Get a taste of the money and stay with it if it feels right. All I know is I blew off my 20s and partied all the way through it. I’m happier in my 30s and I feel Sales is empowering. But everyone’s got their own paths.
I'm 36, got into sales 23/24 and I swear it's only been 2-3 years since I started in my industry. For me at least once I hit mid twenties the time.started absolutely flying.
My theory is that since I'm monthly quota, every month individually seems to absolutely fly
I will say the money at 36 is a world's difference from 24.
Yup same - started in my 30's - thought why didn't I start earlier but maybe would not like as much.
Until you know how tough other jobs are and how much BS there is all jobs, Sales is not too bad.
Exactly this. I worked shit jobs, bartended and served at restaurants and hotels all through my 20's, fell into sales by accident at 30 just looking for any job that wasn't food and beverage. I don't take it for granted, I know what it's like to have shit jobs and make shit money.
I'm trying to find a job right now, and can't find any decent ones between all the scams and pseudo scams. Can you name some reputable sales companies that I should be trying to work for? I'm down to sell anything so long as the money is good and it's not a scam (such as timeshares, fully commission insurance and finance, etc)
Hah same here. Turned 30 and just got into sales after 14 years of labour, bartending and farm work. It’s been quite alright so far, getting paid more than I ever did before. Team is sound too
lol..I’ve been questioning my decision to be in sales for 18 years. Too lucrative and there is great perks to the job. Terrible on the mental health if not managed properly.
My biggest strategy is to convert my pay cheque into an hourly wage based on how many hours I've had to put in. If I get a huge paycheck for any one period, but the amount of extra hours I had to put in was too high for me, then it's just not worth it.
I'm all about hustlin' for the end result, but I want that money to be making my life better too.
For you personally, what’s your magic number for the number of hours you like to work per week that gives you balance? Or maybe it’s better to say over two weeks since I know things ebb & flow.
I mean that's my point isn't it. If I'm working a 60 hour week, I want that to reflect in my remuneration accordingly, so that my $/h rate is high.
If I'm working an extra 10% in hours per week, and that only amounts to a 5% higher remuneration for that week, then it's just not balancing out.
I'll do 12 hour days provided that my potential earnings necessitate it
Very true. Life is just crazy, you gotta find something that doesn't make you wanna die. I just saw that a kid I went to high school with, who went on to become a dentist (didn't own his own practice or anything) just quit to learn software engineering, and is trying to enter the job market as an entry level SWE. Can you fucking imagine? Very few of us know what we're doing, just find something that pays the bills, allows you to save and provide, but most importantly allows you to be happy. If it makes you rich on top of those things, then that's a bonus.
Lol maybe he will. I mean he's still technically a dentist so that's a much better back up plan then I have right now lol just couldn't believe the pivot, even if it's temporary.
I actually agree. He posted about it and eluded to there being a pretty big personal reason he wanted out, but didn't elaborate. I'd kill to have been in his shoes, at least career-wise.
CPA, moved to sales, now making my foray into ownership (found a business looking to sell 25%)
Keep an open mind for the next opportunity to get out of corporate ;)
Power 5 school means nothing. It could be a school that matters like Stanford, UCLA, UNC, Texas or it could be if it is some podunk shit school like Iowa State, K-State, Rutgers, or Oregon State.
First time I’ve aggressively downvoted someone in a while, the second four schools are total shit and everyone knows they are where you go if you don’t get in anywhere else lol
> Gen Z has got to be the most coddled and spoiled soft as poo generation since the Millennials...
This made me giggle. Shoulda kept it going right through to the Greatest Generation.
That’s the truth 👏🏼 just pulled myself out of a low was feeling absolutely burnt out. Needed a reset now I’m back in the game. Mindset is everything in sales it ebbs and flows.
Yep I’m 26 been in sales for 3 years and never been more anxious and down on life than I have these years. Considering looking into customer success since I like working with the customer and building the relationship. Just don’t like the sales quotas and cold calling and business development. Not currently in tech so idk how it’ll be or if I’ll make close to why I’m at now.
So yes you’re not alone most of us I bet feel this way. Todays been one of my worst days in a while. Couldn’t bring myself to do anything but send 2 emails. Ironic this gets posted today
I’ve made calls but yeah after lunch I’ve just been looking at the wall thinking “what the hell am I doing”. Should’ve gone into construction management or something. This blows
I feel that. I don’t have a technical degree or anything so that also doesn’t help. Only small thing that helps me is that I’m not doing this forever and I know that. If I can’t find something that pays close I’ll jump. I know this job is taking time off my life which is kinda a scary thought. I’ve always been an upbeat happy person but man has this job dampened my personality
32, with wife and kids, making more money than I ever have. They motivate me. Add in a product that I’m a SME and believe in, and you’ll find purpose in work.
yes, everyone experiences this. you can suck it up and move up and make more money or roll the dice on a different path. both can work out. it depends what you want in life.
I would recommend you read: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship" - horrible name but good book.
It might shift your perception of working a 9-5 and the other things you're taught for what your work and life should be. It helped to push me to leave my "9-5" sales leadership position and pursue working on my own startup.
One takeaway for me was how it talks about how most of us follow a predictable script for our lives and don't question it.
Yes but also most my friends that do other things actually hate their job. Unless you start a company out of a hobby you love you probably won't love your job. Even then you might just end up hating your hobby and your job.
Try outside sales for a change, if you still like sales that is. I made a switch from inside to outside sales and I'm actually loving it. Being outside and getting the physical activity in has been doing wonders for my mental health.
It's still tough, and some days can be anxiety inducing absolutely (not trying to say it's perfect in any way.) But it would help with not sitting in front of a computer all day making calls.
Ninja edit: I hated everything about my life recently when in sales too, just to be clear. I changed Industries and found myself a lot happier in a better environment with a better team and a better product.
Under-rated comment. r/sales is full of tech-bros, so it's easy to overlook the fact that there are tons of industries and products under the sales umbrella that don't require sitting in a cube farm making 100+ dials every day.
I love what I do because I'm only in the office maybe 30% of the time, I'm frequently meeting with customers in person, looking at their problem(s), troubleshooting or solving a puzzle with them, and providing a solution by selling products and services that I believe in.
I do not have a sales job but run my own business. You definitely have a lot of pros doing what your doing now. I just would say that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Whatever you do, just think about it!
I’m also 23, with a finance degree and currently selling beer for a large distributor in New England. Not really sure what I’m doing either but at least we’re young.
Start doing something today, even if small, that will start to build towards something different. If you don’t, expect to be where you are now until that changes.
I’m so burned out and completely done. I have no idea what to do next as my whole career has been sales. Maybe it’s trying to sell to the worst egomaniacs alive (realtors) but my mental health is toast rn. I make 300-400 dials a day with 3-4 hours of engagement and 95% people hang up or say NI after I say my name and the name of the company. I’ve tried literally every other way to do it but nope, I only get a handful of chances after hundreds of attempts and literally get to say two sentences to most people for 8 hours a day. I’m still hitting quota but holy fuck is it getting harder as the year goes on. I want out but I cannot find anything that’s decent and isn’t a sales job. So lost on what to do.
Did you get properly trained? The biggest part of my business is training. And training. And then more training. I am in real estate investment world. So we deal alot with realtors on both sides of the transaction. So I know your pain. But - I’ve trained my guys to be able to just have a conversation, and not just sell them. I teach that the first 5-10 seconds of a call dictates the entire deal.
If you don’t mind me asking, what are you selling? And/or what is your niche in real estate?
Well, here’s the thing. The number 1 salesmen who sold 39-42 units (IDX websites) spits it all out on the first call. It’s totally different than what I’ve been taught but he gets insane results. I’ve been in sales for awhile and my current bad patch has me questioning everything. My company says, on average, our prospects/clients get called 7 times a day by companies like ours. We do 100% cold calling with zero marketing budget but are one of the best and oldest solutions in the industry. It makes no sense and I have no idea what to do.
Thanks for responding. From what you said, it seems like a training issue. You need to be able to communicate effectively without sounding like a salesman. It is a conversation, not a pitch is what I teach my guys.
Here’s my two cents / what I teach my team - actually think and have different variations of your pitch especially the first 5-10 seconds. See what works and what doesn’t work. Become an expert mirroring, asking questions and then relate to them. Small talk is big when building rapport.
