Every Entrepreneur Should Cut His Teeth On Commission Selling
Do you have what it takes to succeed in your own business?
There’s one sure way to tell, and you don’t have to get an MBA in entrepreneurship to find out.
All you have to do is make an exceptional living as a commission salesperson.
I did this when I was in graduate school, while teaching part-time and working on my Ph.D. Needing more cash to support myself, and especially to pay for my new car, which I cherished, I had to find an opportunity and exploit it, one that wouldn’t interfere with my priorities.
The answer was posted at a USC job board. They wanted people who could sell office supplies by phone.
By way of background I should point out I was already a phenom on the phone, having snared best-seller honors at Time-Life Books. I was so effective that they promoted me to management when I was 19, making me responsible for the development and performance of 60 people.
But at Time-Life there was always the safety net of a base salary. You knew you’d eat, perhaps not steak every night, but something, if you showed up and tried hard.
Selling office products on straight commission means if you don’t produce results you’ll starve.
What could be more like starting your own fledgling enterprise?
It’s sink or swim, a dramatic opportunity to see if your have the right stuff.
Though I had some trepidation, I took to “swimming” like the proverbial duck to water. While being watched by everyone, the owner, the tough-guy sales manager, and other salespeople, I phoned my first prospect and sold him, earning about $30 with that initial plunge.
By the time I finished my Ph.D. and accepted a “Mr. Chips” position at a small, liberal arts college in the Midwest, I didn’t realize I had exactly what it took to succeed as an independent entrepreneur in my own training and consulting practice.
I knew how to produce something out of nothing, the ultimate in business alchemy.
Within record time I established a network of 40 universities, which I’m building on today, to sponsor my seminars.
I can easily look back and see how the lifeline from my earliest days of commission selling enabled me to succeed and thrive on my own, and it still does, as I write these words.
Do you have what it takes to succeed in your own business?
Look for a commission sales job. After succeeding in it, you won’t find making the leap to your own enterprise nearly as daunting or risky.
Do you need help with selling skills, cold calling, appointment setting, or negotiations? Looking for a top speaker for your next meeting, conference, or convention? Contact us.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, and sales, customer service, and negotiation consultant. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, more than 1,000 articles and several popular audio and video programs. His seminars are sponsored internationally and he is a faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary brings over two decades of sales, management and consulting experience to the table, with impressive academic credentials: A Ph.D. from USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies..
His web site is: http://www.customersatisfaction.com and he can be seen on CNBC at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=417455932# and reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com. His blogs include: YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS! and ALWAYS COLD CALL! at: http://www.alwayscoldcall.blogspot.com
