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Sales Jobs

Inside the Work Day

Careerleak's Typical Day Series goes behind the scenes in everyday careers, with articles written by the employee themselves. Find out what they are excited about, what issues they confront and more.

A Typical Day as a Salesman

I enjoy being a salesman. It’s the oldest profession in the world and the most fulfilling. As it happens I sell the best made standby generator, made by the best manufacturer--Kohler, and it comes with the best manufacturer’s warranty in the industry so I have never encountered into a dissatisfied customer.

Also I am invited to people’s homes. I don’t have to cold call, knock on doors, or canvas by telephone. All salesmen work for themselves. The harder and smarter they work, the better they do. And there are no silver medals in sales. You do not want to hear a prospect tell you, “We just loved your presentation, but…”

So in addition to working for myself, I work out of a home office. My day starts by making the coffee and my wife’s lunch. I fire up my computer and check emails while the coffee brews. Sometimes I get updates from the manufacturer regarding service issues, and promotions. Occasionally I get sales leads form a service I subscribe to, and sometimes I get leads from my website. I enter them into my database and make notes on Outlook for calling them. I check if any current prospects or customers have sent me emails, and make sure there is nothing frommy distributor.

After taking care of the e-mails I pour my coffee and then plan the day. If I have a sales call, I get the route from an Internet mapping service to the house, and add the prospect’s name and phone number on the map. I stack the brochures, specification sheets, and print outs on top of my photo album and make sure my gift coffee mug with my name and phone number are all together. I check to see if everything is still on schedule for any upcoming installations and I coordinate with electricians, plumbers, propane dealers, and laborers as necessary.

A sales call for a Kohler standby generator salesman is great. As I mentioned before, I was asked to come to the house. I assess the homeowner’s needs. I try to spend a lot of time listening to the prospect. They will tell you what they want the generator to do, and why they have called you. They ask if they can have the generator set in certain locations, and I explain I can set it anywhere they want as long as it can be serviced and it doesn’t put exhaust back into the house, but certain places will bring the price of the installation down.

Sometimes customers will want to power appliances that are real kilowatt hogs. I explain the sizes and outputs of the various models Kohler makes and explain where and why the price jumps are. We then work together to create the solution they want. I never “up sell.” I provide a solution to a problem someone has. I operate with a money back satisfaction guarantee so I never use high pressure. I leave a written proposal and the homeowners discuss it after I leave. If its right for them, they call me back.

After the sales call I turn my cell phone back on and check for messages. Often a customer will call asking how to change the weekly timing, or to refer me to a relative that wants a generator. If I don’t have another sales call, I may do maintenance on some of the generators or provide a “courtesy wash and wax” for some customers. My customers are frequently my best lead sources.

If I need supplies or tools, I do my shopping while I’m out, collect my mail from the post office, and then check phone messages when I return to the office at the house. I prepare letters with information for prospects, respond to Home Show invitations, and review my calendar for tomorrow. The day is winding down after I have made my phone calls so I look in the fridge to see what to make for dinner.

I retired from another career and became a salesman so I am doing exactly what I want to do. If I were to do something else, I’d like to be a spokesman for the Lottery Commission. You know, one of those guys that says: “Hey I just won the lottery. Go buy a ticket yourself.” But to tell you the truth, I’d still do sales even if I won the lottery.