Unfulfilling Role

[C.A.R.]

Title says it in a nutshell.

I have worked in the same industry for the last 7 years - most of my working life. Primarily for two main companies of £3m turnover in size (small manufacturing). The first went bust, the second employed a family member to assist with my role and I foolishly threw in the towel for pastures new.

Tried a much larger company in the industry, aced the interview due to background and knowledge. Role was external sales, working on the road. Management was terrible, so was seeking an alternative role after just 6 months - the shortest duration of any job I've ever done. Found an alternative, had a bit of a legal battle with the previous employer over a restrictive covenant but eventually began my employment.

However...

It's massively unfulfilling. Same role - external sales rep. At the two smaller companies the sales element was only a fraction of my responsibilities, but I've followed this path primarily because that is where the money is. I feel like I could take on so much more work, but it simply isn't there for the taking.

Working on the road is not all it's cracked up to be, and I wondered if there was anyone on PH who was of a similar opinion or - that really enjoyed the lifestyle?

I constantly worry that I'm not doing 'enough' as my role outside of the office is extremely limited, whilst I have access via VPN to the system software there are people who work in the office who can do the day-to-day running of things without me needing to ever get involved - unless there is a problem / customer complaint.

I feel like I'm just driving around aimlessly, cold-calling on customers (primarily builders' merchants) who couldn't give a toss about seeing yet-another sales rep.

I've only been at this place since November and already I want to start browsing the other opportunities out there. I feel wasted, none of my skills are being utilised and I lack the organisational skills to make it look like I'm busy all the time - which seems to be the methodology for this particular role. As long as you look busy then it's fine. I feel powerless over the sales figures - almost as though I have no influence whatsoever.

I'm going to bring some of these issues up at my next office meeting but I fear I'll just be told to sling my hook. With a small family at home I'm not sure my honesty will be the best approach.

[edc]

Nobody else can tell you what jobs or companies you will like or dislike. But, given you are in a direct sales role and you feel like you cannot influence sales then you will be found out sooner or later. You've got to have a plan and a strategy rather than aimlessly pitching up at another business with a spiel.

[elanfan]

Rather than go to your bosses telling them you are under utilised use your spare time setting up your own company and website. Make it easier for your customers to get hold of what you are selling in a simple way and cheaper. The fulfilment of doing it for yourself should make a big difference.

[Flooble]

I have to agree with EDC. While my role is not officially Business Development, it certainly forms a part of it. Simply knocking on doors and repeating a pre-packed spiel is the province of the apocryphal "Kirby Vacuum Cleaner" salesman.

If you settle down and work out a plan for building up your part of the business I think you will be a lot happier. Look at your customer's needs (no, not just "doors", expand it out using the value chain model or similar.

e.g. do they currently have to order months in advance? Hold stock on site? Would they pay a premium for a next day delivery service instead?

And examine the product. Are there other types of doors which might be useful? Non-standard fittings? Different sizes (e.g. for wheelchair users)? Colours? Materials? Are all your customer needs satisfied or is it a case of accepting the status quo?

Work out how to differentiate yourself from the competitors. Build relationships with your customers - not just "turn up and pitch"; start taking a gradual approach getting to know their business and future plans.

Branch out into a spot of marketing if your employer has no specific marketing department - you can do whatever you like with that (not my forte) whether engaging on social media or producing "advertorial" type material.

From bitter experience, job hopping to find the "dream job" is harder than simply making the job you have the job you want.

[C.A.R.]

Yes, I totally agree - and the 'cold calling' was something I specifically didn't want to have any involvement with when I interviewed for the job back in September. However; 3 months in and I'm feeling under a lot of pressure to forward on weekly call-sheet plans and report on the previous weeks' activities. Basically, list where I've been, rather than what I've done. This seems counter-productive, since I'll plan my days out around whatever appointments I can get. I appreciate that the company provides a company car and therefore they want me to use it, but aimlessly meandering around my sales territory with no 'plan' seems absurd.

We don't manufacture the product directly, so have little influence on what the end product is. Someone else decides what we import, then we have to flog it. Simple as that. We're not competitive in the marketplace, that is plain to see. We are encouraged to make volume sales against a product which is priced for low volume orders. My product knowledge is largely irrelevent, since my gut feeling is that we are trying to sell an inferior product at a premium price. A mutual feeling among the other sales personnel. I'm a technical person and I've ended up in a sales oriented role because I can put numbers and words together, led here by the salary.

Direct marketing is taken care of by another department. Promotional offers land on our doorsteps (literally) and we are expected to make something of it. Like I say, I feel powerless over influencing these sales, it's pure luck of the draw. If the customer is on-board already then great, but we're constantly on a knife-edge - one issue and we're quickly dropped, there is no wonder-product or ace we can keep up our sleeve for any such event.

I tried a different approach this week which was to target a developer directly, by appointment, to discover their requirements. Upon returning to the laptop I was greeted with emails requesting my call-plan for this week, how many (cold) calls I had made last week etc. But absolutely no interest as to what my activities actually were. It's using fuel for the sake of using it, achieving nothing. It made me want to start this thread.