Crazy Sales Experience

I know that quite a lot of university students (and some high schooler students) have crazy sales experience to help them develop a thick skin and not be afraid of rejection, especially if you want to get into a competitive sales depts like IBD. What are some of your experiences? And what did you get out of that experience (if any)? And this goes for anything from selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door to being one of those annoying telemarketers!!!

I was a rockstar before I got into this biz. Helped immensely.

I sold life/health insurance for ~2 years and did telemarketing for a few months. The benefit of those experiences was they helped me build that thick skin, sharpened my presentation abilities and made me understand what I DIDN’T want to do with my life. I think sales ability is a very transferable skill. You have to sell yourself in interviews, you have to sell your ideas to your manager, etc.

In high school I sold utilities services from alternative providers door to door right after Texas deregulated the sector. I had a person in an iffy neighborhood ask if my deal was legit and he said if it wasn’t his pitbulls “…don’t like white people” as he was pointing at his pitbulls. It have never been so frightened and amused at the same time.

I sold vitamins at GNC. Incidentally, I also sold inositol powder (an actual GNC product) over the counter to drug dealers. They use the stuff to dilute the cocain they deal. GNC hides the stuff under the register. It’s not on the shelf because it’s too expensive and likely to be stolen by said drug dealers.

i sold life insurance as well as a couple of variable products for a year right out of college. it was not fun. i was doing maybe 100 cold calls a day… i got yelled at, screamed at, hung up on, etc. i felt like a cheap salesman. like xsellside, i learned i did not want to do this again. i was a lot more interested in the analytical side of things and thats where i’m trying to make my way toward. i guess it also threw me in the fire right out of college. being in sales is a hard job (for most), and i learned a lot about myself and my toughness.

i used to be a estimator for a mid sized construction company, i worked with a engineer and a marketing person in the basement of a North van apartment that we owned. the principals, who caused the most problems, became my adopted god fathers, i did this fulltime while i was finishing my undergrad. I swear to god(if i believed in that) all of us could have been very wealthy, but ahmad was the persian tony montana, he wanted to fight every one which is okay in the street but lawyers cost 400 an hour. then we got hit with steel prices, this was back in 2003 in the first round of inflation, between january and march steel prices went up 200%. I was in the last year of my useless sociology undergrad and i was sitting at a 2.7 gpa so I quit my job to focus on school. We still have dinner and coffee together, but im glad im not involved with them anymore.

edmund_lord Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In high school I sold utilities services from > alternative providers door to door right after > Texas deregulated the sector. I had a person in > an iffy neighborhood ask if my deal was legit and > he said if it wasn’t his pitbulls “…don’t like > white people” as he was pointing at his pitbulls. > It have never been so frightened and amused at the > same time. aaaaaahahahahahahaha that’s hilarious… I almost got caught laughing out loud at work. What I do here is not laughable, so they would’ve known I’m not working. It must have not been at the time for you though. Okay, then my next question is how do you lose your guard and just go for it? I mean, it is so nerve-wracking to approach them at first. So, how did you overcome that??

SeanC, you’re from North Van as in North Vancouver in BC Canada?? I live in North Van!!

no, im not from north van, i grew up in coquitlam, the office im talking about was in chesterfield street in N.van right next to the london drugs and westbeach board shop. VANCOUVER WHATTT!!!

<<< Delta, BC what!!

Dante - You worked at GNC? I did as well for a couple of summers…actually, not a bad summer job money wise once you new what the commission was (which products). I dont think that job does much for thick skin though…most people there come into your store, so it isnt like door to door sales.