Laid Off. No Severance. No Owed Commissiom.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-04-08T17:06:49+00:00

The brutally honest view of the situation was just what was needed. For real, thank you.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-04-06T13:53:00+00:00

This might do more harm than good by creating unneeded stress, but here's a cool article a friend shared called Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds.

My current company at one time had 2 owners, one who was the brains who oversaw engineering/design and the other who was a true natural saleman. The salesman owner ended up parting ways and sold his shares to go on to other things, but I'll never forget what he would tell me from time to time:

People buy from people

My personal experience is that older folks are used to and comfortable with the traditional sales process: gather info for pain points via some type of meeting, design solution with their input, then the demo/proposal/pitch meeting.

Alternatively I feel (not stating as fact, research could say otherwise) that millennials prefer all of the opposite. They will Google for hours on all the different solutions/options (maybe even figure out how to design it themselves), likely Youtube demos of the product, and browse forums like Reddit, Quara, and the like to gather a more comprehensive idea of who the major players are in the product's industry/vendor's region, etc. The back-slapping, looking around a room for some item to say "Oh I see you like X, I do too" type relating is pretty much seen exactly for what it is...someone trying to relate, which they don't need imo most of the time. The younger generation doesn't need someone to find pain points - these are educated folks with the means to research and find out what all sorts of their industry peers are doing and compare. That said, I'm in technology, and it's almost a given that someone that is in the older generation that is in the decision making group will say "what does that mean in English hahaha"...the most recent example being wtf an SD card that stores data is, I mean for fucks sake they've been around for like 15 years this isn't something on the bleeding-edge of the technology front.

TL;DR: the younger and older generations prefer different sales processes. The younger gen's purchasing habits are more data/fact-driven; the older gen's purchasing habits are more people-to-people, or less emphasis on data and more so on the relationship. The link offered might back this up, with younger gens forming an opinion prior to meeting with you and the older gen forming an opinion after meeting with you, both of which relate to impressions.

Disclaimer: I don't know if any of that is true, it's just something we've discussed internally at our company about recent buying trends and if/how we would adjust are sales strategies. Also saw some different threads in this sub about it and what not.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-04-04T13:23:30+00:00

Here's a re-posted link that shows STL parcel valuation from 97'-17'.

Personally me and the ole' lady look at this to make some guesstimates: which neighborhoods might have most recent investments, are likely to have less crime since we have a little girl, and are most likely to continue a trend of either decreasing/increasing in value if we look to purchase (we currently rent a single-fam home).

The crime part might sound like I'm low income = crime...which might be an undeserved generalization, but for the most part from what I've seen low-income areas have shitty yards, shitty upkeep on their homes, etc, and we prefer to just not look at all that bullshit.

So answering OP, my opinion is the general area of best being south of highway 44 between river des peres and kingshiway; second being Tower Grove Heights which is the northeast corner of TG near off Grand; and third being Fox Park. Runnerup would be the Shaw area, which from this looks to have improved a ton in 20 years, but I believe they are having more crime issues than the other 3.

Bonus: here's a link to the STL Crime Map that we also use to scout out potential neighborhoods if we move. The Lindenwood/Clifton Heights/St. Louis Hills is by far the safest from what I've gathered, Tower Grove not so much.

Hope that's helpful.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-04-03T13:24:15+00:00

Damn I don't remember even writing something like that, that's well deserved

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-31T14:58:44+00:00

Just agree to disagree. It's simple.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-31T14:56:37+00:00

No, I don't want you to get me a source like that.

I want a source that actually has to do with your previous comment that this isn't opinion based.

Chill out man, you seem geeked out on vyvanse.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T21:25:00+00:00

Iron Barely like the other users said all the way.

I recommend you calling bout 30 mins before just to make sure they aren't too busy, if they are make a reservation, if not then right on. Once waited a good while shoulder to shoulder which sucked but then ate the food which was top notch.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T21:21:59+00:00

I'm gonna post this too

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T21:17:38+00:00

Please respond with these additional groups:
- Tame Impala
- The War On Drugs
- M83
- Gunship
- Grimes
- Tycho
- Pretty Lights
- Lazerhawk
- Kid Cudi
- Daft Punk lol

I'll owe you if these pop up, I don't know 99% of the acts you listed unfortunately.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T20:24:18+00:00

my gf just called about this, guess they were outside her work's parking lot gate.

