I don't know what to do. Need Advice.

[SWSSMSS]

Hey I'm SWSSMSS, I've lurked the forum for a while after reading TMF a few years back but I've run into some problems, and I feel like you guys would be the best to ask...

I'm in my last semester of college for a computing and informatics degree, and I've been working at a marketing startup for the past year now.
Currently, I'm doing sales and it's completely commission based. The problem is I'm struggling HARD. I'v had maybe 2-3 sales out of the ~3-4,000+ people I've cold called. I'm trying to decide if I should quit and try something else or stick with it.

Reasons to stay:

• I have a goal of making $1,000,000 by 2020 that included making money from the sales and eventually learning how everything works and branching off.
  
• It's a startup and I'm one of the only salespeople working right now, and if we hire more interns, they'll work under me and I'll get percentages of what they do.
• It's sales and sales skills are necessary for everyday life and for most entrepreneurial endeavors
• It's 100% commision-based sales and I'm my own boss.
• There's subscriptions included with most packages that I will get paid for, so even if I don't make a sale, I'll still be getting monthly payments.

Reasons to quit:

• I have no more money.
• I'm sharing a car with my dad because mine broke down, and we don't have money to fix it.
• I'm still struggling HARD with sales.

I'd hate to quit on something right before something falls into place and it all works out, but I need some money right now.

Could you guys give me some advice
Thanks

 

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[JordanK]

Hey SWSSMSS, thanks for sharing this problem with the community as it's one many people have. If you have only made 2-3 sales after working with this company for nearly a year then maybe the issue is the product. I know many people that have gotten roped into working for startups for very little monetary reward as its sold to them on the basis that 'future rewards' will be great so grind it out for now. That's great when the company grows quickly, has a great product and provides excellent customer service.

If that isn't the case here then I'd advise you to get a steady job for the moment so you can eat and fix your essentials like the car for example. Personally, I find it very hard to be creative and put in the necessary work into my Fastlane ventures when other things are bothering me. Focus on finishing out college and surviving over the next few months, build up some cash and then use this newfound position of strength to launch any fastlane opportunities you come across.

Once you graduate you may also be able to find a higher paying job in your tech degree field which will allow you to stack cash even quicker for use in Real Estate for example.

All the best!

 

[SWSSMSS]

Thank you for the advice!

Yea I agree, I've just been getting more and more frustrated because of how little money I'm making and it's not helping me to become a better salesperson.

I think what I'll do is get a part time job with base pay + commission (ex. Waiter/Car Salesman/Call Center) so that I can improve my selling skills and make some money until I graduate.

Again, Thanks

 

[Nigel B]

Question for the community - which might help the OP.

Who is today's Xerox or Encyclopedia Britannica?

Back in the day both were recognized for providing great training on selling - so even a moderately capable person who was prepared to work could 'follow the program' and learn how to sell - really quite effectively.

Any random startup is really unlikely to have a great sales system in place let alone great training program (they are different!) - so downstream interns will earn little and you'll get a small fraction of zero ... um.

So where does a young person go to learn the basics while earning today? Is there a mainstream company with broad presence that does a great job? Teaches how to engage with the client, identify need, and build desire and value - not just take an order (Starbucks, most restaurants) or try a crude upsell (most mobile stores).

 

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[SWSSMSS]

Yea that's a good idea. Luckily, I've found some lists online that helped me out such as: Training Mag Top 125 organizations, Fortune 100 Best Companies to work for, and some posts on r/sales.

So far I've applied to ADP and CarMax, I've also applied to a local restaurant, but I'm hoping to get hired at one of the mainstream companies for the reasons Nigel listed.

Thanks

 

[MTEE1985]

Yea that's a good idea. Luckily, I've found some lists online that helped me out such as: Training Mag Top 125 organizations, Fortune 100 Best Companies to work for, and some posts on r/sales.

So far I've applied to ADP and CarMax, I've also applied to a local restaurant, but I'm hoping to get hired at one of the mainstream companies for the reasons Nigel listed.

Thanks

Either of those should have great training programs. My only add if you are thinking car business is to work at one where the price can be negotiated as that is half the sale. I had a brief stint with Penske as a sales manager for a Mercedes store and Penske’s training was phenomenal.

 

[SWSSMSS]

Ok I forgot to mention that I did apply for a local dealership already, but I was just worried about how much training they'd put me through. I've heard of beginner salesman having troubles, because of the competitive dynamic of salesman in dealerships.

Also, I just checked out Penske and they don't have any sales openings around me.
Thanks for the suggestion

 

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