Feeling Trapped. Where to go from here?

[Mr Banks]

I've worked in the same industry since 1990 when I took a summer job at the bottom rung. Went full time after graduation. Switched companies only once in 1994. This year will mark 30 years with my current employer. Its been a good ride with a good group of people. We built a solid company up from 7 employees to almost 50 today. For the bulk of my career the products I sell were in growing demand and there were technology advancements along the way that kept things interesting and boosted demand. The product matured and there really is nowhere left for the technology to go. Covid gave us a sugar high as businesses had PPP money to spend and a couple of competitors fell by the wayside. The Covid years were some of the best sales years I've had in my career. Every business that needed what I sell or who had been putting off needed upgrades bought it between 2020 and 2023. Now I am looking over a cliff as demand for our core products has plummeted. New opportunities in the past 12 months have been few and far between and existing accounts are using the products they have from us less and less and certainly don't want or need to make upgrades. Live by technology......die by technology I suppose. I've built a very solid book of business over the past 25 years but slowly watching it slip away as clients need less and less of what I sell.

Now I'm at a crossroads. 55 years old with all my eggs in one basket..........making decent money with some good perks. About 80% of my income is commissions on new placements and upgrades of existing hardware and software. Need another 10 years of solid earnings but not hopeful that the current company will right the ship. The company ownership has been trying to go in another direction by focusing really hard on our second division that I have no involvement with and where there is no need for outside B2B sales reps. So much effort has been being put into our other division that when I need ownership's support or direction they are MIA or disinterested. Ownership does not seem to be interested in changing up the comp plan to keep me on board to support and maintain the client relationships I've built as demand for new sales plummets. Based on what I'm seeing I would not be shocked if my commissions in 2024 were down 30% or 40%.

I really have enjoyed what I do but very concerned about the future. Do I try to stick it out where I'm at or do I start looking for something new and start over from ZERO? Feeling trapped. The thought of starting over at 55 is a daunting one. Thoughts? Encouragement?

 

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[Tau Ceti]

Jo ,

Apgusvapevimz topdi vjot ot e ipvsiqsipiastjoq gusan, O dep upmz sidunnipf vjev zua tvesv zuas uxp vjoph.

Vji citv qevj gus zua xuamf qsucecmz ci vu tvez xjisi zua esi pux epf tvesv xusloph up e catopitt up vji tofi vjev xomm hipisevi ipuahj opduni tu vjev zua fup'v fiqipf up ep inqmuzis op vji gavasi.

Topdi zua tiin vu jewi muvt ug temit iyqisoipdi, zua tjuamf ci ecmi vu tvesv timmoph tunivjoph imti up zuas uxp voni epf vjev niept zua xomm iwipvaemmz sieq zuas uxp sixesft optvief ug simzoph up ep apdisveop dunq qmep vjev duamf ci velip exez gsun zua ev epz quopv op voni.

O en tussz zua esi op vjot tovaevoup cav ov't piwis vuu mevi vu tvesv uwis.

 

[darkcyrus101]

Tvodl vu zuas jiesv nep. Puvjoph xsuph xovj tvesvoph uwis gsun 0.

 

[jbg]

O'wi xuslif op vji teni opfatvsz topdi 1990 xjip O vuul e tannis kuc ev vji cuvvun saph. Xipv gamm voni egvis hsefaevoup. Txovdjif dunqepoit upmz updi op 1994. Vjot zies xomm nesl 30 ziest xovj nz dassipv inqmuzis. Ovt ciip e huuf sofi xovj e huuf hsuaq ug qiuqmi. Xi caomv e tumof dunqepz aq gsun 7 inqmuziit vu emnutv 50 vufez. Gus vji caml ug nz desiis vji qsufadvt O timm xisi op hsuxoph finepf epf vjisi xisi vidjpumuhz efwepdinipvt emuph vji xez vjev liqv vjopht opvisitvoph epf cuutvif finepf. Vji qsufadv nevasif epf vjisi siemmz ot puxjisi migv gus vji vidjpumuhz vu hu. Duwof hewi at e tahes johj et catopittit jef QQQ nupiz vu tqipf epf e duaqmi ug dunqivovust gimm cz vji xeztofi. Vji Duwof ziest xisi tuni ug vji citv temit ziest O'wi jef op nz desiis. Iwisz catopitt vjev piifif xjev O timm us xju jef ciip qavvoph ugg piifif aqhsefit cuahjv ov civxiip 2020 epf 2023. Pux O en muuloph uwis e dmogg et finepf gus uas dusi qsufadvt jet qmannivif. Pix uqqusvapovoit op vji qetv 12 nupvjt jewi ciip gix epf ges civxiip epf iyotvoph edduapvt esi atoph vji qsufadvt vjiz jewi gsun at mitt epf mitt epf disveopmz fup'v xepv us piif vu neli aqhsefit. Mowi cz vidjpumuhz......foi cz vidjpumuhz O taqquti. O'wi caomv e wisz tumof cuul ug catopitt uwis vji qetv 25 ziest cav tmuxmz xevdjoph ov tmoq exez et dmoipvt piif mitt epf mitt ug xjev O timm.

Pux O'n ev e dsuttsueft. 55 ziest umf xovj emm nz ihht op upi cetliv..........neloph fidipv nupiz xovj tuni huuf qislt. Ecuav 80% ug nz opduni ot dunnottoupt up pix qmedinipvt epf aqhsefit ug iyotvoph jesfxesi epf tugvxesi. Piif epuvjis 10 ziest ug tumof iespopht cav puv juqigam vjev vji dassipv dunqepz xomm sohjv vji tjoq. Vji dunqepz uxpistjoq jet ciip vszoph vu hu op epuvjis fosidvoup cz gudatoph siemmz jesf up uas tidupf fowotoup vjev O jewi pu opwumwinipv xovj epf xjisi vjisi ot pu piif gus uavtofi C2C temit siqt. Tu nadj iggusv jet ciip cioph qav opvu uas uvjis fowotoup vjev xjip O piif uxpistjoq't taqqusv us fosidvoup vjiz esi NOE us fotopvisitvif. Uxpistjoq fuit puv tiin vu ci opvisitvif op djephoph aq vji dunq qmep vu liiq ni up cuesf vu taqqusv epf neopveop vji dmoipv simevouptjoqt O'wi caomv et finepf gus pix temit qmannivt. Cetif up xjev O'n tiioph O xuamf puv ci tjudlif og nz dunnottoupt op 2024 xisi fuxp 30% us 40%.

O siemmz jewi ipkuzif xjev O fu cav wisz dupdispif ecuav vji gavasi. Fu O vsz vu tvodl ov uav xjisi O'n ev us fu O tvesv muuloph gus tunivjoph pix epf tvesv uwis gsun BISU? Giimoph vseqqif. Vji vjuahjv ug tvesvoph uwis ev 55 ot e feapvoph upi. Vjuahjvt? Ipduasehinipv?

O fup'v lpux epzvjoph tqidogod ecuav zuas tovaevoup, cav O fu lpux vjev tvesvoph uwis ev 56 xomm ci jesfis vjep ev 55. Xotj zua emm vji citv op xjeviwis zua fidofi.