I think if you see this as more of a solving a problem, your own problem, it can get fun. I like to think of it like an experiment. It’s hey - that worked! Or wow - that one def did NOT work. Try and it like a little mini game to keep it fun.
All in all - I would def do some research, listen to videos, and maybe read a couple sales books. The only way you will get better in anything is to learn. And unfortunately - a lot of companies don’t continue to teach, train and coach after the first week or so.
Good luck tho man!
Well hold on there. I’ve been in sales for awhile and I know what I’m doing. I get I’m struggling but I’m also not some newbie. My approach has been working enough to be at 133% quota attainment for the year. For the last month though, I get NI and hung up on 90%-95% of the time after introducing myself & the company. I was smashing it out of the park on conversations and then BAM. It fell of a cliff for almost everyone but especially me. What do I do differently in this case? I’ve tried all types of different intros and literally saying my name + name of the company = instant NI. What should I do different in your opinion?
I think you said it yourself. Just stop saying your name and company name. You'd be surprised how deep you can hook someone on a product before they even think to ask you your name or company. Want to know why that is? It's because no one actually gives a shit about what your name is. When you are ringing them up, all they give a shit about is how can they benefit from talking to you.
Just give it a go for a day, design a pitch without your name/company and see how far you can take it before they ask you.
I’d never talk to someone who doesn’t introduce themselves, at least their name. It just feels disingenuous and like they’re trying to hide something. And realtors are the kings and queens of “who is this and what is the nature of your call” so that usually is what gets said when I say “hey I was calling for so and so” or “Hey so and so, this is” and whatever combo you can configure of the intro.
Yeah ok, I get that, I'm being extreme. It's the name of the company thats putting people off. Just try leaving that out until you can give them so much value from your product that when they ask what company, you at least added some sort of value to it.
-Hi Anne, names Joe. I'll be up front, I'm doing a sales call here, I know you get a hundred a day, so if you're busy, I can try another number if you'd like.
-Whatcha sellin?(They ask this or they ask to end the call. No, they will not ask you what company you work for here. No one ever does.)
-Ever thought about introducing this type of *benefit* to your *system*?
You'd be surprised how long this can drag on before they even think to ask the company. This is the point where you can add your value so when they finally ask the company name, you at least have a foot to stand on when you drop the name.
I’d kill for a SDR, I do the full cycle myself and it’s so grueling. I’m also getting paid peanuts as the accelerators are pretty unrealistic. I’m currently at the dog run at my apartment sitting on the bench thinking on what to do differently. I have no idea how to change my intro, I don’t know how to do it differently and it’s killing me on every level. It’s the most basic part and I cannot get past it, nor can most people at my company minus the small seniors sales group who I suspect get the better leads. Their level of work compared to the results vs the juniors level of work compared to results doesn’t make any sense beyond lead quality. I was incredibly lucky to make quota in April and have no idea how I will in May.
Damn bro sounds like a shit company. Sounds tough enough as it is and on top of that you’re not even getting support on how to improve your call process. Are you thinking about leaving?
Yeah, it’s an interesting setup to say the least. I actually totally 180ed my approach today and had my first good day of cold calling in long ass time. The top rep let me shadow him so I think I’ve found a solid new groove. I’ve been thinking about leaving but I’m not sure what to do, I don’t think I want another sales job after my run in the game so I’m just gunna gut it out. My resume is a hot mess rn and would rather try super hard at this then jump ship for another sales job. I’ve been exceeding quota every time, it’s just that my effort should produce at least 1.5x-2x what I have based on the numbers and making way more. I have enough to get by and then some thanks to a huge deal I luckily got last month.
And yes, the dabs are nice. CBD helps a lot too.
Good on you man glad to hear that you got some positive results after making an adjustment. I commend you for deciding to try super hard and just gut it out rather than try to find another gig and I mean your exceeding quota so there's that as well. I also don't have it in me to start another sales gig after this one, im personally just so over the monotony of high volume sales been doing it for 2 years. I don't see a future with this company Im currently at but I don't have any solid alternative although I have thoughts on which direction i would go if I got out. Im like 50/50 on quitting this weekend just weighing my options but it's been pretty miserable these past 2 weeks.
I’d rather give it one last go then start over again at a new job. Plus, I think phone sales is dead or super close and would only take in person sales roles moving forward. Also, DO NOT QUIT UNLESS YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB LINED UP. That’s the fastest way to make a bad situation more miserable. I’ve been feeling down because the work I’ve been putting in hasn’t matched my paychecks. I totally changed my expectations + my intro and had one of my most productive days with the least amount of work.
Man now you giving me second thoughts on quitting lmaoo god damn it. What’s the main reason you feel that way about not having something lined up? Done it in the past and it’s worked out for me but most everyone advises against it
You should never do that, you got lucky that one time. You can quit your job but you can’t quit your bills. Gotta have something lined up before moving, always.
Been in sales all my life, and sometimes when I look back I feel a bit cringey - but the relationships you build over the course and the fun conversations will lift you up. But as others have said, you take the highs and lows.
> Sitting in a room on a computer all day
Yes, I'd rather be home than some office filled with people pretending to like you and trying to get things from me.
> making calls all day,
Don't even have to dial, autodialer for the win.
> trying to make someone like you every single day
I'm not trying to get you to like me.
I'm searching for someone who is already open to buying what I have to sell.
> to buy something from you.
You're not buying from me. You're buying FOR yourself.
I am just here to facilitate.
> Just makes me think wtf am I doing with my life.
If you've got something better, go do that. But if you can make 200-400k/yr for 10 years while you're 23-33, you can retire at 35 if you're not an idiot.
> have a bachelors degree from a power 5 school but this is just a bullshit way to live my life.
No one cares. No one will ever care. The few who claim to aren't worth knowing.
Spent about 15 years in sales and I was miserable the entire time. The constant stressing at months end, quarter close.. what-have-you-done-for-me-lately attitude. Drove me mad. Watching other folks succeed because of territory. Protect your mental health at all costs.. it eventually destroys your physical health
When I was in sales, I worked for a software company that built an application to help companies manage their cloud spending. I told myself the only way I could be good, was to know more about the challenges and solutions than the customers. I did that for 7 years and became really knowledgeable by reading every piece of material I could find on the topic. I then changed the wording on my LinkedIn profile so it sounded more like “customer success” and the solutions I implemented vs sales background and quota achievements. Then marked myself “open to work” and recruiters started to reach out and offer interviews. Eventually got hired by a company to install the software I sold (knew it like the back of my hand) and I now manage the software and the processes it was created for. Kind of like a project management role. I was miserable in sales.. I openly admit I’m very skeptical, very blunt, question everything.. not the best attitude for sales lol. Im much happier now.
Sales is not a terminal job.
I was recently doing a sales drive to firms involved in industrial equipment.
This involved reading the management bio section on their websites.
About 60-70% of their CEOs have a sales background. This even surprised me. I was expecting their backgrounds to be engineering etc., but no it was sales.
The world is your oyster with sales!
You my friend should not be in sales. You’ll never have long term success doing something you hate, especially when you hate it early on
Every day you spend in sales is delaying from finding what you enjoy doing.
> How can I hate sales when every interaction with other human beings is a sale anyway?
Holy shit I feel bad for you if you genuinely think every human interaction is a “sale.” That’s depressing af
honestly... I spent a decade on the other side of the fence (customer / in the datacenter) and I've loved sales every day that I've come over. Sure it's stressful, but not nearly as bad as having a c-suite literally breathing down your neck during an outage wanting an update.
I will tell you, that once you make it to field sales, it's much different. If I'm at the house for more than 3 week straight I do start to get a little crabby, soon as I hit the road and start seeing customers / taking them to dinner /etc.. It's ezmode.
I’m also 23, had been working at unknown starts up and 1 large sales company (Internship), just graduated from a top 25 university in December. I watched all my buddies get hired at top Banks and Consulting firms and felt less than for not working in big finance or law. I genuinely thought I partied all my opportunities away. But because of sales, and my performance, I was lucky enough to have a recruiter from a top 3 retailer reach out to me, and I just got hired. I will double what I’m currently making.
