Getting Into Sales

SirKolbath · 2018-07-05T16:13:52+00:00

I can't tell if this is good advice or not, but I have a friend who worked for me that was pretty ambitious and decided to move into sales. He went to several car dealerships and told them he wanted to learn to be a salesman. Literally walked from dealer to dealer down what we call "auto row" in our town. (A lot of cities have at least one street where all the car dealerships are.) I think it was the third or fourth one he went to that took a chance on him and hired him. He talked the owner into some incentives, "If I am one of your top five sellers in August, you're going to send me to a sales seminar to learn how to be even better. It's an investment for both of us." I haven't talked to him in a few months, but the owner/manager (I don't know which.) agreed. He didn't make his sales target the first couple of months, but he worked hard enough that the manager sent him anyway.

If I were at all interested in sales I'd probably do something similar. Remember that the first thing you're selling is yourself.

Jani1157 · 2018-07-05T16:32:38+00:00

Just a brief forward of who I am. I've worked in sales my whole life and right now am the fitness director of a gym where I have to attain new personal training clients.

I'd say the first thing you should keep in mind is "Like, Know, Trust." They have to like you, know you and know you know what you're talking about, and they have to trust that you are looking out for them about this subject more than they would.

Probably the most important thing that's helped me out the most is understanding it's not your job to worry about how much something costs, it's theirs. Your job in any sales is to find balance for them. It will free up more time for you to focus on the value and the why. Everyone has a gap they need you to bridge to get them from where they are about making a decision to actually moving forward with a yes. Your energy needs to be focused there, it'll make the close SO much easier for you.

GayLubeOil · 2018-07-05T21:49:55+00:00

Sales is an absolute meat grinder. It's very easy to get into sales however the survival rate is low.

How do I get into Soviet Shock Infantry? Easy. How do you survive...

Swan_in_a_Cage · 2018-07-05T18:23:56+00:00

If you can sell yourself, you can sell things for other selves.

moviemaker10 · 2018-07-05T19:23:07+00:00

Do what i did five years ago when I got into sales. Dress well. Have a $20-40 haircut. Have a firm handshake. Look your interviewer in the eye. Be able to carry a conversation. I sound like a 60 year old man talking about the ‘glory days’ but I’m 22 now... started selling cars at 17. Shit works man.

Zahlix · 2018-07-06T04:22:33+00:00

I am currently moving into technical sales. Engineering degree + 4 years of experience in R&D/Product development. Personally I think it is best if you thoroughly understand what you are trying to sell. I also think that classic sales people are going to die.

Marketing does all the information work in a B2C (business to consumer) world. The sales part is taken care of by an online shop. In the B2B (business to business) world you will still have key account salesmen, especially if we are talking about products that need a lot of support of explaining.

If you are currently working in healthcare, you should look into sales in that area. Having a suitable background will make it easier for you to understand your product and the customers needs.

Title	Getting Into Sales
Author	DrBarnabyJonesJr
Upvotes	9
Comments	8
Date	July 5, 2018 4:07 PM UTC (8 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/8wbnli/getting_into_sales/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/getting-into-sales.101881 https://theredarchive.com/post/101881

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