| Knocking
on doors: Hard summer work pays off for some
By Clint Merrick
October 18, 2007|--It is 9 a.m. on
a Saturday in an outskirt town of Minneapolis, and it
is uncomfortably quiet. It is quiet because people are
still in bed. Clark Lind steps out of a car filled with
four other summer salesmen from Utah, all dressed in
khaki shorts and matching polo shirts. The first door
is knocked, opened and shut with few words exchanged.
This routine will continue for close to 12 hours on
a typical day working for American Alarm.
"The only thing that keeps
you going is a positive mindset, which is harder than
you would think to keep," Lind said.
Lind, like many students, spent last
summer knocking doors to pay for his college tuition
and to put a few extra nickels in his pocket. Many USU
students are finding the answer to their financial conundrums
through summer sales jobs. This isn't a new option.
Students have been selling door-to-door for years.
"My father sold knives and
pens door to door to earn money when he was in college.
The products being sold have definitely changed, but
it has consistently proved itself as a great way to
earn money," said Chris Thompson, junior in finance.
Thompson spent his summer selling
pest control in Utah; however others venture out of
state every summer selling products and services such
as security systems, satellite TV, Cutco knives or even
mobile homes. This reluctant and nervous workforce heads
out each year with numbers towering over 150,000, according
to an article
by Kathy Chu in USA Today. The article also
stated that they pay their own way, doing work that
others won't while working as independent contractors,
without benefits.
But even though there are many out-of-pocket
expenses, Brad Grandy, USU student, believes that it
is still worth the risk.
"You can make more money doing
this than anything else with the education you have,"
Grandy said.
Even though the high pay scale may
be enticing, both Grandy and Sorensen believe it is
high pressure, commission based selling that offers
little security.
Depending on the area, door-to-door
sales can be dangerous. Grandy said that he consistently
worked by himself and in the ghetto. He was also jumped
by group of guys while selling in Indianapolis, Indiana.
"White boy … you in the hood! You've committed a violation,"
said the group, as they chased him down an alleyway,
only to be stopped by an intervening neighborhood man
that tackled a few of the men.
Jeff Sorensen, who sold security
systems in California this last summer, said that the
first thing students need to look for is a well established
company with a good track record. They may not pay the
most, he added, but overall they will have greater organization,
customer service and they will fulfill their promises.
There will always be start-up companies that promise
the moon just to get students to go with them, but their
lack of organization can really cost them in the long
run, he said.
If USU students haven't been approached
by anyone with information about these jobs while on
campus, just wait. It is almost inevitable. As spring
semester approaches, there will be floods of managers
representing summer sales companies that will love to
talk with students about the opportunity while they
are in their hidden nooks at the library or on their
way to class.
They may invite students to a meeting
with promises of free lunch, huge signing bonuses, and
unprecedented success, but they'll need to ask themselves,
"What aren't they telling me, and what information do
I really need to know?"
Recruitment is essential for these
companies to do well during the summer and they go to
great lengths to hire motivated college students. It
is not unheard of to see these companies spend upwards
of $100,000 on parties for the sole purpose of recruiting
new salespeople, said Lind.
As independent contractors, students
have the potential to write their own paychecks, or
at least that is what the companies will tell them.
These sales companies may promise an obscene amount
of money in just three months time, but they seldom
explain the expenses their employees will incur during
the summer months.
"The expenses were small at
first because we were knocking doors close to home,
but soon we were traveling over an hour each way to
get to our areas. I don't know if you've noticed, but
gas isn't exactly cheap these days," said Lind.
The company that students sign on
with is important, but working with the right sales
team is essential. They should make sure their managers
are people they know and trust will fulfill their promises.
Students will rely heavily on their coworkers for emotional
support, so make sure that the other employees aren't
balls of bitterness and deceit.
There are many things in sales that
they won't have control over. Students may be able to
perfect everything on their end, but if the company
is in disarray, they simply won't be able to mend things.
New salespeople shouldn't expect
the company to be flawless in the first few weeks of
work. They will make mistakes and so will their co-workers
and managers. There is always a learning curve to get
over. However, it is a hard thing to justify when salespeople
have doors slamming in their faces, police double-checking
credentials and neighborhood kids hitting them with
water balloons.
When it comes to sales, there are
heated opinions on everything; however, all agree that
these sales jobs aren't for everyone.
"As far as selling goes, some
people aren't down with people telling them no, day
in and day out. Some people are people people. But a
people person doesn't necessarily equal a good salesperson,"
said Grandy.
Even though sales can be difficult,
many offices average between $15,000 and $45,000 per
summer, per sales rep. It is easy to see how this job
market can be so appealing to college students. Money
is the biggest motivator for companies looking for qualified
employees, but that doesn't always have the greatest
impact.
"I hate it when the company
flashes money and blows their nose with hundred dollar
bills," Thompson said.
Sorensen earned more than average
for a salesperson and said his reason for selling security
systems over the summer was to prove his family wrong.
"They thought the whole thing
was a scam," Sorensen said. However, his overall experience
in California proved to be very redeeming.
"I wanted to be financially
free. I was stressed last year about having to work
construction just to buy food," Sorenson said. "I didn't
want to have to worry about money. My biggest motivation
was to go to Wal-Mart, buy what I wanted, and not worry
about overdrafting."
NW
NA
|
