Sales jobs you sucked at...

If you're rocking it in your current role chances are good that you've had a couple AWFUL sales jobs in the past, what were they and how did it end? I'll start....


Quit my job selling inbound phone and cable services for an AE job at a local TV station selling advertising, it was the single WORST sales job I've ever had. We had no ratings, received no training or support, just a phone book and a kick in the ass to get out of the door. I was fucking terrible at it so they gave me 30 days to improve my numbers and fired me 2 weeks in. Best move they could've made as I then got to enjoy 4 months on unemployment and took my time to find my next employer, and that next employer is where I met my wife.


Funny how some good can come out of shitty sales jobs. What's ya'lls shittiest sales job story?

๐Ÿฐ War Stories
17
CoorsKing
WR Officer
7
Retired King of the Coors Knights
First โ€œsalesโ€ job was working for the marketing department at my college and cold calling long standing season ticket owners to try and get donations. I think I maybe locked down 2 out of the entire list.

Luckily they just changed my role so I got to be the guy that picks/plays the music at the sports events lol. THAT I was good at.
funcoupons
WR Officer
4
๐Ÿ‘‘
I didn't "suck" at it persay but I hated working retail. Of course, no commission but you still had sales goals. Real motivating...work harder for no extra money! Fuck outta here.
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
4
War Room Enthusiast
I used to door bash while still in school, I was saving up to buy the "new nintendo" I was seeling the "new glade" better for the envoirment, and the smell lasted for ever, 2 weeks in a gave a sample to this guy who lived with his grandma, he didn't like the smell (I had literay like 50 other we could have tried) throw the bottle at me and made me drop all the samples. So I smelled like a piรฑa colada kissed a lemon pie for 3 days and had to pay for all the samples.ย 
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
1
Account executive
I'm sooo sorry this happened to you, but I can't stop laughing at the " I smelled like a piรฑa colada kissed a lemon pie" How did this story end?ย 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
0
War Room Enthusiast
I played off my dept, bought the Nintendo, powered though highs until I got my diploma, quit and went to trash that guy's house while my buddies!ย 
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
3
Account executive
My first job in sales I was selling chess boards which I had never played, they were super fancy and way overpriced, never sold a single one. I'm now a decent chess player so that's a thing!
SlinginSoftware
Politicker
2
Account Executive
I was briefly an enterprise rep for 6 months. I moved from an SMB role to it and it was miserable. It was pure new business acquisition and it became apparent very quickly that they hired me into the role with very little thought of what the expectations were.

I had SOME success, but I had a feeling that they were going to cut the position all together. They hired someone to replace me and they were fired about 3 months later because *Surprise Surprise*, the eliminated the position.

I'm glad I had the experience though... It helped me realize that SMB & MM are the segments I enjoy most.
Gyro25
Notorious Answer
1
Account Executive
Oh man, I love this question. Makes me feel grateful than my current job is actually legit.

I started off selling donation subscriptions door to door in shitty neighborhoods, then moved into selling in construction services(which was the worst job/sales job I've ever had) on the construction job, it was a family run business where the whole family had pending suits against them, one had a drug trafficking charge and the other would constantly make racist remarks against contractors while I was on the phone with said contractors.ย 



It was the most miserable I'd ever been in my life. The day they let me go cuz I wouldn't stroke their ego was the best day ever. Is my current role a grind? Hell yeah it is, but I'm remote and don't have to see people's faces or deal with cunty families who sell construction equipment. Makes me feel grateful for what I have right now.ย 
TheRealPezDog
Notable Contributor
2
Account Manager
Haha! First time Iโ€™ve ever heard the term โ€œcunty familiesโ€ lol
Incognito
WR Officer
1
Master of Disaster
My internship at AXA selling life, health annuities.ย 

First, I saw how absolutely predatory my bosses were and was disgusted with what they were doing.ย 

Second, I only had horse industry experience so I had absolutely no idea what any kind of office job looked like. Or corporate culture. Or any sales that didnโ€™t come from personal referrals. They had me cold calling dead ass leads - like literally anyone in Manhattan who was a doctor or lawyer or something. I kinda was given a script but also kinda not.ย 

I hated calling these people, knowing that they were being targeted by these clowns to take as much money off them as they could. So to peddle something that I thought was morally wrong to people who were also being cold called by 37374885 other similar firms a day was not an ideal situation.

At the end, my script became โ€œjust say youโ€™ll take the meeting then donโ€™t show up. Iโ€™m not even getting paid, but I do get college credit for this. These guys suck, I wouldnโ€™t buy from them either. Help a girl out, could ya?โ€

To be fair, I also was working my real job full time while doing college full time and doing this on the side. Plus 3 hours of commuting a day. I didnโ€™t have time to sleep on Tuesdays lol
sellingsellssold
Politicker
1
SDR
Not going to lie I have never been good at any of my sales jobs. Hopefully this will be my year!
SADNESSLieutenant
Politicker
1
Officer of โ™ฅ๏ธ
Selling HR consulting lol
Swarthymovie
Arsonist
0
SDR
Working as a street salesman, greeting people and trying to sell them something, it was tough, learned a lot but dang it was toughย 
Thesamiam13x
Celebrated Contributor
0
Sales
I was a banker, i didnt suck at it but I didn't like that type of selling. Did it for 5 years lol.
Ozz
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Sales jobs I sucked at was - selling software to automotive folks - can't stand their attitude and the whole ADD culture of automotive sales. eCommerce - can't relate to these folks since I hate buying stuff.ย 

I'm in real estate software now and love our prospects and customers since the slice of the pie is so big and everyone is willing to help. It's the best industry I've been in so far!ย 
fidelcashflow
Catalyst
0
Account Executive
Selling cell phones. This was my first "sales" job. Yes I now it is not SaaS but it is still sales. Worked at a kiosk a few times and it was horrendous in hindsight. I was fresh out of high school and making amazing money for a 18/19 year old so I didn't care. 12 hour days 6 days a week with commission so I thought I was the man (HA) Ended up getting promoted to Manager and I thought that was even cooler (worse). You can't "sell" cell phones. Sure you can sucker some people to the kiosk and show them features that make them want to buy but that was rare. You are either buying or not. There is no actual value of upgrading your phone. People would get feature fomo and buy, that's it. I would work all damn day and then just party when I Was not working. Little to no sleep each day. I would have to sleep in my car or go home on my lunch and sleep. Glad I work in tech now
HappyGilmore
Politicker
0
Account Executive
First sales job was selling hockey tickets for the club team in college. Absolutely hated it and didn't do the best job of selling to businesses (mind you in the worst financial area of the state). Great learning lesson though and it got better from that job on.
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
First BDR role ever. Company out of London. Manager was based out of London, had no training at all and the manager I had was bi-polar(he admitted this, I didnโ€™t make it up). So in the morning everything could be great and by the afternoon the world was ending. That lasted 6 months.
4

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