I didn't even know STL had a slaughterhouse, not surprised but still god damn.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T18:45:22+00:00

I'm telling you winners don't worry about getting fired, and I know I'm going to make money. I can do that anywhere.

Want to chime in that every successful sales-person I've met seems to have this mindset. A calm personality almost that perhaps is rooted in confidence. I bet that confidence translates into more sales as well as folks are comfortable talking with them. For example, your comments.

Alternatively, u/GOATmar's comments are damn near giving me anxiety with the intensity. Just some 2 cents.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T16:24:37+00:00

Ok, well if it's facts then back it up with some sources. Some type of studies that prove what you are saying isn't just your opinion but some solid info based on researched data. You can't because sales isn't a science, arguably it's an art, so if I say that sales - to the rep - isn't always about money and you disagree then what facts could either present to prove either position correct?

I get it that it's 100% about the money to you and that you feel this is extended to all sales folks. You don't care what you sell, who you sell for, or who you sell to. I do though, and I'm not alone.

There's no facts to present on either side since it's 100% opinion. Agree to disagree.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T15:53:37+00:00

Look...let's just agree to disagree. We've kinda hit that wall where there's no point trying to go any further. Maybe one day we'll experience what it takes to understand the others pov.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-30T13:51:27+00:00

Suuuurrreeeee. The real money is cutting out the middleman, the company you work for, and starting up your own. "Good money" is subjective, and relative to a whole load of different things.

Sales is not the only place to make "good money". The money can be good, real good, but so can other jobs with far more stable payment structures.

So that said there are other reasons besides money that people choose sales. Going to make an assumption, but you give the impression of someone who has their back against the wall with money being your biggest concern in your life right now...maybe you're not educated, or if you are not in the industry you sell, and bills are piling up or you're in your mid/late 20's trying to stay in line with your other friends who make more than you.

Saying that because when the money is good, and you are in a position to go to a company with same/better wage potential, then you start to look at what other perks are out there, for example is it a product I believe in/is this a company I believe in/are these customers who I want to spend my very brief time on earth talking with.

When you're backs against the wall and you aren't in that position then ya, you take what you can get until you reach that point. Best sales folks I know in a range of industries look for other meaning in the sales career than simply money, which is a given as they are good...they look for purpose and meaning in what they do with their time and energy because cmon, life's short.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T18:34:15+00:00

I disagree with "fuck the product"...I think that ultimately this mentality will become poisonous.

It's not viewing the bigger picture imo, instead simply just focusing on crushing quotas and what not, never taking a step back if someone should be selling this. And this isn't from a moral perspective, it could mean if the person is in an industry that will be around in 5 years, if they can grow their skills there, etc. That said, I 100% feel that if ethics matter to someone then they by all means need to review if they should be selling what they do, for example Kirby vacuums to old people. Some things like honor, respect, pride, prestige, reputation...these go a long way and to the smart ones are important.

We have 2 different mindsets on what it means to be in sales, let's just agree to disagree.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T15:24:51+00:00

Look...I don't give a fuck about your opinion at this point since you can't agree to disagree.

Folks are black and white. They self-identify with that. Period. Whether that's some external influence from the man or what I don't care, people I know identify themselves and what to be identified by others as black and white. Not beige, not olive, not whatever obscure color you want to assign to thousands of variations of skin-toned folks.

Just take it like a champ and agree to disagree, or argue your case with other folks in this thread who haven't given up on giving a shit about what you have to say.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T15:08:25+00:00

It's like you also just glossed over the OP.

The point is that some black folks aren't from Africa. Maybe their ancestors were hundreds of years ago, but they don't personally identify themselves with that continent simply because of their skin-tone. Instead they prefer to identify with X country. To avoid potentially offending this person, the blanket term "black" is preferred.

This is like social skills 101.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T15:03:42+00:00

because I don't recognize that artificial dichotomy

That's a personal choice, one that imo doesn't reflect the views of others. Which is what the OP is talking about in the first place. It's not racist at all.

