I am planning on going to college to study marketing... n e 1 here a salesman????????
- Thread starter sethw
- Start date
jmick
Active Member
I’m in industrial sales and if I were you I’d look into majoring in Marketing and if you have a knack for it I’d also get a degree in either electrical or mechanical engineering. I do not have a degree in engineering but my role is essentially a sales engineer and the money is very good (industrial sales can range from 45k to easily 100k+). Another avenue to explore would be
[hr]
/Medical sales and having a background in biology/chem. might be helpful.
I’d be willing to be that UW has a good school of business but keep looking around and try to keep your options open.
[hr]
/Medical sales and having a background in biology/chem. might be helpful.
I’d be willing to be that UW has a good school of business but keep looking around and try to keep your options open.
clsimons29
Member
Sales can be one of the best & worst carrear choices a person can make, takes a very special person to be sucessful in the world of sales as there are plenty of people who "used" to be in sales. Sales people are some of the highest paid people in any company making as much as some CEOs becuase without sales NOTHING else happens in a company. but 80% of the "commissions" are made by 20%" of all salespeople. Having a degree helps (but is not required) in most sales positions and it will give you a level of creditability, I personally graduated from Texas Tech University BA-Management and I'm working on Masters. Keep in mind your personality, determination, and commitment to personal development will have the greatest impact on your success in sales. The greatest salesman in the world, Ben Feldman, did not have a college education nor any background in sales when he started but he was the epitomy of determination. I would recomend you looking at the U.S. News and World Report college ranking guide that just came out, might give you some good information on schools and would definetly recommend you reading some books by these authors, Brian Tracy, John Maxwell, Jeffrey Gitomer, Jim Collins, Zig Ziggler. and Franklin Covey. Good Luck!
phixer
Active Member
Very good advice, my Dad and Sister have been in sales and marketing for a long time, Dad hates it, Sister loves it. He often has to deal with people who are extremely wealthy and expect everything for free. Some have been real jerks to him in the past. He has learned how to tactfully handle these types but over the years I could see how it wore him down. It's a real skill and art that most cannot adapt too. Your personality and the way you interact with people will often dictate how well you do in sales.
soto
Member
i'm in sales and have always done pretty well for myself. as mentioned above, college is nice but definetely not necessary. i took college for a couple years (majored in marketing) but then dropped out cause....well.......it was boring. i also dropped outt've high school because that was REALLY boring and drugs were more fun.
if you've got the gift of gab then you should just go out and start hustling. it's in your blood so don't let it stagnate. your $$$ bracket will climb a LOT faster if you just throw yourself out to the marketplace then if you spend forever in college and reading motivational books. go out there, make it happen, learn as you go, NEVER give up, and don't let your head swell once you start makin money. that's pretty much it.
if you've got the gift of gab then you should just go out and start hustling. it's in your blood so don't let it stagnate. your $$$ bracket will climb a LOT faster if you just throw yourself out to the marketplace then if you spend forever in college and reading motivational books. go out there, make it happen, learn as you go, NEVER give up, and don't let your head swell once you start makin money. that's pretty much it.
vanos
Member
I would highly encourage you to attend college and pursue a degree in sales/marketing if sales is what you wish to do. A 4 year degree is now the new high school degree. So much has changed in the past 20 or 30 years and a 4 year degree is pretty much the minimum for a respectable career sales job. IMO, we live in a very competitive job market and I suggest you attend college. Good luck,
soto
Member
Originally Posted by Vanos
A 4 year degree is now the new high school degree. So much has changed in the past 20 or 30 years and a 4 year degree is pretty much the minimum for a respectable career sales job. IMO, we live in a very competitive job market and I suggest you attend college.
w/ all due respect i totally disagree. being an ex sales manager, the LAST thing i cared about was education. the 2nd to last thing i cared about was job experience.
90% of the time one's experience and education just breeds uncessary arrogence in the sales field. 90% of these people produce squat.
sales is the only field where sheer attitude will conquer anything 10X over. i'd hire Seth well over any oldtimer any day of the week. i'll even go so far as to say that the more experience & education then the redder the flag that's getting raised.
A 4 year degree is now the new high school degree. So much has changed in the past 20 or 30 years and a 4 year degree is pretty much the minimum for a respectable career sales job. IMO, we live in a very competitive job market and I suggest you attend college.
w/ all due respect i totally disagree. being an ex sales manager, the LAST thing i cared about was education. the 2nd to last thing i cared about was job experience.
90% of the time one's experience and education just breeds uncessary arrogence in the sales field. 90% of these people produce squat.
sales is the only field where sheer attitude will conquer anything 10X over. i'd hire Seth well over any oldtimer any day of the week. i'll even go so far as to say that the more experience & education then the redder the flag that's getting raised.
phixer
Active Member
If you have a degree one thing is certain, you have a degree. I have known many successful people in sales without college degrees (especially in Real Estate) and many with degrees that cant find a job. A college degree helps to teach critical thinking skills but the ability to pursuade and convince is a personality trait.