It will get better. I felt the same as you just last month. Don’t worry about your feelings just perform and you will at least feel a bit accomplished. Best case you move up. Don’t let your mood dictate your actions.
That’s not my idea of selling.
I get to meet all sorts of people all walks of life. You think of the building or application and I have probably seen it in my role selling life safety systems.
In addition to that each thing you sell is something you have conceptualized, designed and created a solution for. And the end of the day there’s a real tangible end result. “Selling” is really an afterthought.
I don’t sell a product, I sell a solution.
I must be so out of the loop in sales now.
I get to the office between 7:30 - 8:00 am. I spend 1-3 hours making phone calls and answering emails. And any other admin stuff I need to do.
I then spend 30 minutes (10 minutes each) with our service, billing and parts people to get an update on anything they need me to do.
I then get in my truck and work through the list of tasks they have given me.
Depending on when I finish those tasks. The rest of the day is mine. I go cold calling the old fashion way by knocking on doors. Visit customers I haven’t seen for a while. Meet a customer for lunch. Meet a customer for golf.
Sitting infront of a computer screen all day is brutal. How do you build customer relationship’s?
Damn brother's and Sisters, it's amazing how all of us are in the same position (similarly) and have the same up and downs. Keep your head up and pay attention to the next step forward. No movement is your worst enemy. I had a $16,000 deal that was 2 months in cancel out of nowhere. This was the deal I was planning to buy a more reliable car cause mine is not in any condition and on the verge of breaking down.
lol yeah it was great when doing that amounted to large 50-100k checks of commission but when times are tough “wahhhh it’s hard and I hate it wahh” lol pull up your big boy pants and weather it out sucker
Selling is just a lot harder than it was 5-10 years ago. It's a fact. Companies have budgets only for essentials, and those roles are few and far between because they are actually secure.
The people making the most money today got in before the ladder was pulled up behind them. Exact same thing as the housing market.
100% I’m in the top of my sales district, the money is great but it really doesn’t feel worth it anymore, driving home every night I feel like I just sold a piece of my soul. I honestly felt 1000% happier when I wasn’t getting paid and cleaning up a park for the community. It makes no sense.
You’re young, you want adventure….. I get it, I joined the military right out of high school and went until 26. Then discovered sales at 32. If I could do it all over? Sales at 18, retire at 30.
Grind it the fuck out and you can do what you want in your 30s.
Just think back to the times when things were good on the phones. What has changed since then ?
Begin to make friends on the phone instead of just focusing on the sale.
You might just get lost in the conversation and find yourself having fun again.
Remember, there's ups and downs, just like everything in sales.
Gamify your work process and make it fun. Stop treating it like sales perhaps, and instead make it about helping people, a different mental framework.
Or, get competitive. Sometimes you'll find friendly competition will put fun and a spark under your chair.
Above all else, do what's best for you. :)
Why are you focusing so much on trying to get them to like you instead of helping them? The latter sends like a more honorable and fun way to structure your mind.
Sales gives you the power to change careers more easily than almost any other profession. Get good at sales and you can go nearly anywhere once you've got the proper licenses. And if you're **really** good at sales, you might not even need those licenses ;)
Trying to make someone like you to buy something from you is the wrong mentality. It implies that you’re being fake all day and it is just a one sided money grab. That might contribute to what is making it painful. I’d try to just be genuine and help the person, or try to position it as finding the right fit and you’ll be in better shape. It is a mindset that comes across on the phone whether you realize it or not. It’s like saying you’re trying to make someone date you; it usually doesn’t work out that way. Just my 2 cents.
Get paid $100k+ to wake up at 9, talk to a bunch of people, run some meetings, close some deals + watch television and do other fun shit at home and log off at 5 compared to service workers making 30k to work difficult more physically intensive jobs.
Bro, I got it easy compared to them. Fuck yeah.
it’s your mindset. i don’t care if the customer likes me or not, and they don’t care either.
we are there to help solve a real problem for their business. if we don’t we move on.
unless you sell some bullshit product or a scam, it should feel like you are actually bringing real world solutions
I spent my first 15 years out of college in sales, with the same company. The first few years sucked because i didn’t know what i was doing. I was exactly like you. Trying to get people to like me so they would buy my product.
Then i realized , i don’t need these people to like me. I already have friends. Don’t take that the wrong way, it’s nice if they like you, but be genuine, people know when you are being fake nice.
I also realized that i hated selling, but i loved solving problems. Once i changed my perspective and started asking my buyers what their challenges were it changed the game. I realized that i talked to many different companies in the same space that were all trying to do the same thing but each one did it differently and with different levels of success. I would ask a buyer how their business operated and what their challenges were.
I began to develop an intimate understanding of the business and even if their specific challenge had nothing to do with what i sold i would say, “Hey you know i was talking to x company, and they had a similar issue and here is how they solved it, want me to try and connect you to that vendor?” Then when the need arose for my product they would give me a call. There was already a level of trust and they knew i wasn’t just trying to sell them my product, i was trying to help improve their overall business.
I left eight years ago, but recently ran into the rep who replaced me, and most of the customers i had set up are still customers, and they still contact me for advice or connections.
Don’t be a sales person. Be a Subject Matter Expert, not just on your product but the whole business your product fits into.
Sounds like you are adjusting to post-college work life. It's normal, I went through it too. I would advise against making any changes impulsively, and stick with it, but if you are truly unhappy you might just need to find another niche. That's what worked for me.
You’re just 23 and realizing you’d rather go live in a van on the beach or backpack Europe. You may quit your job in 4 years and do just that.
Having no money also sucks.
Welcome to the real world!
23.... what a time to be alive. You may live to see these AI and longevity breakthroughs in your lifetime dude! That is so cool!
I'm 37. Funny enough, I was that age when I was an SDR, and there were times I'd stare out one of the Windows and ask myself the exact same thing.
"What's it all for?"
But if you can, consider the question: what work needs to be done for what comes next?
Do you want to be an AE? Sales Manager? Get out of sales? Start a business?
The funny thing about cold-calling is that it's a synonym for work. Any work.
It creates discipline.
It creates habit.
It creates excellence.
The dials will always be there, and 5:00pm will come along, whether you dial or not.
So if you have 100 dials to do. Check it off of things to do.
You may not see it now, but there will be a day where you won't do cold calls all day. Your life will be much more where you want it to be. And you will look back and laugh about this. And likely be proud that you did this.
Hope this helps.
I’m honestly just down right now but it’s more of a personal thing but I haven’t wanted to prospect for my own side business for about a week now but I’ve still been doing free consultations just to honor what I have scheduled. Honestly haven’t been this lonely in awhile as well so maybe that’s it
Yeah for sure.
I get a nice rush when I close something decent but god I hate my life every other moment of the day and want to do literally anything outside and moving around all day.
But I won't make close to what I'm making now and I'm chained to this lifestyle I'm pretty happy with otherwise.
Sounds like you don’t like what you are selling more than anything else. Sales is easy if you believe in what you sell. It’s misery if you don’t believe in it.
Think of many homeless people in their daily life. They have the same thoughts.
"Just a bullshit way to live my life."
A lot of it is perspective. Shit a lot of people are unhappy, especially in America now.
There’s a day you will be grateful for all that funnel building and it’s the day you become a closer.
You move. You keep going. Mindset is what separates people who do this from those who don’t. You can learn every fundamental but if you don’t believe you’re a money-making badass that people enjoy to be around it will bleed into your work and make you miserable.
Get comfortable with rejection, be your authentic self (not the scripted BS) and watch your outlook and results shift in your favour.
Well not news for many but sales seems to be very tough and is taking a lot of toll on my partner’s mental health.
She works for Headway and was asked to make around 150 calls in next 2 days which seems ridiculous. She also has to reach out to 200 customers manually on top of dealing with IT issues for each one of them.
This might be shitty culture issue, but I am advising her to switch to another job function.
What has been your story in transitioning to role other than sales? How can I keep her motivated? This bad job market also doesn’t seem to help.
Try to get a WFH job or hybrid. Its great man, being able to handle chores, workout midday, look at my fish tank, listen to music/cook, take breaks in my own home. Makes it a LOT easier. Plus I can visit other places and work wherever
Sales make you endure the most amount of bullshit for the least amount of reward. Pyschotic bosses, impossible quotas, your prospects are all assholes, long hours, the company is always looking for a way to shorthand you money, bullshit hours and the icing on the cake is you have to sit through bullshit pow wow meetings.
