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I just don't think I'm the type to work in sales


PhilosipherStoned

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At least on a traveling door to door capacity.. Maybe that's what I need to tell her because these people are still trying to get me to join their damn team even though I just tried to back out. I just got off the phone with this hiring manager that ofcourse was like.."just take a little bit more time to think about it you're doing great on the course work, and I'm pretty confident you'll do great in the field blah blah blah."

I have an interview at a supermarket tomorrow, and the hiring manager there basically gave me the whole list of positions available. If I accept this sales position I'll have to travel, and be gone 4 days a week  working until 10 pm. at least.. Covering my own hotel expenses etc. Decisions, decisions... Ok so here's the question then. 

Would you rather:

A) work a local job that pays a fairly low hourly wage..but guaruntees a paycheck, and that you can be at home daily...or

B) work a job where you only get commision pay even though you're pretty much on the job, or in some random area all day for 4 days straight for the POSSIBILITY of making 4-6 figures a week?

 

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I would like to see some answers from older/wiser people about this if possible I considered making it a poll for a minute..I need to make up my mind about whether I'm going to commit to this or not soon. It was awkward as F bringing this up to the hiring manager, but I thought it was probably for the best. I'm not even the type that wants insurance.. for most of my life I've considered it more of a racket than anything, but I mean I see the market or need for it I guess. :|

 

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I tried the whole selling insurance game before. Worst job I ever had by FAR.

One thing you MUST consider is your own personality. Are you a "people person"? Do you like to meet new people? Do you like to talk to strangers? Are you good at small talk? The more of these questions you answer "no" to, the worse you will do, the less money you'll make, and the more you'll loathe the job.

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2 minutes ago, Doom Metal Alchemist said:

I tried the whole selling insurance game before. Worst job I ever had by FAR.

One thing you MUST consider is your own personality. Are you a "people person"? Do you like to meet new people? Do you like to talk to strangers? Are you good at small talk? The more of these questions you answer "no" to, the worse you will do, the less money you'll make, and the more you'll loathe the job.

I mean sometimes I do.. When I worked as a cable disconnect guy on a simular basis I sure as hell didn't like to meet new people, but I mean those werent happy customers to begin with. Or even paying customers most of the time. :|

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Just now, PhilosipherStoned said:

I mean sometimes I do.. When I worked as a cable disconnect guy on a simular basis I sure as hell didn't like to meet new people, but I mean those werent happy customers to begin with. Or even paying customers most of the time. :|

Depending on how you get your customers in the insurance job, they may not want to talk to you either. If you're doorknocking or cold-calling, most people will want nothing to do with you, and some will even accuse you of being a scammer.

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2 minutes ago, Doom Metal Alchemist said:

Depending on how you get your customers in the insurance job, they may not want to talk to you either. If you're doorknocking or cold-calling, most people will want nothing to do with you, and some will even accuse you of being a scammer.

It's going to be mostly door to door I'm sure. I mean the first time I heard about this company it was from a dude knocking on my door trying to sell me health insurance.. He gave me his card when I said I was looking for a job, and then I found an online ad to apply later on.. Judging from this folder I got that goes over typical lines, and how to keep goading a potential customer.. This shit doesn't sound fun..but I mean I could come up with better lines than this shit I'm sure...

@Doom Metal Alchemist

How long did you work selling insurance? I'm sure there's lots more downsides than the door to door aspect right? Well I mean besides the fact I might end up working for free if I don't sell something. Sigh.. I guess that should be the deal breaker for me anyway. 

 

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1 minute ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

It's going to be mostly door to door I'm sure. I mean the first time I heard about this company it was from a dude knocking on my door trying to sell me health insurance.. He gave me his card when I said I was looking for a job, and then I found an online ad to apply later on.. Judging from this folder I got that goes over typical lines, and how to keep goading a potential customer.. This shit doesn't sound fun..but I mean I could come up with better lines than this shit I'm sure...

@Doom Metal Alchemist

How long did you work selling insurance? I'm sure there's lots more downsides than the door to door aspect right? Well I mean besides the fact I might end up working for free if I don't sell something. Sigh.. I guess that should be the deal breaker for me anyway. 

