Any of you work in sales?

josephandre

I've had my in-laws in my ear for a while now about a neighbors son who works for a company called Optiv. Are any of you familiar with them? I had never heard of them before, and in speaking with the guy he sounded like a motivational speaker or cult member when telling me about what a great company it was and the money available.

I've never really been interested in sales, but after thinking about it a bit I may be coming around. Seems like there are some decent roles these days that involve actual technical skills and if the money were as good as it seems on the surface, might not be the worst thing in the world.

Do any of you work in sales? pros/cons? things to consider or particular companies to look at?

thanks

BerkshireHerd

We are in a POC with a company Optiv was representing, seem like nice people so far....

Russell77

I worked in Technical sales for about 9 years. I sold Laboratory equipment and instrumentation. Like any job it has it's pluses and minuses. It helps to have a competitive but not overbearing personality. You also have to overcome fear of rejection. Most technical people analyze things death. In sales it's about getting the sale not the perfect solution. Looking in the mirror I was never really that person. I was much better at implementation. The best sales people I know are organized, always seeking the next opportunity and follow the sale through to the end. More often than not they are motivated by the rush of the win. The rewards are great. Trips, dinners, cash etc. but can be a nightmare if you are not producing. The organizational structure will have a lot to do with if it is a good job or not. I have seen throat cutting and commission thefts. Some places are so poisoned it can turn good people into bad. On the other hand some places can be supportive and educational. My best advice is if you want to get into sales go sell something and learn from the guy that has been doing it all his life.

DatabaseHead

Just applied today through a friend. So far so good.

scaredoftests

My husband is a pre/post (for sales) systems engineer