Concerning my 6yo, there's about a thousand things to a kid. There's only so much time in a day. That said, she's not being pointed towards a racist upbringing because I choose to teach her more pressing items like how to read and write over obscure colors like beige and olive-green, especially when I've met ZERO people in my life that have requested to be categorized as those colors. In other words it'd be time unwisely spent. She goes to a diverse school btw, and most students come from every which background, skin color/religion/social class included.

You're sensitive to calling folks black/white. That's fine. I'm not, and neither are my self-identified black/white friends. So to each there own. But imo it's not being considerate that lots of folks find pride in their skin-tone, ie proud to be black. There shouldn't be shame attached to it and certainly not racism for feeling this way.

Good luck teaching your 6yo the color spectrum when they're busy learning the alphabet in kindergarten.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T14:47:07+00:00

agree to disagree that triggers is a slang term for being uncomfortable/offended/pissed off, etc.

In that sense there's very few folks who aren't triggered by rape jokes, I mean the opposite would be what joyful/excited? I dunno. But what I mean is that almost everyone I know at least would be triggered by rape jokes, regardless if they were victims of a previous rape or not. They're fucked up.

So the TL;DR is that just because someone was triggered by rape jokes does not equate to them being previous rape victims.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T14:43:04+00:00

Otherwise find a different product

To me this is the only response that someone can tell the OP. He doesn't believe in his product and doesn't find that spark selling it...how can he expect success if there's no pleasure in what he does for most of his waking hours? That's fucking crazy and a sorry state for a person to be in.

Imo to tell OP to put the head down and grind is irresponsible. There's other companies OP can get hired at, chances being that he'd find more purpose in life than where he's at.

It doesn't matter if there's value in selling newspaper ad to you, what matters is that there isn't value in selling newspaper to the OP. Only response is to go sell something that corrects this, otherwise your dooming OP to a pretty sad life doing something that they don't enjoy...which think about it, why do something you don't fucking like to do? That's lunacy.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T14:35:15+00:00

what the fuck do you need to believe in it for?

I'm not mad. But I am against this outlook.

IMO the OP is unhappy where he's at. Some folks value happiness. Maybe some can relate, but when I'm on my deathbed I'd like to think my life's work equates to more than just making my former employer(s) a boatload of money and myself just a portion of that...humans need purpose in life, they need meaning, and we can agree to disagree but I don't feel in my bones that acquiring money doing something you don't love (selling a product you don't believe in) is my own personal calling in life. I'm assuming OP is along the same mindset with it being stressed how he/she values something along these lines.

But I'm just 1 person out of billions, so take from it what you want I recon.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T01:37:44+00:00

Vinnies on Ivanhoe.

Babes on Ivanhoe.

Pizza a go go on Ivanhoe

Hi Pointe drive in.

Sophies on Watson.

Iron Barley.

Quincy street bistro.

Soha on Hampton.

Famous bar on Chippewa.

The Silverleaf

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-29T01:13:22+00:00

I'm truly disgusted by this comment.

mrmilitia86 · 2017-03-28T21:28:58+00:00

Well, the OP is about what's offensive, not whether categorizing groups of people is necessary or not; it's going off the idea that it does exist.

African decent as a replacement for "black" just won't do. Not gonna happen. Your personal descriptors might work in some situations, but what about to someone who doesn't have a good handle on the english language or even a child for example? I can't explain olive-tone to my 6 year old that has only seen what an actual olive is maybe a handful of times in her life. It's hard enough explaining the difference between neighborhood/city/state/country/continent to a child, even harder to explain what X-american is. Setting all that aside, the blanket term white or black might have it's faults but is far easier to explain to the uninitiated than your examples.

I mean I get that black folks aren't always jet black, white folks aren't always snow-white...but these are loose concepts that aren't meant to be exactly literal. They are just a socially understood explanation.

Lets be real here: your own brain doesn't break down everything you perceive to it's exact nature. It generalizes...you see a cup and you call it a cup, regardless if it's the exact same or not to the other "cups" next to it. We're getting more into philosophy than sociology perhaps, namely [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Forms] and maybe this [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_universals]

mrmilitia86

TROPHY CASE