I'm Crushed! My son Doesn't Want To Be A Salesperson

I have always dreamed of my son following in my footsteps, but it does not look promising to say the least. I would never force my children to do anything they did not want to do, but rather, provide the example and let them choose for themselves. As a young pre-school toddler he was a jet setter traveling great distances to visit grandparents and other relatives, on a salesperson’s income. He loved Disneyworld, Hilton Head, Hawaii, Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington DC on a salesperson’s income. Among his friends, he was the first to have video games, bicycles, remote controlled cars, a VCR and his own stereo, all on a salesperson’s income. As a young adult he has marveled at the beauty of Hong Kong, hiked the fabled Inca trail at Machu Picchu, fished for piranha on the Amazon River while exploring its rain forests, experienced the exotic culture of Thailand, climbed the Pyramids of the Yucatan, sailed the turquoise waters of the Caribbean and soaked in the golden rays on Hawaii’s perfect beaches, all on a salesperson’s income.

Salespeople at the top of their field enjoy a paycheck in the top five percent of all wage earners. Top salespeople can earn an income greater than Doctors, Lawyers, CPA’s, and Businessmen. I work with many salespeople who are earning six figure incomes who have yet to celebrated their thirtieth birthday. They own their homes, drive late model automobiles, save for their children’s education and travel to the finest tourist destinations in the world. A career in sales provides an amazing life style. Salespeople don’t have to ask for a raise, they create their own. Work harder, smarter, focus more intently on your sales process and watch your wealth increase. Excellent salespeople are never unemployed; they make their own opportunities. Any business owner or corporate president would gladly hire a salesperson that has demonstrated the ability to create wealth for his or her employer. Excellent salespeople are always in demand whether the economy is up or down. They call the shots and can write their own ticket while making demands that others can only dream of.

I was talking to a salesperson the other day who told me what a joy it was to be able to attend his children’s school programs, sporting events, take his wife to lunch in the middle of the day, and to be able to arrive at the office a little bit late on occasion or leave a little early, as needed, to accommodate family situations. He was not abusing his responsibilities or taking advantage of his employer. This privilege was earned because of his outstanding performance and financial contribution to the company. People who perform, call the shots. The story is told of a baseball player who had a batting average of 187. He was paid the league minimum of three hundred thousand dollars a year and was wishing he were paid more. Following a game where he struck out three times, he met with the team owner and asked for a raise. The words hard barely left his lips when the owner told him not to let the door hit his rear on his way out of the office. That same day, another player who was also making the league minimum wage met with the owner about his income and to discuss a new contract. His batting average was 327 and he had just made three hits out of four “at bats” in his last game. He asked the owner for five million dollars per year and walked out of the office with a four-year contract worth more than twenty-five million dollars including bonuses. Top salespeople, just like top athletes call the shots and write their own ticket to financial success.

Pay a salesperson a commission on their gross profit sales and you can be guaranteed that they are worth every penny you pay them. The more they sell, the greater the profit they bring to the business and the greater the commissions they earn for themselves. Salespeople create wealth not only for themselves, but also for the companies that employee them. Nothing in this world happens until a sale is made. Once the sale is completed, a product is manufactured or a service is rendered. The sale of products and services makes the world go ‘round.

I’m crushed that my son has not caught the vision of what he could become if he chose to follow in my footsteps. My next best hope is that he will become a business owner who will hire and train excellent salespeople who will create wealth for themselves and his company.