 

I want to say I worked for a couple months with one company, then less than one month for another company, then I swore off the profession all together. Aside from not making money, a huge downside is the rejection. Like I said, most people will not want to talk to you, and they won't always be nice about it, so rude people can take a toll on your mental state. 

The first company I worked for was really shitty and really shady too, if you work for a small company, they may "lie" about the hours you're expected to work. During the interview, they said, "You will be working Monday through Friday and also Saturday. Is that ok"? What they didn't say is that we were also expected to work Sunday, and while it was not ABSOLUTELY mandatory we work on Sundays, if we didn't, management would call us lazy and take our leads away leaving us to fend for ourselves.

Oh that's another thing, taking leads away... I was struggling, so they stopped giving me new leads, because they felt they could be better used by better salesmen.... leaving me to struggle even more.

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Yeah.. Well after I made a big spill about not being confident I'm a good fit for the position we came to an agreement (the hiring manager, and I) she'd try to get one of the people from the "team" I'm supposed to work with here in Texas that are supposingly one of the best teams she has.. and hopefully they can help me get through my "reservations". I mean if they actually give me leads for this I'd feel better.. but I don't even think they go off leads... They make routes, and go door to door trying to schedule appointments I think. 

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6 minutes ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

Yeah.. Well after I made a big spill about not being confident I'm a good fit for the position we came to an agreement (the hiring manager, and I) she'd try to get one of the people from the "team" I'm supposed to work with here in Texas that are supposingly one of the best teams she has.. and hopefully they can help me get through my "reservations". I mean if they actually give me leads for this I'd feel better.. but I don't even think they go off leads... They make routes, and go door to door trying to schedule appointments I think. 

Well good luck, hope it works out for you. :)

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If it's already making me this nervous, and I havent even started yet.. I just don't see it working out. I wasn't getting any interviews locally is the only reason I applied for this. I'm getting unemployment, and I finally got a local interview so I'm fine. If I stick with this I will have invested $100+ into contracting for this company before I even get paid...They give you a 500 dollar bonus your first week in the field, but I think the contract states you MUST get atleast 2 apps to even get that.

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1 minute ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

If it's already making me this nervous, and I havent even started yet.. I just don't see it working out. I wasn't getting any interviews locally is the only reason I applied for this. I'm getting unemployment, and I finally got a local interview so I'm fine. If I stick with this I will have invested $100+ into contracting for this company before I even get paid...They give you a 500 dollar bonus your first week in the field, but I think the contract states you MUST get atleast 2 apps to even get that.

You should do what you feel more confident in, either succeeding at this job, or getting more local interviews. Or even acing the interview you got coming up. That's the best advice I can give.

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Commission jobs are no guarantee. I would never suggest a commission job. There's no money to be made there.

I would take the job in the grocery store. When I started in grocery years and years ago, I started as a low paid night stocker. 

I worked hard and was promoted to management within six months. I built up a reputation within the company, and another opportunity presented itself. It was for night manager for a different company, two hours one way from my house. But the pay was worth my drive every night. 

Then I got a raise within a couple of months because I was valued. 

My point is, it may seem like a shit job right now. And it is. But if you keep your head down, and bust your ass, you can move all the way up to manager in no time really. You can gain a trade in the grocery business, that you can take with you to any grocery chain in the country. I could have even gotten a moving package. They would have found me a place to live close by, paid my utilities and rent for the first year, and paid moving expenses. But my house is paid for and I didn't want to move. So I just drove it every night. 

I recommend the grocery business, especially over a commission based job.

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That guy actually came by my house to tell me to give this a try.. wtf. Well for the third time today it was made clear to me that everyone on this team is making like 4-5 figures a week. I still have my reservations.. They make it hard for me to not want to give it a try. This guy probably just looses a referral bonus if I drop out or something. Maybe I'm just paranoid.. I don't know. 

Edited by PhilosipherStoned
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I don’t think I qualify to answer this question...I work in a retail setting...so if you look at it that way I’m kinda in sales....but in a pharmacy you don’t up sell...you find the cheapest options for the patient...so where I stand the store stands to lose money...

regardless...though I work inside of a retail store...I make a pretty decent paycheck.....but if I had to travel all over the states to set up pharmacies and I never really was home I’d still do it...it’s not an issue of being “home” to me...

