling cocaine. The fact that I anonymously tipped off the Sheriff's office of his whereabouts to serve the warrant was the icing in the cake.
... but I digress.
Robbie
UltimaDork
9/18/19 9:11 p.m.
In reply to Curtis :
So what I'm reading is that selling cocaine is the best sales job?
#scarface
Technology sales roles tend to be even more lucrative than medical/surgical sales. If you don’t have tech sales experience you can still get there with other sales experience. Tech companies in the valley all have field sales teams in every state and benefits can be jaw droppingly good. Full disclosure: I work in tech sales for a company in the valley.
Great input so far. Thank you for taking the time. I have had a couple of weird interviews and some great ones. I have some solid tech experience, I may need to look there and I’m fairly skilled worn sales force. I will say, a longer relationship based sales cycle would likely be more rewarding for me. Hours of cold calls would break my soul.
I’ve sold industrial products for 25 years now. I love this industry.
I’ve seen giant molten vats of liquid aluminum at Alcoa to Indiana steel mills to LP making chip board sheets to giant Cat engines running full rpm in Lafayette, Indiana. I also spend a lot of time with engineers making locomotives. Rock quarries and belts are my specialty too.
We’re all old guys. I get dirty and my truck is full of mud from the quarries. The garbage recycling places make you gag in the summer. If the margins are good I do well. I sell a lot of hoses, gaskets, and couplings. Lots of rubber products too.
We start our guys out on a 1-2 year guarantee and the sky is the limit. Entry level guys carry a $75,000 start and I’ve seen one guy hit $250,000 on a good year.
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
I’ve heard similar stores. I grew up on a farm, this is of interest to me. Where does one find a job like this?
In reply to grover :
Motion. industries, Applied Industrial, Kaman, Lewis Goetz now Eriks , Fastenal, Grainger, Airgas.
In reply to grover : industrial sales was my gig for most of my selling life. It provided a solid 6 figure income back when that was a rare thing.
Except for periodic meetings you are essentially your own boss. Travel is always on the company dime and they want/ heck, need you to stay upscale. Towards the end I had a Lear Jet with two pilots and a hostess.
Leave in the morning in time to pick up client. Fly to plant to show him the product during assembly. Take them to a fancy dinner, bring them to the local golf course where their clubs and a pro waited. Round of golf, sign paperwork on new deal fly them home for dinner.
Get a few referrals from them for your next customers.repeat 2-3 times a week.
I'm sure the ECommerce site I work for is looking for sales.
OP - Doesn't sound like you're complaining, you've got a valid reason for exploring employment outside of yourself. Best of luck in your pursuit of something else, hopefully you can continue with your photography business as well.
Hive - I've been in the cyber security realm for most of the decade doing the nuts and bolts of that. I'm looking for something different - would sales be more rewarding than appeasing the compliance and standards gods? I've got experience in sales selling cars and athletic gear (uniform design/sales for schools, leagues, etc)
grover said:
Great input so far. Thank you for taking the time. I have had a couple of weird interviews and some great ones. I have some solid tech experience, I may need to look there and I’m fairly skilled worn sales force. I will say, a longer relationship based sales cycle would likely be more rewarding for me. Hours of cold calls would break my soul.
Sounds like a business development type role in enterprise software might be for you. Lots of little niche companies like that out there - I work for one that provides software and business services to Medicare Advantage health insurance plans. As a technology guy in this company, I would love to work with a sales person with tech background who won't go off and promise things at a schedule we can't deliver on...
szeis4cookie said:
grover said:
Great input so far. Thank you for taking the time. I have had a couple of weird interviews and some great ones. I have some solid tech experience, I may need to look there and I’m fairly skilled worn sales force. I will say, a longer relationship based sales cycle would likely be more rewarding for me. Hours of cold calls would break my soul.
Sounds like a business development type role in enterprise software might be for you. Lots of little niche companies like that out there - I work for one that provides software and business services to Medicare Advantage health insurance plans. As a technology guy in this company, I would love to work with a sales person with tech background who won't go off and promise things at a schedule we can't deliver on...
Funny, before my pastor was my pastor he was the lead tech support guy for a household name tech company. He said the same thing, the sales guys would overpromise because they had limited knowledge and smoke everyone.
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
Thank you!
frenchyd said:
In reply to grover : industrial sales was my gig for most of my selling life. It provided a solid 6 figure income back when that was a rare thing.
Except for periodic meetings you are essentially your own boss. Travel is always on the company dime and they want/ heck, need you to stay upscale. Towards the end I had a Lear Jet with two pilots and a hostess.
Leave in the morning in time to pick up client. Fly to plant to show him the product during assembly. Take them to a fancy dinner, bring them to the local golf course where their clubs and a pro waited. Round of golf, sign paperwork on new deal fly them home for dinner.
Get a few referrals from them for your next customers.repeat 2-3 times a week.
That's sort of an amazing story. I'm not sure i'm ever going to get to plan level, but I wouldn't mind it.
In reply to z31maniac :
I woldn't mind hearing about it!
In reply to Tom Suddard :
haha, y'all seem to be doing a great job, and I already heard you were out of miata's.
One more question if you folks don't mind. Is using a recruiter from the applicant side worthwhile?
How does one even get in to sales without being pushed in to cold calls or knocking on doors?
The only sales people I know are in insurance or the security field, but it doesn't seem "hard" yet makes a killing.