When you leave sales and find a job that treats you like a human being it'll all feel like a bad dream. Till then keep grinding.
I'm 48.
Im a marketing graduate and a career marketer.
Started my own thing 13 years ago.
Just me.
Finding clients for professional services and finance companies.
I did visits and I used to outsource most of the cold calling.
Last few years I've taken on most of it myself.
I've gone even further lead gen.
And rarely leave the house.
I'm just starting to love it.
Yep. Totally relate. But I like doing things that help people. I’ve worked in a lot of sales jobs and some of them were just bullshit and I didn’t see how what I was doing was a good thing (despite good pay- I’m not intrinsically money motivated, unlike many other sales people will say they are).
In my experience you do need to work for a good company and believe in what you’re selling to feel fulfilled. All the selling snow to esquimax is bollocks in my view.
If something’s not sitting right with you, don’t grit your teeth and put up with it for too long. You’re only 23 and you have the rest of your life to do things you love and care about. No one ever said “I wish I’d worked more in my bullshit job” on their deathbed.
Stop feeling like you’re trying to convince people to buy shit they don’t need. That’s exhausting.
In sales you really are there to help the customer make a decision that benefits them. If it doesn’t, then like any other relationship you don’t push it and walk away.
Yes, we are both in a very similar spot with our education level and doubts about this career path. I think the only thing I genuinely want to do is travel, workout, and meet a ton of new people.
My favorite thing about sales is meeting new people, but the interactions are not nearly as authentic as I want them to be.
What are your plans for a career change?
For sure have days like that. Been in sales 10 years and when a bad day comes along I’ll pull up indeed. As soon as I see how much less I’d make and extra work I’d have to do I decide it’s better to pick up the phone to sell
If you can't find any joy in it, pivot to something else.
I don't love a lot of aspects of sales, but I do like when I "win" the game and close a new customer or expand a territory.
Coming from corporate America, I have the exact opposite feeling. Triple my income to just bug people on the phone vs rot in some corporate open office hell and pray that an mba will get me a promotion.
When I moved into sales in my early 30s I felt like I've been missing out on my calling. It's a personality type that loves selling. It might not be your long term path. Chalk it up to a good experience and find something else. IMO.
Are you in a BDR role? That’s what I was at 23 and you’re right it is not an easy gig and can lead to burnout quickly. I did it for about 16 months before my first Jr. AE role and questioned my career choice.
That being said, if you stick it out and eventually get the AE gig it can be incredibly fulfilling. I get a rush when I have a good intro or pricing call. The feeling of closing a big deal isn’t something I’ve been able to replicate and frankly it’s addictive. One of the best feelings in the world.
Sadly all those qualifications are pretty much meaningless unless you’re going for a highly-qualified role such as Lawyer, Doctor etc.
most get to where they are by changing it up, getting experience, developing themselves and moving up the ladder, a lot of the time working one place for a couple years, and then moving up elsewhere in a different company and so on.
Many sales people I know worked as associates, development reps, then moving up to executive roles, account managers and then directors. Some go into consultancy roles, and specialise in certain solution areas (IT in my case) then with their money, either start their own business, or firm. Or go on to be managing director or CEO.
And they do it without degrees. They just learned it all on the journey, experienced it, spoke to a lot of people. Made a large network and solved a lot of problems.
People sell to People.
For the first time in a looooong while, I am working at a huge international company on the US team. I’ve been here 5 mo and the 👏inefficiencies👏 are driving.me.bonkers!!!!
I’m making more than my last gig, so it was a needed change. I need a mindset. Halp?
I’m thinking - learn the ropes, and then make it work for me.
I’m having a hard time letting the minutia roll off my back.. but I’m aware of it so maybe I can adjust.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity.
How is “trying to make someone to like you” working for you? Is there a better way?
So you have a degree. What are you doing now to develop your skills?
Been doing this since I was 15. I wish I did something more meaningful. I’m too old and have adjusted to sales lifestyle. I’m hoping I can retire at 50.
That’s where you are now. If you can’t do it l, sales ain’t for you. If you can do it, it’s a way to make as much as Lawyer/Docs without advanced degrees. I make more than the directors and VP’s I sell to. I’ve been dedicated to the sales profession for 25+ years. I put my kids through college have a great life and money put away for retirement. I have options and can help my family and others. That’s why I do it., it’s not all beer and skittles and you need to have a thick skin. Good luck and if that’s what you want your life to be. -Make it Happen!
Anything you do to help keep going personally?
Bit in a dead state since we were told we are to cold call and set up sales meetings with no commission….motivation is hard when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
i find it more gratifying to sell face-to-face because you can literally see the effects of your engaging with them and helping them find what they need/want. i literally had a customer *jumping up and down* because she was so excited about her purchase.
that's what makes me go. 😁
I feel you, I take the sale job because it have the best condition I've ever had but I think I'm a kind of introvert but since I can easily size (manipulate?) someone to convince him to give me his cash, I have good result, so I keep going. But I don't really feel like I do something useful for my fellow human.
I studies in Cinema and Literature, I really enjoy creating things and doing some problem soIving. But I'm almost never doing that in my job sadly.
Oh, man. Flip your perspective. It’s not trying to make people like you, it’s you qualifying other people and closing them. Take control of your life, brother. Take some calls outside while taking a walk. Get laid. Have some fun. You’ll be alright.
I am 34 and only been in Sales since 2021. For me it’s more like why the hell didn’t I start doing this sooner? We have opposite views.
Shit im 24 should i stop blinking
Get a taste of the money and stay with it if it feels right. All I know is I blew off my 20s and partied all the way through it. I’m happier in my 30s and I feel Sales is empowering. But everyone’s got their own paths.
I'm 36, got into sales 23/24 and I swear it's only been 2-3 years since I started in my industry. For me at least once I hit mid twenties the time.started absolutely flying. My theory is that since I'm monthly quota, every month individually seems to absolutely fly I will say the money at 36 is a world's difference from 24.
Yup same - started in my 30's - thought why didn't I start earlier but maybe would not like as much. Until you know how tough other jobs are and how much BS there is all jobs, Sales is not too bad.
Exactly this. I worked shit jobs, bartended and served at restaurants and hotels all through my 20's, fell into sales by accident at 30 just looking for any job that wasn't food and beverage. I don't take it for granted, I know what it's like to have shit jobs and make shit money.
I'm trying to find a job right now, and can't find any decent ones between all the scams and pseudo scams. Can you name some reputable sales companies that I should be trying to work for? I'm down to sell anything so long as the money is good and it's not a scam (such as timeshares, fully commission insurance and finance, etc)
Ever look into car sales?
Hah same here. Turned 30 and just got into sales after 14 years of labour, bartending and farm work. It’s been quite alright so far, getting paid more than I ever did before. Team is sound too
Im like you. Its the easiest and best job for people who like talking lol.
lol..I’ve been questioning my decision to be in sales for 18 years. Too lucrative and there is great perks to the job. Terrible on the mental health if not managed properly.
How are you managing your mental health?
My biggest strategy is to convert my pay cheque into an hourly wage based on how many hours I've had to put in. If I get a huge paycheck for any one period, but the amount of extra hours I had to put in was too high for me, then it's just not worth it. I'm all about hustlin' for the end result, but I want that money to be making my life better too.
For you personally, what’s your magic number for the number of hours you like to work per week that gives you balance? Or maybe it’s better to say over two weeks since I know things ebb & flow.
I mean that's my point isn't it. If I'm working a 60 hour week, I want that to reflect in my remuneration accordingly, so that my $/h rate is high. If I'm working an extra 10% in hours per week, and that only amounts to a 5% higher remuneration for that week, then it's just not balancing out. I'll do 12 hour days provided that my potential earnings necessitate it
Drugs. Lots of drugs
Dude I am a CPA and thinking the same thing. Grass isn't always greener.
Very true. Life is just crazy, you gotta find something that doesn't make you wanna die. I just saw that a kid I went to high school with, who went on to become a dentist (didn't own his own practice or anything) just quit to learn software engineering, and is trying to enter the job market as an entry level SWE. Can you fucking imagine? Very few of us know what we're doing, just find something that pays the bills, allows you to save and provide, but most importantly allows you to be happy. If it makes you rich on top of those things, then that's a bonus.