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12 minutes ago, Still Me said:

I don’t think I qualify to answer this question...I work in a retail setting...so if you look at it that way I’m kinda in sales....but in a pharmacy you don’t up sell...you find the cheapest options for the patient...so where I stand the store stands to lose money...

regardless...though I work inside of a retail store...I make a pretty decent paycheck.....but if I had to travel all over the states to set up pharmacies and I never really was home I’d still do it...it’s not an issue of being “home” to me...

Yeah if I was more well to do.. Like I already had a brand new vehicle, and I didn't have a mortgage, and a personal loan to deal with I'd feel better. The company and other reps have only said that's all the more reason to do this..which is...just propaganda if you ask me.

They seem confident, and I've seen the stats of the company and the team I'd be on as a whole.. All people; some of them younger than me that have probably made more money in a week than I have probably if those numbers are accurate.. not counting government job bonuses, and benefits I've had/have so.. idk. 

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4 hours ago, Doom Metal Alchemist said:

I tried the whole selling insurance game before. Worst job I ever had by FAR.

One thing you MUST consider is your own personality. Are you a "people person"? Do you like to meet new people? Do you like to talk to strangers? Are you good at small talk? The more of these questions you answer "no" to, the worse you will do, the less money you'll make, and the more you'll loathe the job.

You could skip all that and just be a sociopath, they can sell people on just about anything usually because their whole personality tends to be fake.

@PhilosipherStoned

I'd recommend against it and this is coming from someone who is good at selling things. The main red flags are the traveling and work hours and uncertainty of income. Most decent sales jobs have a hybrid pay system, hourly in combination with commission or something of that nature.

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Just now, Sandstone said:

You could skip all that and just be a sociopath, they can sell people on just about anything usually because their whole personality tends to be fake.

@PhilosipherStoned

I'd recommend against it and this is coming from someone who is good at selling things. The main red flags are the traveling and work hours and uncertainty of income. Most decent sales jobs have a hybrid pay system, hourly in combination with commission or something of that nature.

That's what I've already brought up to them.. Even my cable tech job was hybrid pay, the scale actually wasn't bad, and disregarding the considerable wear, and tear that put on my truck, it wasn't a bad job.. That company reinbursed me for at least one tank of gas a month though, AND I didn't have to go outside of my home town.. I probably should have in heinsight, but I didn't.

I don't get reinbursed for hotel or ANY travel expenses for this.. according to the older gentleman that came by to encourage me to "just give it a try" I can write off all those expenses, and there's a legitimate way to do more than offset the hotel expenses on your taxes.. What he said sounded legit to I just forgot what it was because I've never had to write off hotel expenses before.

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3 minutes ago, Vamped said:

Im awkward as fuck .... so thats like asking me if I want to eat or be homeless

I really don't know if I have the self confidence.. That's what the hiring manager had to say about my "reservations", but excuse me if this is crass, but I'm pretty sure that bitch has some kind of guaranteed income. Not something I bring up when talking to a hiring manager of course.. but meh. 

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10 minutes ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

That's what I've already brought up to them.. Even my cable tech job was hybrid pay, the scale actually wasn't bad, and disregarding the considerable wear, and tear that put on my truck, it wasn't a bad job.. That company reinbursed me for at least one tank of gas a month though, AND I didn't have to go outside of my home town.. I probably should have in heinsight, but I didn't.

I don't get reinbursed for hotel or ANY travel expenses for this.. according to the older gentleman that came by to encourage me to "just give it a try" I can write off all those expenses, and there's a legitimate way to do more than offset the hotel expenses on your taxes.. What he said sounded legit to I just forgot what it was because I've never had to write off hotel expenses before.

What is the name of the company have you looked into reviews online?

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1 minute ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

I really don't know if I have the self confidence.. That's what the hiring manager had to say about my "reservations", but excuse me if this is crass, but I'm pretty sure that bitch has some kind of guaranteed income. Not something I bring up when talking to a hiring manager of course.. but meh. 

The hiring manager probably has a salary and gets a bonus for recruitment

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Yeah.. I'm familiar with how that works. Like I said I have an interview with the only supermarket chain that services this town tomorrow.. The hiring manager I was talking to seemed pretty freakin cool.. because I came in for an interview for "market cleaan up".. It was what I thought.. *meat market clean up, and she like wrote out all the positions she had to fill, and I just told her I'll do whatever pays the most lol.. Nightstocking interview tomorrow.. 