Colleges want people to believe this so that they can get take your money. Many of the degrees offered now are worthless. Science, medicine, law, accounting and a few others are still shoe in's.
Id rather hire someone with a proven ability at solving problems and real world experience then some spoiled Ivy league college brat paid for by Daddy.
Colleges want people to believe this so that they can get take your money. Many of the degrees offered now are worthless. Science, medicine, law, accounting and a few others are still shoe in's.
Id rather hire someone with a proven ability at solving problems and real world experience then some spoiled Ivy league college brat paid for by Daddy.
phixer
Active Member
Originally Posted by Vanos
What kind of sales can one obtain without a 4 year degree?
Well a few of the most profitable areas lately have been in Real Estate , automobiles, retail or the restaraunt industry, i.e. the fadish coffee chains, burrito shops and ice cream chains that have popped up. These areas have been some of fastest growing in recent history. A lot of people have become very wealthy in these sales markets without college degrees. You just have to know what your selling, how to pursuade people or create a nifty idea. My sister recently graduated with a marketing degree, the funny thing was that creativity is something that she didnt have to go to school to learn.
What kind of sales can one obtain without a 4 year degree?
Well a few of the most profitable areas lately have been in Real Estate , automobiles, retail or the restaraunt industry, i.e. the fadish coffee chains, burrito shops and ice cream chains that have popped up. These areas have been some of fastest growing in recent history. A lot of people have become very wealthy in these sales markets without college degrees. You just have to know what your selling, how to pursuade people or create a nifty idea. My sister recently graduated with a marketing degree, the funny thing was that creativity is something that she didnt have to go to school to learn.
chutneyjh
Member
I can understand how in sales a degree might not be seen as necessary in other areas, but let's not discourage anyone from going to college. Seth, if I were you I would apply to whatever school their sales program is in (probably management) and not declare a major. Take some general classes and see what you like. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do going into college too, and I'd even completed an internship! However, I changed my major a few times throughout the course. College is where you finally find the freedom to be yourself and to associate with people who are a lot more like you than the people you went to high school with. Go in with an open mind and see where it takes you... You might be surprised.
phixer
Active Member
Originally Posted by chutneyjh
I can understand how in sales a degree might not be seen as necessary in other areas, but let's not discourage anyone from going to college. Seth, if I were you I would apply to whatever school their sales program is in (probably management) and not declare a major. Take some general classes and see what you like. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do going into college too, and I'd even completed an internship! However, I changed my major a few times throughout the course. College is where you finally find the freedom to be yourself and to associate with people who are a lot more like you than the people you went to high school with. Go in with an open mind and see where it takes you... You might be surprised.
Good point. An education is always a good idea, but many colleges only want your money and fail to place a large number of their graduates into related employment fields. A small example is the number of graduates each year searching for employment only to settle for a minimum wage job out of the area they studied. Another is current textbook and tuition costs. Absoloutely no justification for this other than greed. Most subjects havent changed in years but you have to buy a new book every semester? :notsure: .
I joined the military out of HS and completed my degree before retiring from it. Learned more about people, life, management and leadership from the military then I ever did in college.
I can understand how in sales a degree might not be seen as necessary in other areas, but let's not discourage anyone from going to college. Seth, if I were you I would apply to whatever school their sales program is in (probably management) and not declare a major. Take some general classes and see what you like. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do going into college too, and I'd even completed an internship! However, I changed my major a few times throughout the course. College is where you finally find the freedom to be yourself and to associate with people who are a lot more like you than the people you went to high school with. Go in with an open mind and see where it takes you... You might be surprised.
Good point. An education is always a good idea, but many colleges only want your money and fail to place a large number of their graduates into related employment fields. A small example is the number of graduates each year searching for employment only to settle for a minimum wage job out of the area they studied. Another is current textbook and tuition costs. Absoloutely no justification for this other than greed. Most subjects havent changed in years but you have to buy a new book every semester? :notsure: .
I joined the military out of HS and completed my degree before retiring from it. Learned more about people, life, management and leadership from the military then I ever did in college.
chutneyjh
Member
You're right about the cost of college. It's ridiculous, even if you go in state. I think work experience is vital to getting a job right out of college. I worked all through college and I wouldn't change that even if I could. I waited tables to pay my way through, and then my last year I picked up a job in a nursing home (my major was social work) to get experience in my field. Having that job really paid off; I got a job I wanted right out of college. Plus, if you're used to working, it's not a huge shock when you graduate and have to pay bills.