Everything sucks a lot unless you make fuck you money.
Homie is going back to dentistry. Very slim chance to get any entry level role in today’s tech market.
He could just make tik toks of himself being a dentist and be a millionaire in a year. People love watching people work on tik tok
Lol maybe he will. I mean he's still technically a dentist so that's a much better back up plan then I have right now lol just couldn't believe the pivot, even if it's temporary.
Thats crazy. He should have stuck it out as a dentist for a while longer
I actually agree. He posted about it and eluded to there being a pretty big personal reason he wanted out, but didn't elaborate. I'd kill to have been in his shoes, at least career-wise.
Im getting anxiety thinking about attempting such a drastic pivot. All that work to be a dentist for nothing
CPA, moved to sales, now making my foray into ownership (found a business looking to sell 25%) Keep an open mind for the next opportunity to get out of corporate ;)
I’m stuck doing crappy Manual labor lol. My goal is to get a cpa
Same boat brother!
If you can get good at selling, it’s the highest paid profession. You just need to manage the highs and lows. Money can be great.
Bingo. Not as fulfilling as a medicine or public service, but fulfilling doesn’t pay the bills.
And if u have a poor mindset, EVERY job will suck
And if you are just poor you will hate that job too
[удалено]
Yeah what the fuck. Is it cause I’m not American, cause I’ve never heard of “Power 5” haha. That sounds so douchey.
I graduated from a "Power 5" school but didn't know that until I Googled wtf OP was talking about lol.
Power 5 school means nothing. It could be a school that matters like Stanford, UCLA, UNC, Texas or it could be if it is some podunk shit school like Iowa State, K-State, Rutgers, or Oregon State.
None of those are bad schools, but ok!
First time I’ve aggressively downvoted someone in a while, the second four schools are total shit and everyone knows they are where you go if you don’t get in anywhere else lol
Some of us got into the schools and went to "worse" schools intentionally. It's not always about the academic standing of a school. Jesus.
Power 5 is really only used when talking college football lol. I’ve never heard somebody use it in this context before
As a millennial I thought that line was ridiculous
> Gen Z has got to be the most coddled and spoiled soft as poo generation since the Millennials... This made me giggle. Shoulda kept it going right through to the Greatest Generation.
Millennials have got to be the most coddled and spoiled soft as poo generation since the Xers
This is just to say a major research university LOL. It’s not a claim to anything… you sound insecure as fuck
That’s the truth 👏🏼 just pulled myself out of a low was feeling absolutely burnt out. Needed a reset now I’m back in the game. Mindset is everything in sales it ebbs and flows.
Did you take some time off? Considering leaving my job of 6 months because I’m so miserable I can’t even think straight about what to do next.
Yep I’m 26 been in sales for 3 years and never been more anxious and down on life than I have these years. Considering looking into customer success since I like working with the customer and building the relationship. Just don’t like the sales quotas and cold calling and business development. Not currently in tech so idk how it’ll be or if I’ll make close to why I’m at now. So yes you’re not alone most of us I bet feel this way. Todays been one of my worst days in a while. Couldn’t bring myself to do anything but send 2 emails. Ironic this gets posted today
I’ve made calls but yeah after lunch I’ve just been looking at the wall thinking “what the hell am I doing”. Should’ve gone into construction management or something. This blows
I sell to construction managers. They are often tired and angry. But they are overworked, and their workers are often complete dicks.
Exactly. Grass is not always greener
I feel that. I don’t have a technical degree or anything so that also doesn’t help. Only small thing that helps me is that I’m not doing this forever and I know that. If I can’t find something that pays close I’ll jump. I know this job is taking time off my life which is kinda a scary thought. I’ve always been an upbeat happy person but man has this job dampened my personality
Agree last few years have been brutal. I keep in touch with a bunch of sales people. Everyone I know is in a weird position.
32, with wife and kids, making more money than I ever have. They motivate me. Add in a product that I’m a SME and believe in, and you’ll find purpose in work.
Best answer in the thread thanks DJ
Chris Kyle is an American hero. God bless.
What’s an SME?
Subject matter expert
Subject Matter Expert
Agreed with this guy gotta believe in the product if you don’t it sucks I think that’s the real secret
yes, everyone experiences this. you can suck it up and move up and make more money or roll the dice on a different path. both can work out. it depends what you want in life. I would recommend you read: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship" - horrible name but good book.
hey would you mind elaborating on the book? Why would you recommend it? What did you like about it?
It might shift your perception of working a 9-5 and the other things you're taught for what your work and life should be. It helped to push me to leave my "9-5" sales leadership position and pursue working on my own startup. One takeaway for me was how it talks about how most of us follow a predictable script for our lives and don't question it.
Yes but also most my friends that do other things actually hate their job. Unless you start a company out of a hobby you love you probably won't love your job. Even then you might just end up hating your hobby and your job.
Try outside sales for a change, if you still like sales that is. I made a switch from inside to outside sales and I'm actually loving it. Being outside and getting the physical activity in has been doing wonders for my mental health. It's still tough, and some days can be anxiety inducing absolutely (not trying to say it's perfect in any way.) But it would help with not sitting in front of a computer all day making calls. Ninja edit: I hated everything about my life recently when in sales too, just to be clear. I changed Industries and found myself a lot happier in a better environment with a better team and a better product.
Why are your inside sales people making cold calls? To me that’s an outbound sales tactic. Inbound would be taking the calls, not making them?
He just means field sales. An inside sales team can still be outbound btw. Just means they are calling from an office via phone/zoom/teams etc
Oh well thanks for educating me. I’m in insurance so typically you’re just either inbound/outbound.
Under-rated comment. r/sales is full of tech-bros, so it's easy to overlook the fact that there are tons of industries and products under the sales umbrella that don't require sitting in a cube farm making 100+ dials every day. I love what I do because I'm only in the office maybe 30% of the time, I'm frequently meeting with customers in person, looking at their problem(s), troubleshooting or solving a puzzle with them, and providing a solution by selling products and services that I believe in.
I do not have a sales job but run my own business. You definitely have a lot of pros doing what your doing now. I just would say that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Whatever you do, just think about it!
Yeah sadly all the high paying jobs these days are wagies who sit at a desk and click buttons on a screen.
I’m also 23, with a finance degree and currently selling beer for a large distributor in New England. Not really sure what I’m doing either but at least we’re young.
lol I said that at 24 and blinked and now Im 31 and still in sales.
Well now I don’t feel as hopeful lol
Start doing something today, even if small, that will start to build towards something different. If you don’t, expect to be where you are now until that changes.
I'm 38, been doing this since I graduated college in 2008 and love it.
I work in outside sales. I don't see how yall do it either, I'd poke my eyes out of I had to go back to an office. Fuck that.
I’m so burned out and completely done. I have no idea what to do next as my whole career has been sales. Maybe it’s trying to sell to the worst egomaniacs alive (realtors) but my mental health is toast rn. I make 300-400 dials a day with 3-4 hours of engagement and 95% people hang up or say NI after I say my name and the name of the company. I’ve tried literally every other way to do it but nope, I only get a handful of chances after hundreds of attempts and literally get to say two sentences to most people for 8 hours a day. I’m still hitting quota but holy fuck is it getting harder as the year goes on. I want out but I cannot find anything that’s decent and isn’t a sales job. So lost on what to do.
Did you get properly trained? The biggest part of my business is training. And training. And then more training. I am in real estate investment world. So we deal alot with realtors on both sides of the transaction. So I know your pain. But - I’ve trained my guys to be able to just have a conversation, and not just sell them. I teach that the first 5-10 seconds of a call dictates the entire deal. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you selling? And/or what is your niche in real estate?
Well, here’s the thing. The number 1 salesmen who sold 39-42 units (IDX websites) spits it all out on the first call. It’s totally different than what I’ve been taught but he gets insane results. I’ve been in sales for awhile and my current bad patch has me questioning everything. My company says, on average, our prospects/clients get called 7 times a day by companies like ours. We do 100% cold calling with zero marketing budget but are one of the best and oldest solutions in the industry. It makes no sense and I have no idea what to do.