I didn't tell the insurance company manager this.. but she has to know by now I have other options, and actually the people I've talked to so far from the company have mentioned that... "You can always get a 9 To 5.. This for people that aspire for more because you arent going to make 6 figures working your typical  $10 an hour job..

Fuck that.. I feel greatful that I can even make a $10 an hour job work at this point. I came from dirt... I had nothing when I became a legal adult..and I've had to..well helped so much of my friends, and family that's had struggles all without that fucking snake oil salesman tactic I feel like I'm getting. 

Of course on the other side growing up so poor has solidified the idea in my head that pretty much all salesman ARE snake oil salesman..It seems you guys all think it's a too good to be true thing like I do. I appreciate all the different insights none the less!

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2 minutes ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

Yeah.. I'm familiar with how that works. Like I said I have an interview with the only supermarket chain that services this town tomorrow.. The hiring manager I was talking to seemed pretty freakin cool.. because I came in for an interview for "market cleaan up".. It was what I thought.. *meat market clean up, and she like wrote out all the positions she had to fill, and I just told her I'll do whatever pays the most lol.. Nightstocking interview tomorrow.. 

I didn't tell the insurance company manager this.. but she has to know by now I have other options, and actually the people I've talked to so far from the company have mentioned that... "You can always get a 9 To 5.. This for people that aspire for more because you arent going to make 6 figures working your typical  $10 an hour job..

Fuck that.. I feel greatful that I can even make a $10 an hour job work at this point. I came from dirt... I had nothing when I became a legal adult..and I've had to..well helped so much of my friends, and family that's had struggles all without that fucking snake oil salesman tactic I feel like I'm getting. 

Of course on the other side growing up so poor has solidified the idea in my head that pretty much all salesman ARE snake oil salesman..It seems you guys all think it's a too good to be true thing like I do. I appreciate all the different insights none the less!

Well after watching that show on Netflix about Strippers. If I thought people would pay to see me naked I would be a stripper until I finished my degree 

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4 minutes ago, Vamped said:

Well after watching that show on Netflix about Strippers. If I thought people would pay to see me naked I would be a stripper until I finished my degree 

Seems like a dangerous occupation to me. MAybe some sort of camming entity that doesn't require you to interact with people.. I've...known plenty of strippers I guess, and don't take that the wrong way because I've only been to a strip club a few times in my whole life.. but if you're socially awkward, and you don't like people touching you.. def. not for you. xD

Edited by PhilosipherStoned
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Fuck no.. I mean it's hard to say the companies bad because of any of the complaints I've read so far, but like I said.. Insurance in general has always seemed like a racket to me. Would I sell my soul if I knew I'd bank though??

I'll get back to you on that.. This is what I'm looking at.

https://www.bbb.org/us/ia/dubuque/profile/insurance-services-office/platinum-supplemental-insurance-inc-0664-29001173/complaints

Thanks, @Sandstone I've been spending too much time learning the insurance legal by laws etc in this $60 dollar course I already paid for non-refundable to look that up... and everything so far has only reinforced the idea in my head that insurance in general is a fucking racket. 

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9 minutes ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

Seems like a dangerous occupation to me. MAybe some sort of camming entity that doesn't require you to interact with people.. I've...known plenty of strippers I guess, and don't take that the wrong way because I've only been to a strip club a few times in my whole life.. but if you're socially awkward, and you don't like people touching you.. def. not for you. xD

.... this is true .... I also cant wear stripper heels. I can wear thick heeled business pumps for the duration of a funeral but thats about it. Those chicks were making bank in that show though. I also had no idea there were strip clubs that let the dancers get completely naked. 

Im waiting for them to legalize and regulate brothels so I can work in administration. Maybe upper management 

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Here's the indeed reviews.. Notice that this company is one that always chimes in on it's customer/contractor reviews with some snobby ass corporate shit. Another red flag I guess? Oh well at least this course has provided me with an in depth look at how insurance all together is just a shady ass form of banking.. Lots of food for thought. Thanks guys. 

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Platinum-Supplemental-Insurance/reviews

 

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