Sales instead of law? Forum

[rdawkins28]

Just be aware that there are all sorts of different types of sales, and a waiter/waitress position is on the very easy side of sales. I worked as a waiter many years ago while in undergrad. As a waiter, I didn't have to go out and get business. I didn't have to make cold calls. I didn't have to travel to clients and engage in a 3-18 month sales cycle. I didn't have to worry about competition.

Here are some of my sales support experience:

Software sales to large customers - it was a beating. The sales people have to lie like a dog on how well the software works and how short the implementation cycle is. Meet quota or get the boot.

Outsourcing services - That's a real beating. Extremely long sales cycle. And customers and their employees hate you.

Organic Food industry - A multi-level beating. Heavy competition. Have to deal with brokers, distributors, and retailers - all of whom are pretty much piranhas since the food producers need them more than they need the food producers. For every type of product, there are hundreds of producers killing for shelf space.

Then of course there are the simple sales such as real estate and automobiles. Where we are, real estate is booming so the money is good but there are like zillions of realtors.

So I would advise you to assess yourself, are you the type of salesperson who doesn't have to find and pursue his leads to make a sale? Or are you the type who has customers go to him (car salesperson for example) and just have to sell to those ready buyers. If you think you fit either one, find the position that fits your capabilities.

[CanadianWolf]

Sales positions cover a wide range from basic jobs to careers & from tangibles to intangibles.

For one contemplating a career in selling intangibles, the rewards can be very high, but so is the failure rate. For those seeking a career in intangible sales, trust is the single most important attribute, followed by people skills, resilience (Dealing with Rejection) & then knowledge. Many sales positions are in the financial realm (investment & insurance products). Most firms & companies in the world of intangible sales have pre-hire tests that attempt to gauge an applicant's suitability for that field. Fail the screening test & you will not be offered even a fully commissioned position as you will be viewed as a waste of overhead expenditures & of training resources.

Tangible sales is much easier (for some products a recent issue of Consumer Reports can greatly assist in the sales process), but the rewards are less because a tangible item often "sells itself". Likeability (interpersonal skills) & product knowledge are important. All sales positions require self imposed discipline.

Some Fortune 500 firms recruit from elite undergraduate schools for management training programs which include a rotation in sales & sales management. Occasionally, some major companies recruit recent MBA or JD degree holders for development as sales managers.

Real estate sales really depends upon the availability of funds. If banks aren't lending, then very few sales occur whether in residential or commercial real estate.

Medical sales can pay well. Pharmaceuticals sales reps typically earn less than those selling medical equipment--but either can be lucrative.

[CanadianWolf]

As an aside, I remember when cell phones first became available to the general public. In the 1980s many salespeople in this consumer field were making in the $90,000-$100,000 range in their first year. Users were charged by the minute--even for local calls. Sales reps earned a commission off of each minute charged. As I recall, many came from minimum wage positions--such as fast food workers--into this hot product field.

[kalvano]

As an aside, I remember when cell phones first became available to the general public. In the 1980s many salespeople in this consumer field were making in the $90,000-$100,000 range in their first year. Users were charged by the minute--even for local calls. Sales reps earned a commission off of each minute charged. As I recall, many came from minimum wage positions--such as fast food workers--into this hot product field.

I remember my mom having one and it was like $0.40 per minute for calls, so I wasn't allowed to touch it.

[Aquila]

I have two possible opportunities so far. I will be interviewing for an entry level sales/business development position with SevOne and probably interviewing with a pharmaceutical company within the next week or two... Any insight to SevOne or pharma sales specifically!

[Aquila]

If you're going to become an attorney, you better be able to sell yourself. It's one of those intangible things that no amount of law school can teach you though. You can get A's from start to finish but if you can't sign the client sitting in front of you, then you're not a lot better than a cigar-store indian.

Can you sell a client on your firm? Can you sell a jury on your argument? An appellate court? When you're out and about and just happen to hear someone talking about a matter you might be able to help them with, can you tactfully approach them and eventually land them (provided they actually need a lawyer)?

Of course not all attorney jobs require the above skills. But make no mistake about it, if you can't communicate to the person sitting across from you that you see their cause and themselves the same way they do, then find a job in the legal profession where your interaction with others is minimal. Or, if you get assigned to a case where one lawyer has just quit the firm and now you're picking where he/she left off with a client, can you make that client comfortable? Can you maintain their trust in the firm? If not then either right or wrong, that person may file a malpractice suit. The least negative thing that's going to happen is that they'll badmouth you and the firm to people they know, thereby cutting off any future business from that person and the people he/she knows.

got a phone interview with a tech sales company ironically after all

And selling isn't, as the OP so crassly put it, "Selling people shit they don't need." If that's your attitude then get a gig at a crappy used car lot where people will expect to deal with a slimy salesman. It isn't about fooling some sucker, it's about showing them why your product is better in some way that's important to them; or why your argument is better. Further, people aren't that stupid. I guarantee if you're out to screw them, the vast, vast majority will see through that. And the leftovers are people one should be ashamed to take advantage of.

You think that because you're a waiter you're a good salesman? How tough is it to sell to somebody who came into the place on their own, is sitting in your section, and has no choice but to place an order through you? Here's a hint: that isn't sales. Unless of course, "Would you like dessert?" is considered sales. But it isn't.

When you have to compete with who knows how many other highly motivated people--not people who are motivated to get a good grade, but to put food on their family's table--then you'll understand what real sales are. And it's very personal. Often what a sale comes down to is who they like better--you or the other guy. Sometimes they like the other guy bette--and that hurts. This goes even more for business to business sales where the establishment of a relationship is so crucial, but it also applies to the legal field as well.

Good post. One of my best friends is in (tech-related) sales and does very well for himself, but he vastly outperforms everyone else around him. Over 90% of people struggle and end up quitting or hopping around between companies since it's an area really based on relationships and the trust you can build with clients. He has bank CTOs and other high-level execs calling him up when they need something - he works hard but his employer gives him a lot of flexibility since they realize the revenue he pulls in. Stay away from the shady consumer products and try to offer a high-value product (for example, data storage or IT services to companies) that you believe in and that could be lucrative with the high commissions and residuals. Single deals can be worth six figures to the salesperson but it's not easy to get to the point where you're talking to clients about that sort of undertaking. Especially for a field as esoteric as tech, one way you can differentiate yourself from the boneheads is to really understand the product and how it could benefit your clients.