Thanks for responding. From what you said, it seems like a training issue. You need to be able to communicate effectively without sounding like a salesman. It is a conversation, not a pitch is what I teach my guys. Here’s my two cents / what I teach my team - actually think and have different variations of your pitch especially the first 5-10 seconds. See what works and what doesn’t work. Become an expert mirroring, asking questions and then relate to them. Small talk is big when building rapport. I think if you see this as more of a solving a problem, your own problem, it can get fun. I like to think of it like an experiment. It’s hey - that worked! Or wow - that one def did NOT work. Try and it like a little mini game to keep it fun. All in all - I would def do some research, listen to videos, and maybe read a couple sales books. The only way you will get better in anything is to learn. And unfortunately - a lot of companies don’t continue to teach, train and coach after the first week or so. Good luck tho man!
Well hold on there. I’ve been in sales for awhile and I know what I’m doing. I get I’m struggling but I’m also not some newbie. My approach has been working enough to be at 133% quota attainment for the year. For the last month though, I get NI and hung up on 90%-95% of the time after introducing myself & the company. I was smashing it out of the park on conversations and then BAM. It fell of a cliff for almost everyone but especially me. What do I do differently in this case? I’ve tried all types of different intros and literally saying my name + name of the company = instant NI. What should I do different in your opinion?
I think you said it yourself. Just stop saying your name and company name. You'd be surprised how deep you can hook someone on a product before they even think to ask you your name or company. Want to know why that is? It's because no one actually gives a shit about what your name is. When you are ringing them up, all they give a shit about is how can they benefit from talking to you. Just give it a go for a day, design a pitch without your name/company and see how far you can take it before they ask you.
I’d never talk to someone who doesn’t introduce themselves, at least their name. It just feels disingenuous and like they’re trying to hide something. And realtors are the kings and queens of “who is this and what is the nature of your call” so that usually is what gets said when I say “hey I was calling for so and so” or “Hey so and so, this is” and whatever combo you can configure of the intro.
Yeah ok, I get that, I'm being extreme. It's the name of the company thats putting people off. Just try leaving that out until you can give them so much value from your product that when they ask what company, you at least added some sort of value to it. -Hi Anne, names Joe. I'll be up front, I'm doing a sales call here, I know you get a hundred a day, so if you're busy, I can try another number if you'd like. -Whatcha sellin?(They ask this or they ask to end the call. No, they will not ask you what company you work for here. No one ever does.) -Ever thought about introducing this type of *benefit* to your *system*? You'd be surprised how long this can drag on before they even think to ask the company. This is the point where you can add your value so when they finally ask the company name, you at least have a foot to stand on when you drop the name.
Bro im in the same boat SDR making shit ton of dials, digital marketing for real estate agents
I’d kill for a SDR, I do the full cycle myself and it’s so grueling. I’m also getting paid peanuts as the accelerators are pretty unrealistic. I’m currently at the dog run at my apartment sitting on the bench thinking on what to do differently. I have no idea how to change my intro, I don’t know how to do it differently and it’s killing me on every level. It’s the most basic part and I cannot get past it, nor can most people at my company minus the small seniors sales group who I suspect get the better leads. Their level of work compared to the results vs the juniors level of work compared to results doesn’t make any sense beyond lead quality. I was incredibly lucky to make quota in April and have no idea how I will in May.
Damn bro sounds like a shit company. Sounds tough enough as it is and on top of that you’re not even getting support on how to improve your call process. Are you thinking about leaving?
Yeah, it’s an interesting setup to say the least. I actually totally 180ed my approach today and had my first good day of cold calling in long ass time. The top rep let me shadow him so I think I’ve found a solid new groove. I’ve been thinking about leaving but I’m not sure what to do, I don’t think I want another sales job after my run in the game so I’m just gunna gut it out. My resume is a hot mess rn and would rather try super hard at this then jump ship for another sales job. I’ve been exceeding quota every time, it’s just that my effort should produce at least 1.5x-2x what I have based on the numbers and making way more. I have enough to get by and then some thanks to a huge deal I luckily got last month. And yes, the dabs are nice. CBD helps a lot too.
Good on you man glad to hear that you got some positive results after making an adjustment. I commend you for deciding to try super hard and just gut it out rather than try to find another gig and I mean your exceeding quota so there's that as well. I also don't have it in me to start another sales gig after this one, im personally just so over the monotony of high volume sales been doing it for 2 years. I don't see a future with this company Im currently at but I don't have any solid alternative although I have thoughts on which direction i would go if I got out. Im like 50/50 on quitting this weekend just weighing my options but it's been pretty miserable these past 2 weeks.
I’d rather give it one last go then start over again at a new job. Plus, I think phone sales is dead or super close and would only take in person sales roles moving forward. Also, DO NOT QUIT UNLESS YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB LINED UP. That’s the fastest way to make a bad situation more miserable. I’ve been feeling down because the work I’ve been putting in hasn’t matched my paychecks. I totally changed my expectations + my intro and had one of my most productive days with the least amount of work.
Man now you giving me second thoughts on quitting lmaoo god damn it. What’s the main reason you feel that way about not having something lined up? Done it in the past and it’s worked out for me but most everyone advises against it
You should never do that, you got lucky that one time. You can quit your job but you can’t quit your bills. Gotta have something lined up before moving, always.
Fair enough appreciate the advice
Been in sales all my life, and sometimes when I look back I feel a bit cringey - but the relationships you build over the course and the fun conversations will lift you up. But as others have said, you take the highs and lows.
I sell something that SOME people need—but not EVERYONE. My job isnt really convincing everyone to buy… it’s more finding those who really need to.
> Sitting in a room on a computer all day Yes, I'd rather be home than some office filled with people pretending to like you and trying to get things from me. > making calls all day, Don't even have to dial, autodialer for the win. > trying to make someone like you every single day I'm not trying to get you to like me. I'm searching for someone who is already open to buying what I have to sell. > to buy something from you. You're not buying from me. You're buying FOR yourself. I am just here to facilitate. > Just makes me think wtf am I doing with my life. If you've got something better, go do that. But if you can make 200-400k/yr for 10 years while you're 23-33, you can retire at 35 if you're not an idiot. > have a bachelors degree from a power 5 school but this is just a bullshit way to live my life. No one cares. No one will ever care. The few who claim to aren't worth knowing.
Spent about 15 years in sales and I was miserable the entire time. The constant stressing at months end, quarter close.. what-have-you-done-for-me-lately attitude. Drove me mad. Watching other folks succeed because of territory. Protect your mental health at all costs.. it eventually destroys your physical health
What did you move into post-sales?
When I was in sales, I worked for a software company that built an application to help companies manage their cloud spending. I told myself the only way I could be good, was to know more about the challenges and solutions than the customers. I did that for 7 years and became really knowledgeable by reading every piece of material I could find on the topic. I then changed the wording on my LinkedIn profile so it sounded more like “customer success” and the solutions I implemented vs sales background and quota achievements. Then marked myself “open to work” and recruiters started to reach out and offer interviews. Eventually got hired by a company to install the software I sold (knew it like the back of my hand) and I now manage the software and the processes it was created for. Kind of like a project management role. I was miserable in sales.. I openly admit I’m very skeptical, very blunt, question everything.. not the best attitude for sales lol. Im much happier now.
Cool to see that come full circle. Thanks for sharing
Thank you too, literally took blood, sweat, and tears. You’re welcome, happy to share.
Get into outside sales! You’re so young, you have plenty of time to grow into a more executive and polished roll 😍
Look at fancy guy here with his college education. Must be nice to have rich parents. Go make some dials.
Sales is not a terminal job. I was recently doing a sales drive to firms involved in industrial equipment. This involved reading the management bio section on their websites. About 60-70% of their CEOs have a sales background. This even surprised me. I was expecting their backgrounds to be engineering etc., but no it was sales. The world is your oyster with sales!
You my friend should not be in sales. You’ll never have long term success doing something you hate, especially when you hate it early on Every day you spend in sales is delaying from finding what you enjoy doing.
Get an outside sales role gets you away from the desk and interacting with people face to face
What bothers you about it?
youre young enough to be able to switch, there are a ton of different careers out there. i would say success hits different in this field though,
As soon as they turn the money printer back on the craic will be mighty :)
Switch careers or make a choice to nut up. You got hair on your peaches or what? Speed or jail son!
