ThEnder

32 and the director of solution consulting at a San Francisco startup - just transitioned from leading product marketing mid-year and loving the new role.

Fang911

Nephrologist x 20 yrs....Just hit 50 on the odometer of life. Have many *much* higher-compensated friends in finance, law, consulting and business, but I wouldn’t trade a career in medicine for anything else. Now if only they would do away with the every 10 year board recertification exams...

chance6

Three of the following are true:
I once sported a 95 mph fastball
I have a Master's degree
I was briefly in adult films in California
I once wanted to be an astronomer
I have a chance at going into space

happy Friday y'all

96redLT4

I did the recertification racket thing twice at 10 yr intervals and said enough already. Became a diplomat of the NBPAS.

itrsteve

I'm curious if we're co-workers or competitors.

Technology sales is a monster for sure but doesn't deserve any love or respect... Nobody is dying on our watch. Just silently accept your commission checks.

With that being said, I don't know how I've survived in sales as long as I have.

hsb1001

I am always open to partnering up with ex and new colleagues in the IT Sales field, I went out alone as I no longer wanted to split bonuses/payments with a global hungry firm. It was time to make the profit and keep it for myself and split it 50/50 with my sales guys who all came from big firms too.

Dougr743

Being a full commision sales rep is very much like being a farmer. and for most, thats a scary proposition. You have to do all the work, from beginning to end. That is why there is finacial opportunity in it. I have never had an hourly job, always full commision, and no base. I think if more people understood how difficult it can be to carry the weight of a real sales position, there would be more respect for the "sales rep" What most don't understand is the ability to have no cap. no limitations in income, and your hard work and effort pay off.

rodsky

Maybe we're co-workers or competitors too .. but I would say that Sales at my Company certainly gets the love and respect from the top down. Obviously you need a good product to sell but equally important is how its marketed and sold. Its a difficult job to do well.

ldamelio

This is a fun reply and the format would make a good thread.

Guessing 1,2, and 5 are true. How'd I do?

chance6

you're pretty close...but no cigar. I'll leave it to another individual to start that thread...but yes for sure it would be fun.

Less discussion of wealth and more discussion of driving and fun. Just my 0.02

maspirito

Turning 69 in a few days so pretty much on the far end of the age group in this thread.
Equine surgeon in kentucky at the highest volume practice in the world, you have to love being around horses to do what I do. I have been at it for 45 years. It's fun , frustrating, and rewarding. Horsemanship is a long term process. I will be racing with AER this coming weekend. I think the driving and racing keeps me sharp as well as bike riding on a road bike, It sharpens my situational awareness. Kind of need that as well working on horses because if you make a mistake one swift kick in the head will be all it takes.

Manifold

Effective salesmanship is important for nearly all businesses (including my own), but it's not a respected job because it's largely about persuasion rather than delivering a service or product. Sometimes that persuasion can drift into misrepresentation, lying, and manipulation. But at its best, sales is about optimally connecting sellers and buyers for mutual benefit, hence my not minding the popup ads I get on Rennlist.

hsb1001

Building relationships is key in sales from my experience. When I recently went solo I reached out to all the CIO's and Exec's I had dealt with over the past several years who all knew me, I was amazed at the response I got back and how humbling it was that they did business because of our relationship and not the company/projects/products we sold them in the past.

To anyone in sales be it IT / Products / Staffing etc, building those long lasting relationships with humility and transparency is where clients always know you need to make a profit but know you will stand by what you have sold them. So humbling to see that honesty continues with great clients who want you to succeed as well as their own organizations.

3_PDLS

Awesome to read everyone’s story.

Me? I’m 40, married for a few years with a 2yo and another on the way. Late start to family due to my entrepreneurial journey.

I started my first company in e-commerce in 2009 100% bootstrapped and still own it today although I’m not involved much in the day to day anymore. In 2011 I started a direct to consumer company and sold it in 2015. The past few years I’ve been spending most of my time on a tech company in the direct mail space.

I’m super thankful I made the leap to do my own thing back in 2009. Lots and lots of work but so worth it in the end and allows me a pretty great life.

Mussl Kar

I do something, prefer to do nothing, usually do nothing. But we are now super busy so I have to do something.