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81
Joined
11/9/2019
Location
South Jordan, UT
US
I am potentially looking into getting in the industry work wise and was wondering if any of you guys know what the day-to-day job is like for a outside sales rep. I currently am in sales and I am successful but I am tired of what I am doing.
To answer the OP's question-on the distributor side you're in shops monday-friday and other than 1 or 2 meetings a year you're in the field. There's obviously stuff like paperwork and reports you're doing in between but pretty much you're in shops showing new products, programs, building orders etc. If you work for say an oil company you generally ride with a distributor rep x amount of times a month and otherwise work in a home or normal office. OEM guys work from home and travel a fair amount but I would say are in their home office 30% of the time on average.
The Shop
It's a ton of who you know and then relationship building, it's easy to go hungry for months before getting dealers to warm up to you.
It's also hard to sell chains, tires and chains when it's three feet deep in snow.
Every dealer will constantly tell you how slow and broke they are
At the OEM level, expect a company car and comped meals. You will be expected to drive a lot, depending on your territory, and may get one office day per week. Lots of nights and some weekends away from home. The cool part is you'll get to see all the cool new stuff before it's announced, get free stuff from distributors, and probably travel in the US and maybe globally. The 2nd OEM sent me to Japan twice. It's pretty cool to work in the industry.
Outside typically involves a lot of traveling. Visiting existing customers to strengthen relationships and visiting potential customers to build relationships.
Lots of money to be make is sales in almost any industry if your ambitious.
Last guy leave for greener pastures? Why?
Did I read that right?
Are they paid via 1099 or are they actual employees?
Also, aren't there a coupl'a "independent" companies that rep a few brands directly?
For instance, aren't TLD, Oakley, Fasthouse and a few others rep'd by "sales rep co's"?
Pit Row
I can't picture myself in a different industry. Yes, it can get tough, but when you go to work everyday and not hate your life it's worth a smaller check sometimes.
If you are an "employee", are you reimbursed for travel expenses or does the company pay them?
I'm assuming per my limited knowledge of the stupidity here in Cali...that 1099'd folks are paying all their own expenses and deducting them.
Also, even an "Employee" can "write off" or deduct a bike or use of a bike or assets purchased for their job/professional use if they do their accounting correctly, right?
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