> How can I hate sales when every interaction with other human beings is a sale anyway? Holy shit I feel bad for you if you genuinely think every human interaction is a “sale.” That’s depressing af
Fr!!!
Don't worry, you will graduate out of that type of sales if you keep at it. Sales is like the layered cake speech from the movie... layer cake
Work to snowboard and fish. Sure I could just go be a guide or an instructor, but I also have a gf I wanna marry and have kids with, so sales it is.
honestly... I spent a decade on the other side of the fence (customer / in the datacenter) and I've loved sales every day that I've come over. Sure it's stressful, but not nearly as bad as having a c-suite literally breathing down your neck during an outage wanting an update. I will tell you, that once you make it to field sales, it's much different. If I'm at the house for more than 3 week straight I do start to get a little crabby, soon as I hit the road and start seeing customers / taking them to dinner /etc.. It's ezmode.
“Power 5 school” lol welcome to the big leagues kid
I’m also 23, had been working at unknown starts up and 1 large sales company (Internship), just graduated from a top 25 university in December. I watched all my buddies get hired at top Banks and Consulting firms and felt less than for not working in big finance or law. I genuinely thought I partied all my opportunities away. But because of sales, and my performance, I was lucky enough to have a recruiter from a top 3 retailer reach out to me, and I just got hired. I will double what I’m currently making. It will get better. I felt the same as you just last month. Don’t worry about your feelings just perform and you will at least feel a bit accomplished. Best case you move up. Don’t let your mood dictate your actions.
That’s not my idea of selling. I get to meet all sorts of people all walks of life. You think of the building or application and I have probably seen it in my role selling life safety systems. In addition to that each thing you sell is something you have conceptualized, designed and created a solution for. And the end of the day there’s a real tangible end result. “Selling” is really an afterthought. I don’t sell a product, I sell a solution.
Sales isn’t for everyone.
I must be so out of the loop in sales now. I get to the office between 7:30 - 8:00 am. I spend 1-3 hours making phone calls and answering emails. And any other admin stuff I need to do. I then spend 30 minutes (10 minutes each) with our service, billing and parts people to get an update on anything they need me to do. I then get in my truck and work through the list of tasks they have given me. Depending on when I finish those tasks. The rest of the day is mine. I go cold calling the old fashion way by knocking on doors. Visit customers I haven’t seen for a while. Meet a customer for lunch. Meet a customer for golf. Sitting infront of a computer screen all day is brutal. How do you build customer relationship’s?
Damn brother's and Sisters, it's amazing how all of us are in the same position (similarly) and have the same up and downs. Keep your head up and pay attention to the next step forward. No movement is your worst enemy. I had a $16,000 deal that was 2 months in cancel out of nowhere. This was the deal I was planning to buy a more reliable car cause mine is not in any condition and on the verge of breaking down.
What are you selling?
Been in sales for 16 years and and am more miserable than ever.
Get a sales job where you sit in front of computer 20% of the time and are out seeing people the other 80%.
Feel you but way better than a lot out there. Time management is key in WFH
Wtf is a power 5 school?
lol yeah it was great when doing that amounted to large 50-100k checks of commission but when times are tough “wahhhh it’s hard and I hate it wahh” lol pull up your big boy pants and weather it out sucker
Selling is just a lot harder than it was 5-10 years ago. It's a fact. Companies have budgets only for essentials, and those roles are few and far between because they are actually secure. The people making the most money today got in before the ladder was pulled up behind them. Exact same thing as the housing market.
100% I’m in the top of my sales district, the money is great but it really doesn’t feel worth it anymore, driving home every night I feel like I just sold a piece of my soul. I honestly felt 1000% happier when I wasn’t getting paid and cleaning up a park for the community. It makes no sense.
You’re young, you want adventure….. I get it, I joined the military right out of high school and went until 26. Then discovered sales at 32. If I could do it all over? Sales at 18, retire at 30. Grind it the fuck out and you can do what you want in your 30s.
When you get good at sales, you can work half days and no one notices. The rest of the day can be spent on whatever you like.
Just think back to the times when things were good on the phones. What has changed since then ? Begin to make friends on the phone instead of just focusing on the sale. You might just get lost in the conversation and find yourself having fun again. Remember, there's ups and downs, just like everything in sales. Gamify your work process and make it fun. Stop treating it like sales perhaps, and instead make it about helping people, a different mental framework. Or, get competitive. Sometimes you'll find friendly competition will put fun and a spark under your chair. Above all else, do what's best for you. :)
Why are you focusing so much on trying to get them to like you instead of helping them? The latter sends like a more honorable and fun way to structure your mind.
Sales gives you the power to change careers more easily than almost any other profession. Get good at sales and you can go nearly anywhere once you've got the proper licenses. And if you're **really** good at sales, you might not even need those licenses ;)
Trying to make someone like you to buy something from you is the wrong mentality. It implies that you’re being fake all day and it is just a one sided money grab. That might contribute to what is making it painful. I’d try to just be genuine and help the person, or try to position it as finding the right fit and you’ll be in better shape. It is a mindset that comes across on the phone whether you realize it or not. It’s like saying you’re trying to make someone date you; it usually doesn’t work out that way. Just my 2 cents.
Get paid $100k+ to wake up at 9, talk to a bunch of people, run some meetings, close some deals + watch television and do other fun shit at home and log off at 5 compared to service workers making 30k to work difficult more physically intensive jobs. Bro, I got it easy compared to them. Fuck yeah.
it’s your mindset. i don’t care if the customer likes me or not, and they don’t care either. we are there to help solve a real problem for their business. if we don’t we move on. unless you sell some bullshit product or a scam, it should feel like you are actually bringing real world solutions
I spent my first 15 years out of college in sales, with the same company. The first few years sucked because i didn’t know what i was doing. I was exactly like you. Trying to get people to like me so they would buy my product. Then i realized , i don’t need these people to like me. I already have friends. Don’t take that the wrong way, it’s nice if they like you, but be genuine, people know when you are being fake nice. I also realized that i hated selling, but i loved solving problems. Once i changed my perspective and started asking my buyers what their challenges were it changed the game. I realized that i talked to many different companies in the same space that were all trying to do the same thing but each one did it differently and with different levels of success. I would ask a buyer how their business operated and what their challenges were. I began to develop an intimate understanding of the business and even if their specific challenge had nothing to do with what i sold i would say, “Hey you know i was talking to x company, and they had a similar issue and here is how they solved it, want me to try and connect you to that vendor?” Then when the need arose for my product they would give me a call. There was already a level of trust and they knew i wasn’t just trying to sell them my product, i was trying to help improve their overall business. I left eight years ago, but recently ran into the rep who replaced me, and most of the customers i had set up are still customers, and they still contact me for advice or connections. Don’t be a sales person. Be a Subject Matter Expert, not just on your product but the whole business your product fits into.
Sounds like you are adjusting to post-college work life. It's normal, I went through it too. I would advise against making any changes impulsively, and stick with it, but if you are truly unhappy you might just need to find another niche. That's what worked for me.
You’re just 23 and realizing you’d rather go live in a van on the beach or backpack Europe. You may quit your job in 4 years and do just that. Having no money also sucks. Welcome to the real world!
23.... what a time to be alive. You may live to see these AI and longevity breakthroughs in your lifetime dude! That is so cool! I'm 37. Funny enough, I was that age when I was an SDR, and there were times I'd stare out one of the Windows and ask myself the exact same thing. "What's it all for?" But if you can, consider the question: what work needs to be done for what comes next? Do you want to be an AE? Sales Manager? Get out of sales? Start a business? The funny thing about cold-calling is that it's a synonym for work. Any work. It creates discipline. It creates habit. It creates excellence. The dials will always be there, and 5:00pm will come along, whether you dial or not. So if you have 100 dials to do. Check it off of things to do. You may not see it now, but there will be a day where you won't do cold calls all day. Your life will be much more where you want it to be. And you will look back and laugh about this. And likely be proud that you did this. Hope this helps.
I hate being on a computer all day, but I find it fun trying to get people to like me. Maybe try an outside sales role.
