What's a lucrative sales career for someone wanting to work independently from home?

October 19, 2010 9:02 AM

What's a lucrative sales career for someone wanting to work independently from home? Preferably something that doesn't require extensive experience in a particular field or technology.

I'm currently doing a job that is paid commission only. It is a sales job for a large telco company, basically selling mobile phone contracts for business. I have no leads list, pretty much have to scour the phone book and internet, and collect business cards. It's been several weeks and I haven't made anything decent yet (zero sales).

I don't know if it's just me, or if mobile phone sales is simply an area that is saturated. People on the phone tell me that they get too many calls from telco companies.

I suppose an ideal role, will offer high commissions and something easier to sell (i'm sure all sales people desire this!!!).

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (3 answers total)

Market America - i refuse to do it, but my mother and alot of people she knows are doing very well with it - alot of online stuff, cash back, tons of stuff to sell, cash back from shopping online pretty much anywhere...hell, jennifer lopez and marc anthony are even in on it. worth a look. i know it's changed my mom's life.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 9:30 AM on October 19, 2010

Several weeks is nothing. Businesses evaluate their mobile contracts once a year, maybe? Your sales cycle is going to be long, 90 days plus. Just about any business to business type sale is going to be a 90+ sales cycle. However, if your business development strategy consists of cold calling from the phone book you might as well quit now. You might luck into a deal or two, but that is no way to build a sustainable commission based business. Did you get any training from the telco? Do you understand their product line, market position, strengths, weaknesses, etc? Even if you do luck into a possible deal you will likely get your ass handed to you by a more prepared rep from some other company. Selling somebody else's product commission only is a suckers game. Why should you absorb all the risk for some small percentage of the sale? You'll probably make a lot more money standing in the mobile carrier kiosk at the mall making minimum wage plus commission.

Sales can be a long term and lucrative career, but from your question it sounds like you are very inexperienced and unprepared for what it takes to make a living selling stuff. I don't know why working independently from home is a requirement for you, but you might want to rethink that and get into a reputable company that will teach you how to sell. You can always go independent later when you have some experience, a track record, and maybe existing clients that can become instant income.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but odds are the next sales job is going to turn out a lot like this one. I know quite a few people making six figures in telco, but it takes a a few years to get there. There aren't any shortcuts, which is exactly what it sounds like you are looking for.
posted by COD at 10:44 AM on October 19, 2010 [3 favorites]

What's a lucrative sales career for someone wanting to work independently from home?

Would you also like a pony? Quite simply, you are being unrealistic.

Preferably something that doesn't require extensive experience in a particular field or technology.

To be a good salesperson you must know your product and how it fits in with other related products in the relevant markets from your company and your competitors. This can be done without fully understanding the technology (so long as you have technical staff to back you up and so long as you bring them into the conversations at the needed times), but you can't be a good salesperson without knowing your field. I have fired[1] many a salesperson I was dealing with because they didn't know their field.

I'm currently doing a job that is paid commission only. It is a sales job for a large telco company, basically selling mobile phone contracts for business. I have no leads list, pretty much have to scour the phone book and internet, and collect business cards.

When I get wind that a person is entirely compensated by commissions, I endeavor to avoid doing business with that person's employer[2].

It's possible you really are paid by the large telco, but I doubt it. I have yet to encounter such a salesperson that was not employed by a reseller. And telling me that you are when you aren't will instantly put your name and the reseller on my black list of businesses not to do business with.

The lack of a lead list is also a major point against your company in my mind. When I get calls from a dozen different ATT resellers/reps I get annoyed, as it indicates the company does not respect me. A sales organization must have a unified and used system to track ALL contacts with customers and potential customers. When it is clear a business does not do this, I add the contacts to my logs about the company and get increasingly curt with each person from the company.

I have an extensive log of cold calling sales people. I will rarely do business with anyone that has ever cold-called me (it's particularly amusing to track salespeople between companies). If I must do business with the company, I will get a different salesperson and will tell them why I asked for a different salesperson. While my logging is more extreme then what most professionals I know do, all of them hate cold calls.



[1] By fired, I mean; "Thanks for working with me, but I don't think you are an appropriate fit for my needs. Can you please pass me on to your sales manager so we can find a better fit between your company and mine?"

[2] It is my belief that employers that do this have no interest in real customer service. What motivation does the employer have to train the salesperson? What motivation does the salesperson have to stay with the company?
posted by fief at 12:10 PM on October 19, 2010 [2 favorites]