Quote: Frankie Mildly Perturbed @ 6th March 2018, 6:26 AMHi mucker,
Re-active sales jobs are not so bad, e.g. counter staff, or call centre where you take incoming calls, or similar. Although dealing with the general public in stressful situations, e.g. airport check in staff in disruption, can definitely be testing.
The simple truth is that all pro-active sales jobs put you in a harsh environment. Sales folk live with that and maybe it does rub off on them as people. But what you do in a war situation does not define you as a person (as some say) and sales folk see it just like that, it's war.. ..I have to win at (perhaps) any cost being the attitude.
In a commission only situation you have to sell to eat, then no sell-no eat. Ethics are wonderful things when you're not hungry and you're sat in a cosy room by the fire and you have options. But if you can't find any other options and you can face a zero payslip for 2 or 3 month's in a row, with no money to put food on the table, and still keep going, and win through, and your ethics are pliable then you're CO sales, if not then you aren't. You have to live with that, it's 8:00pm, it's gonna be the last call of the day, you need a sale, you knock on that door.. they have to buy... And if they simply buy from you because they need the product, you're not really sales, you're an order taker, that's a different job altogether...
What is wrong is that those guys didn't tell you up front what you were getting into, but then they never do.. Typically nobody does that type of selling unless they have little or no other option... And if little or no ethics apply for their customers, why would they have any for their employees either.. You quit, (you failed as they see it) OK, they find someone else..
If it's not for you, it's not for you.
I quit door to door because I didn't really like putting people through what door to door is, and I've quit other sales jobs where I felt the service or quality wasn't there, but I have seen harsh treatment by sales people (far harsher than me..) and it's not pleasant. Like refusing to leave someone's house until they place the order because, "..I'm sorry madam, I just can't let you pass up this Golden opportunity, I just couldn't live with myself.." etc. there are many other 'lies' that are used. It's a Special Promotion, it ends tonight, I can't let you lose out on this sir, I just can't.. you'll so regret this if you don't sign here.. I'll just call my manager now and make sure it's not too late.. he'll then speak to you over the phone.. (a technique sometimes called, 'Introducing Fagan..') It doesn't matter if it's double glazing, a $2,000 vacuum cleaner, Time Share, Insurance you name it these methods can be applied to all product, and the methods are all the same, it is intimidation, coercion, selling fear (as Herc said) and it WORKS..
You've done the right thing.
Also here's a thought, if you can't find quality work where you live sometimes you have to leave where you live and go where the work is. I left Sheffield in 1980 and moved to London (not far admittedly, only 170 miles) to live in a small house with 9 other men (don't put anything in the fridge..) It worked out for me.. 9 months later I was able to do better.. after some harsh situations..
Good luck in your endeavours!
Frank
I used to connect 999 calls at a BT call centre which was an amazing job. It was a big open plan office with operator 100 and 999 calls on one side and directory enquiries 192 on the other. This was before the internet when 192 was always busy. I'll never forget how yellow the walls had become in the smoking room there.
My dad and brother both work in sales and have been directors but it's not something I've ever been able to do because I feel guilty. I did a stint selling Kirby vacume cleaners from a booth in a call centre sometime in the early 90s but never had any sales. They cost up to £1000 and I was expected to turn cold calls in to sales. Yeah right! Who can call someone out the blue and sell them a hoover that costs a months wages?