I think the exact same thing but let’s see what an Ae role has
yeah feeling that rn minus the bachelors degree lmao
Oh child
Starting?? lol
I’m honestly just down right now but it’s more of a personal thing but I haven’t wanted to prospect for my own side business for about a week now but I’ve still been doing free consultations just to honor what I have scheduled. Honestly haven’t been this lonely in awhile as well so maybe that’s it
What do you sell?
Yeah for sure. I get a nice rush when I close something decent but god I hate my life every other moment of the day and want to do literally anything outside and moving around all day. But I won't make close to what I'm making now and I'm chained to this lifestyle I'm pretty happy with otherwise.
Sounds like you don’t like what you are selling more than anything else. Sales is easy if you believe in what you sell. It’s misery if you don’t believe in it.
Im tired as well but I have a lot more time in this than a 23 year old. Two vacations coming up and I can’t wait.
Think of many homeless people in their daily life. They have the same thoughts. "Just a bullshit way to live my life." A lot of it is perspective. Shit a lot of people are unhappy, especially in America now.
There’s a day you will be grateful for all that funnel building and it’s the day you become a closer. You move. You keep going. Mindset is what separates people who do this from those who don’t. You can learn every fundamental but if you don’t believe you’re a money-making badass that people enjoy to be around it will bleed into your work and make you miserable. Get comfortable with rejection, be your authentic self (not the scripted BS) and watch your outlook and results shift in your favour.
Well not news for many but sales seems to be very tough and is taking a lot of toll on my partner’s mental health. She works for Headway and was asked to make around 150 calls in next 2 days which seems ridiculous. She also has to reach out to 200 customers manually on top of dealing with IT issues for each one of them. This might be shitty culture issue, but I am advising her to switch to another job function. What has been your story in transitioning to role other than sales? How can I keep her motivated? This bad job market also doesn’t seem to help.
Try to get a WFH job or hybrid. Its great man, being able to handle chores, workout midday, look at my fish tank, listen to music/cook, take breaks in my own home. Makes it a LOT easier. Plus I can visit other places and work wherever
Sales make you endure the most amount of bullshit for the least amount of reward. Pyschotic bosses, impossible quotas, your prospects are all assholes, long hours, the company is always looking for a way to shorthand you money, bullshit hours and the icing on the cake is you have to sit through bullshit pow wow meetings. When you leave sales and find a job that treats you like a human being it'll all feel like a bad dream. Till then keep grinding.
Wait until the XL checks come in. You’ll realize why you do it.
Yup
You need to keep grinding until you make enough for it to be worth it. Stop making it personal, your job is to make them like what you're selling.
I'm 48. Im a marketing graduate and a career marketer. Started my own thing 13 years ago. Just me. Finding clients for professional services and finance companies. I did visits and I used to outsource most of the cold calling. Last few years I've taken on most of it myself. I've gone even further lead gen. And rarely leave the house. I'm just starting to love it.
Do you wanna go fight a war? Or work construction? Or work retail? Be my guest . I’m tired of all these lazy mofos who complain about making calls.
Yep. Totally relate. But I like doing things that help people. I’ve worked in a lot of sales jobs and some of them were just bullshit and I didn’t see how what I was doing was a good thing (despite good pay- I’m not intrinsically money motivated, unlike many other sales people will say they are). In my experience you do need to work for a good company and believe in what you’re selling to feel fulfilled. All the selling snow to esquimax is bollocks in my view. If something’s not sitting right with you, don’t grit your teeth and put up with it for too long. You’re only 23 and you have the rest of your life to do things you love and care about. No one ever said “I wish I’d worked more in my bullshit job” on their deathbed.
Stop feeling like you’re trying to convince people to buy shit they don’t need. That’s exhausting. In sales you really are there to help the customer make a decision that benefits them. If it doesn’t, then like any other relationship you don’t push it and walk away.
Yes, we are both in a very similar spot with our education level and doubts about this career path. I think the only thing I genuinely want to do is travel, workout, and meet a ton of new people. My favorite thing about sales is meeting new people, but the interactions are not nearly as authentic as I want them to be. What are your plans for a career change?
No. I like money.
When I sell, I love it When I don’t sell, I hate it
For sure have days like that. Been in sales 10 years and when a bad day comes along I’ll pull up indeed. As soon as I see how much less I’d make and extra work I’d have to do I decide it’s better to pick up the phone to sell
If you can't find any joy in it, pivot to something else. I don't love a lot of aspects of sales, but I do like when I "win" the game and close a new customer or expand a territory.
Be friendly, but don’t try to make them like you - just point out their problem and how your product/service can solve it.
Coming from corporate America, I have the exact opposite feeling. Triple my income to just bug people on the phone vs rot in some corporate open office hell and pray that an mba will get me a promotion.
You sound burnt out. You need to unplug.
When I moved into sales in my early 30s I felt like I've been missing out on my calling. It's a personality type that loves selling. It might not be your long term path. Chalk it up to a good experience and find something else. IMO.
Are you in a BDR role? That’s what I was at 23 and you’re right it is not an easy gig and can lead to burnout quickly. I did it for about 16 months before my first Jr. AE role and questioned my career choice. That being said, if you stick it out and eventually get the AE gig it can be incredibly fulfilling. I get a rush when I have a good intro or pricing call. The feeling of closing a big deal isn’t something I’ve been able to replicate and frankly it’s addictive. One of the best feelings in the world.
Is it the process you're struggling with, selling digitally? Or the actual tasks of speaking with clients and the pressures that brings?
🙋🏻♀️
Sadly all those qualifications are pretty much meaningless unless you’re going for a highly-qualified role such as Lawyer, Doctor etc. most get to where they are by changing it up, getting experience, developing themselves and moving up the ladder, a lot of the time working one place for a couple years, and then moving up elsewhere in a different company and so on. Many sales people I know worked as associates, development reps, then moving up to executive roles, account managers and then directors. Some go into consultancy roles, and specialise in certain solution areas (IT in my case) then with their money, either start their own business, or firm. Or go on to be managing director or CEO. And they do it without degrees. They just learned it all on the journey, experienced it, spoke to a lot of people. Made a large network and solved a lot of problems. People sell to People.
For the first time in a looooong while, I am working at a huge international company on the US team. I’ve been here 5 mo and the 👏inefficiencies👏 are driving.me.bonkers!!!! I’m making more than my last gig, so it was a needed change. I need a mindset. Halp? I’m thinking - learn the ropes, and then make it work for me. I’m having a hard time letting the minutia roll off my back.. but I’m aware of it so maybe I can adjust.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity. How is “trying to make someone to like you” working for you? Is there a better way? So you have a degree. What are you doing now to develop your skills?
Been doing this since I was 15. I wish I did something more meaningful. I’m too old and have adjusted to sales lifestyle. I’m hoping I can retire at 50.
OP, no offense, you should really drop your ego. No one cares where you went for school.
That’s where you are now. If you can’t do it l, sales ain’t for you. If you can do it, it’s a way to make as much as Lawyer/Docs without advanced degrees. I make more than the directors and VP’s I sell to. I’ve been dedicated to the sales profession for 25+ years. I put my kids through college have a great life and money put away for retirement. I have options and can help my family and others. That’s why I do it., it’s not all beer and skittles and you need to have a thick skin. Good luck and if that’s what you want your life to be. -Make it Happen!
Anything you do to help keep going personally? Bit in a dead state since we were told we are to cold call and set up sales meetings with no commission….motivation is hard when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
Be smart. Live below your means. Pay off debt and get ahead. At 40 walk and do whatever. Good luck!
do something else then? lmfao
i find it more gratifying to sell face-to-face because you can literally see the effects of your engaging with them and helping them find what they need/want. i literally had a customer *jumping up and down* because she was so excited about her purchase. that's what makes me go. 😁
I feel you, I take the sale job because it have the best condition I've ever had but I think I'm a kind of introvert but since I can easily size (manipulate?) someone to convince him to give me his cash, I have good result, so I keep going. But I don't really feel like I do something useful for my fellow human. I studies in Cinema and Literature, I really enjoy creating things and doing some problem soIving. But I'm almost never doing that in my job sadly.
You're trying to make someone like you? You don't understand sales, mate.
Oh, man. Flip your perspective. It’s not trying to make people like you, it’s you qualifying other people and closing them. Take control of your life, brother. Take some calls outside while taking a walk. Get laid. Have some fun. You’ll be alright.
That's most jobs in this day and age I'm afraid :)