Don’t listen to the ne’r do well brigade Stan, after 20 yrs its time for you to take on a new challenge and embrace it. You are perfectly capable of doing well, but you have to take the first step, difficult as it is.

In a way I agree, its all very easy to defer to one’s comfort zone. But I’ve a young family to look after….

So have I Stan, but you’ll enjoy the buzz, so go for it.

(It’s almost a year since our last ride together, if that is not clue enough!)

I’m racking my brains!

A year ago – was that in a cottage or local to me?

I’ll give you that C is an extrapolation of B, but D stands alone and bears repeating.

Life is unfair. Get over.

I’ve seen the same thing happen to two people at the same time. One accepted that sometimes the axe falls on people who don’t deserve it, got over it, and now has a great job.

The other guy railed on about how unfair it was until it ate him up. He went into a deep depression and drank himself to death 10 months ago. At that point I decided that whatever the future holds for me, I’m not going to stress over whether it was fair or not, because that won’t change it.

Unless it’s a massive increase in salary I wouldn’t bother, better the devil you know.

This.

From what I can tell, you can pretty much kiss goodbye to any professional self-respect and scruples if you working in Sales in a ‘hire em and fire em’ environment.

A bit like recruitment.

I still don’t get it from your profile pic rockape…

Did you recently post on another forum about panaracer tyres?

Yes

Lol hello S…..

You talk different on here. And you kept the young un quiet.

Well, 12 is young as far as I’m concerned. It makes no odds anyway, just another reason to maintain your focus.

I meant in general – I’m pretty confident you’ve not mentioned it before.

But with regard to this topic, age hasn’t the issue. The dependants you have DO keep you focused, do whilst I’m able to keep them comfortable in my current role and as much as I’d will earn more cash in the new role, its a greater risk and ill be at home far less / busier. Therefore…. It’s not worth it…

Funny, I always thought Sales jobs gave you more freedom, more time with the family etc. you can take the kids to school before your first meeting occasionally, make up other meetings to get off early etc. that is my experience anyway! Needless to say you have to be doing okay to get away with it, but ALL Bosses will turn a blind eye to your movements as long as you’re doing a good job.

Sorry to hear about your mate theotberjonv, as you say you have to take the hits and the shit along the way and deal with it….. Easier for some than others.

Rockape. While correct in your general comment about performance and a blind eye I have found the difference between great sales people and the plodders is that the great ones never stop and won’t have the 9-5 mentality that permeates the general population.

Don’t get me wrong, both individuals have their place but I always aim for quality, driven individuals. In general they are easier to manage and only require a light touch. The issue is managing the fact hat they don’t burn themselves out.

Life is too short to be ok at something. But the other side of the coin is that the plodders plod and will be there for the longer term.

Like I suggested each have their own benefits and areas for development.

To add my 2p; in my role an average week is either 3 days office or home based (my choice) the other two spent with members of sales at those same appointments mostly arranged to mean everyone has a decent day. Uk coverage means there some overnighters of course, with steak and beer on the sales tab.

Best of both worlds….?

Hallo S!

Will be about for some riding for a bit as the band is slowing up for 6 weeks – i’ll drop you a line to see when youre around.

Re your post – dont think its for you. I think you’ll stress about it too much and it’ll mess up your cushy life too much 🙂

Answer these questions – they are the most important ones.
Am i going to earn a shedload more money (not just a few quid)?
Am i going to have to work significantly longer hours?
Am i going to be away from the kids more?
Does a bit of job satisfaction – IF you are successful- mean that much too you?
That will clarify your thoughts – its all that counts at the end of the day.

I believe this was a potential move for you previously and you turned it down??? If thats the case and nothing else has changed, you dont want it enough or you would have taken it then.

I also think you worry about what people think about you too much sometimes and take it to heart – you need a very thick skin and the ability to move on very quickly if you get a kicking from someone. If you cant deal with it swiftly it will soon impact your performance and consequently start bringing you down.

Theres a knack to knowing when you’ve taken a step too far/in the wrong direction and its usually only learned when youve done it once unfortunately.

There will be no going back to your old job – unless you are overstaffed (unlikely i believe) they will be filling your old boots pronto.

My tuppenceworth based more on knowing you than any techy details!!

Speak soon, happy xmas to M, D and S!

I’m really sorry for I have not bothered to actually read this thread as it would annoy me to much, & I generally hate it when people haven’t taken the time to read the thread before answering.
But my 2p says that if you can live with the empty feeling inside for the financial reward then go for it, if you want job satisfaction & a warm glow from helping people (not just your boss) then look elsewhere.
I have done sales for 25 years, never once a hard sale, & I can just about live with that, but it’s not a satisfying job.

HTH.

2unfit2ride +1

Been in sales for a long time now and for most of it have been very successful (currently extremely so) but its a god awful demoralising existence. You make nothing (physically), deliver nothing and really you are responsible for little…. I’m lucky in that I work for an ethical company that sell an excellent product but without that it would be terrible.

Cheers Mudpup – I was going to mail this week and see if you were about fit this very reason – although I think my mind is made up.

Happy Christmas!

Have agreat day with the new addition S!
Poss riding from thurs onwards but a bit weather dependent.

Re the last couple of posts – i have worked in sales (admittedly in the bike trade which is not a normal existence!) for 10 years and love it to bits. Best thing i ever did workwise and it rarely leaves me feeling empty or unsatisfied. The growth is linked to the financial reward and i deal with some fantastic people that have become my friends as well as customers/colleagues. The warm glow comes from growing my business as a result of my customers growing theirs with my products via our relationship and i cant see me doing anything else in the medium term.
It is not for everyone however.

Cheers
Mudpup

And then here’s the twist.

So having said “no” to the offer and explained my concerns, Sales are back wanting (tonight) to discuss “a series of options which may address my concerns”. In addtion they’ve informed me (as per company protocol) that they’ve informed my boss of the impending approach / offer. Apparantly, he’s pi$$ed off and interestingly although he has been talking to me in the same manner as usual the last few days, hasn’t mentioned this.

So that tell’s me several things; a) they want me and b) they feel they can address my issues/tempt me enough to inform my boss they intend to poach me, and finally c) my boss has had an opportunity to address it with me and hasn’t.

Now, I’m reading into c) that he can’t (one of my -recorded-in-appraisals-issues is a lack of development / direction for me over the last few years). Perhaps then, its a case of “c’est la vie” – ie he has nothing to counter with?

I can therefore do nothing but listen to the offer and see how it goes. I’m just very wary of taking a consultative selling post in the current climate. Although on the flip side, at least a years experience in post would look good on my CV and give me a new challenge to rise to. Who know’s it could turn out ok…..

who knows indeed?

You’ll always wonder if you don’t give it a whirl!

Well, there we go, the company is making a direct move to Solution selling hence the need to poach me.

My job would be 33% Bid Management (what I do now, but unofficially due to lack of resource), 33% mentoring the rest of the team toward consultative and solution selling (I support them with that now from a different dept) and 33% direct consultatative Sales. In year one I take my new bosses pipeline (he’s no1 saleman now promoted) and he mentors assists me to close, his pipeline (he says) is currently double the target I’d get.

I get a 10% rise in basic, plus an opportuntiy to earn 35% more on base OTE via commision, plus any accerators. I also get tier 2 comission on any “assists” I give to the team (which currently would be 2/3 of all opportunitys.

In my view then, thats guaranteed 1 years learning curve, bid management and sales formerly on my CV and I retain in excess of 15 years service for severance if / when it happens.

Or I sit in tedium.

Think I might do it!