punishedlad

Business Development Team Lead

Little Brother wants to get into sales

Hey Savages,

My little brother-in-law is about to graduate college this semester with a degree in Theology, and has realized that sales is the only place he's going to make money with a degree like that. Originally he wanted to be a teacher, but realized you can't be the sole breadwinner for a young family making $40k a year.

Some of his friends are working as commission-only reps for a solar panel company in Virginia, and he's exploring that opportunity. I'm advising him strongly against this, as it takes him far away from family and I have a negative opinion of commission-only roles (especially as your first job out of college).

I'd love to hear any advice that I could pass onto him from the War Room aside from what I've already been trying to guide him on. What would you say to an aspiring salesman who's about to enter the workforce?

P.S. I've already sent him the big list of companies that are still hiring and told him to seek out some entry-level positions there.

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Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

3

Sales Rep

Curious what is the advice you have given so far?
What is the brother-in-law's thoughts on Med Device, Tech Sales, or Manufacturing?
Would a SDR role be of interest?

I completely agree that commission only should be avoided like the plague. One would need to have 0 expenses for it to be even considered.

punishedlad

Tycoon

1

Business Development Team Lead

I can give some bullet points on what I've mentioned, but the conversation has spanned a few months so I can't recall all of it lol
Most recently I told him that despite the layoffs, tech sales still has massive potential and the most leeway for remote/hybrid work. He was worried about not having a technical background and I assured him that that doesn't matter. You don't need to be tech savvy to sell tech. You need to understand the challenges that your clients/prospects are facing and be able to articulate how your company's solution addresses those.
He's expecting/hoping to make 6 figures straight out of college, and so I had to massively tamp down those expectations.
I also told him to join the War Room and look through all of the posts regarding resumes & interview tips and offered myself as a resource in coaching him through that sort of thing.
There's a lot more we've gotten into, but I've definitely highlighted that SDR/BDR roles are a great place to start and learn the ropes of sales while building up your resume.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Where does he ultimately want to be? Outside selling D2D, or making calls and traveling? If he starts with Solar, commission only, D2D, he will learn some sales skills for sure, but SDR managers won't care.
I'd have him go straight to SDR, where he'll make a decent base, learn sales skills if he chooses wisely (hint, not a start up). From there, he can decide which path - tech, device, etc.
Also, maybe have him come in here and go through the academy, see what he thinks.
Congratulations on his upcoming graduation!

punishedlad

Tycoon

2

Business Development Team Lead

This mirrors almost exactly what I've been telling him!
See my comment under @Kosta_Konfucius

TennisandSales

Politicker

2

Head Of Sales

i would try to talk to him about the different types of sales, and what roles look like
Direct to consumer roles: car sales, insurance, the solar opportunity you mentioned
Retail: like working at Verizon stores ect.
B2B field sales: this could be your classic copier sales person, but there are many more modern companies like this. where you are selling B2B, but you our in the field all the time. Many HR / Accounting products are like this still
B2B virtual: im sure there is a better name for it but i think about the Saas / software companies ive worked for where everything is done via Zoom meetings and there is no need to be be on site for EVERY presentation.
if your friend thinks seriously about the types of roles he likes, what he likes to do, what situation sounds exciting, then he can figure out where to go first.

punishedlad

Tycoon

0

Business Development Team Lead

Yup, one of our conversations about a month ago revolved around this. I'm definitely trying to steer him towards tech just because that's where my expertise lies and where I'd be most useful as a resource for him.

Pachacuti

Politicker

2

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Door to door is a great way to learn the ropes. It may take him away from his family but we all make sacrifices.

punishedlad

Tycoon

0

Business Development Team Lead

My big issue with starting door to door is that it kind of pigeonholes you into that type of sales. If you try to pivot into an SDR/BDR role, it's going to be right back to entry level.

Pachacuti

Politicker

0

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

If you can succeed in D2D, you can succeed in anything. I love guys with D2D experience.

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

I wouldn't count out 100% commission sales. you can make a lot of money. A lot of those companies will put you on a guarantee initially beforehand to make sure you have a solid pipeline first. As far as working for a solar panel company, as someone who works in construction, having a job in the renewable energy field would be very sustainable and has a lot of growth projection currently. Regardless, just make sure he does he research on the company and has a list of questions to bring into the interview with him. That way he can make an educated decision. good luck to him!

punishedlad

Tycoon

1

Business Development Team Lead

I told him not to count it out, but it's not my preference/where I advise you get your start.
He's going to Virginia for spring break to explore the opportunity and shadow his friends who are currently in the role.

Gasty

Notable Contributor

2

War Room Community Manager

Commission-only full-time roles suck!
Commission-only part-time roles are an absolute delight!

Why don't you refer them to Flex, @punishedlad!

Mobi85

Politicker

1

Regional Sales Manager

I have spoke about this before but on the solar deal, he has to realize that it is probably close to 100% Door to Door sales. There will be very limited set meetings, and if there are inbound inquiries they will probably go to more senior reps who have proven they can close solar sales. It is a rough life but if the company has a decent training program then Door to Door sales can be a decent way to get your feet wet in sales and if you can sell in Door to Door you have a high probability of selling anywhere else.
He just needs to get out there and I would recommend trying to get on with a fairly well established company with a decent training program to start pointing him in the right direction. I would be leery of joining a start up that doesn't have any type of training because he will just be thrown into the deep end to figure out if he can swim or not in sales.

Nairobi

Politicker

0

AE

Well as someone that graduated right in the pandemic, getting a BDR role was hard af but I still managed to land a BDR role at a shitty startup with zero sales experience. He can definitely get a role at a smaller startup and then switch to a bigger/better company/startup. I made 65k my first year and I was working at shitty ass Seed/Series A startups. My second year, I made 102k, working at better startup. I’ve been able to work remote in Europe for months, about to do another couple of months in Mexico and work 30 hours/week. Please name me another job that will allow me this much freedom and money.

FoodForSales

Politicker

0

AE

I did door to door back in the day. Builds character.

Justatitle

Big Shot

0

Account Executive

my brother just got fired from a solar panel sales role. the market is so heavily saturated it is ridiculous. not a bad idea to get in somewhere as an SDR/BDR though.

GingerBarbarian

Opinionated

0

Lead Sales

I highly suggest he looks into a company like TrainYo. They provide free SDR training and job placement. He can see more about what the role will look like BEFORE applying to anything.

I will say, however, that one of the founders recently passed away and the other owner is working on repatriating his body back to England from Columbia. Reach out, but things there may be more chaotic than usual.

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