5 ms·

Any advice for engineers interested in trying sales?

• ransom1538 9y ago
  I wouldn't get bullied into some inside sales or account management crap position. With an engineering background: https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/sales-engineer-jobs-SRCH_KO0,14.htm https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/sales-engineer-jobs-SRCH_KO0,1...
• amorphid 9y ago
  I am an engineer, and used to do sales. I never liked sales enough to get really good at it, partially because I wanted to spend more time figuring out how to automate by job than do my job. But I have some general observations based on my experience: - the lower the base salary, the crappier position (until you are so good you want a lower base and higher commission) - a 100% commission job is not a job, it's "I decided to start a business AND give a huge piece of my earnings to someone else!" (until you can value why splitting your revenue is a good deal for you) - finding people to sell to is not the same skill as getting them to buy from you - if someone can teach you everything you need to know about the sales job, you are also easily replaceable - if you have to pay to work there (such as paying for a desk, professional licenses, etc.), that job is gonna suck - you're more likely to be successful if you don't have to convince yourself people need what you are selling - some sales jobs are not pure selling (for example a full desk recruiter brings in clients/jobs to work on AND finds the candidates to fill those jobs) - while this is a sarcastic comment, on some days you will think to yourself "the world is full of stupid people, and I talk to all of them" - if you don't get motivated by making tons of money, sales is gonna feel like a real grind