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Teacher looking to get back into sales..
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Career Builder and Monster are nothing but fluff, reaching out to my ST family. Base + Commission ideally (All areas of country considered, please let me know)
Last edited by: trimack45: Jun 27, 14 9:39
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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Do you want represent an American made brand that strives to develop the best product?

ZOCA Endurance Gear is a national custom apparel company focused on developing and manufacturing custom-made cycling, triathlon and running garments. Our principal market audience includes cycling and triathlon clubs and teams, endurance athletes, as well as retailers who are looking to have branded endurance sports apparel. Our goal is to produce top of the line, fully sublimated endurance clothing and accessories for endurance sports athletes and retailers as well as to create custom apparel for local and national sporting events.

We are looking for motivated independent sales representatives to sell our custom endurance apparel to retail stores, clubs, teams and corporations who want to brand their organizations.

Key Skills:
· Motivated
· Independent
· Reliable and organized
· Excellent communication skills
· Ability to build and maintain good relationships with customers
· Previous customer service/sales experience
· Have a good understanding of current market trends
· Knowledgeable about the industry
· Have current contacts in retail stores, teams, clubs, and/or with event coordinators in the territory you manage.
· Knowledge of CRM is a plus.
· Bachelor’s Degree preferred


ZOCA is a fun and growing brand. We pay a competitive commission and are looking to build a great team!

Please send me your resume if you have any interest. Thanks so much!
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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Sometimes it becomes easy to switch your career and sometimes not but as you being teacher a sales job would work perfectly but hope you find good one .
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [avaross09] [ In reply to ]
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Yea, it's just sad you know! You would think teachers of all the applicants would be the first to consider, provided they meet the qualifications for the position. I've been looking at entry level medical device sales and even pharma areas, but have struggled to even get someone to look at it. Most of the reactions seem as tho their labeling me as some sort of glorified babysitter and that I'm wasting their time. These guys all fail to understand that they wouldn't be where they are if it weren't for a great teacher "teaching" them somewhere along the way. Very frustrating as you can imagine, the search continues, and my motivation to never give up will start a new day... Thanks again!
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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Yea, it's just sad you know! You would think teachers of all the applicants would be the first to consider, provided they meet the qualifications for the position. I've been looking at entry level medical device sales and even pharma areas, but have struggled to even get someone to look at it. Most of the reactions seem as tho their labeling me as some sort of glorified babysitter and that I'm wasting their time. These guys all fail to understand that they wouldn't be where they are if it weren't for a great teacher "teaching" them somewhere along the way. Very frustrating as you can imagine, the search continues, and my motivation to never give up will start a new day... Thanks again!

The challenge/problem, is that the people you are dealing with at the front end of this process only look at "sales" as a very one dimesional entity. They are probably looking at as a numbers game, which at a certain level it is, but beyond that, to be in successful in sales requires many skills that teachers are very good at - chief among those relationship building, and communications.



Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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Fleck- I couldnt agree more! Its very frustrating, but I will keep chugging along. Thanks for your feedback, and please keep an ear out :)
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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Here's a great read that may be helpful for you. Many are under the mistaken impression that only salespeople, are the ones that are involved with sales or selling. They are wrong. It goes way beyond that to involve everyone and almost everything that we do!

Daniel Pink has written an outstanding book on the high concept of what sales and selling is all about, called, "To Sell is Human"

http://www.danpink.com/books/to-sell-is-human/


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
Last edited by: Fleck: Dec 12, 13 11:20
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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The problem you are going to run into in pharma/medical device sales is many companies are still falling off the patent cliff or they have drugs a year or so out from market. They've been shedding sales jobs, heck entire sales forces for at least half a decade now. The reduction of headcount is much greater than the positions opening. A lot of companies are going to contract reps, which has even less security/benefits. But getting a contract job is a good springboard into landing with a different company.

I know managers in my market who won't even look at a pharma resume if they've been outside the top 25% of their company in the last 3-5 years. It's that competitive in places. I know at least one manager who won't look at a resume that isn't handed in by one of his reps or a rep he knows. His thinking is that the reps know who the best reps are and you're not going to give him the resume of a dumb ass.

Merck has traditionally been a company that has hired a lot of former teachers.

The best advice I can give you if you really want to break into the medical/pharma industry is to get some sales experience. Sell something, anything. After 6 mo with sales experience, assuming it went well, you suddenly are a much more employable candidate.

My advice would be to look in medical before pharma or get into pharma and then get into medical within 2 years.

I enjoyed my time in pharma for 11.5 years. But if I were going back it'd be into surgical, devices or plastics.

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Last edited by: desert dude: Dec 18, 13 14:52
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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I made the move from teaching to pharma 13 years ago. Agree on all of your points outlining why teachers are good sales candidates, BUT those that are successful learn how to convey this skillset in the interview. For me, I was granted several interviews early, but was unable to close the deal because I didn't understand what they were looking for. As a manager, I've had a chance to build 3 sales teams from the ground up and do have some teachers on board. Most managers will hire the personality, not the resume, so don't hide from your lack of sales experience (not saying you are). Be up front about it, but communicate the kinds of selling you do everyday--parents, administrators, students. Additionally, you will want to be able to discuss proactive things you've done that would translate, and these don't have to be within the confines of your job. Finally, it's still about how you interview. A confident (not cocky), dynamic personality who asks to move forward at each step in the process will win over someone with tons of exerience who doesn't. Networking to speak with employees of the company for which you're interviewing is always a good idea. I hired a girl with no experience or contacts because of all of these things. She even tracked down the guy who quit to produce the vacancy (he left on good terms). When she sat down for the interview, she not only understood the job, but had a specific plan for the actual territory.

For the first job, don't worry about company stability--you just want in. After that, be selective. I work for a small, foreign company with a great pipeline and current portfolio of market leadership. Those folks at the Pfizers and Novartises feel a lot less stable.

Human Person
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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**Bump** Still seeking employment within sales. Please let me know of any oppurtunites that you may have. Thank you!
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [trimack45] [ In reply to ]
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Where are you located?
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [TMorris] [ In reply to ]
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Tampa, FL but willing to relocate for the right opportunity.
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Re: Teacher looking to get back into sales.. [TMorris] [ In reply to ]
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I have similar background to the ST member who started this post. However, after 3 years of experience in the industry, I am now investigating other options. If you care to inquire, send me a message and I am happy to chat with anyone.

I am located between Milwaukee and Kenosha, WI.
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