This post is targeted primarily at those folks that may have been laid off because of the recent turmoil and have been asking themselves, “why can’t I find a job?” I pray that God helps you to find a secure and stable source of income for your family, but I also want to give you a tip that has helped me to generate some income through initiative and a little creativity.
One thing that a lot of people forget is that businesses – especially with the economy today – need to find ways to generate revenue. They don’t have the funds to hire a full-time sales staff, yet those are the types of people who are going to help them to grow (or save) their business – and this is where you come in.
Don’t wait for someone to call on you
What were job searches like before job boards? Since when do we need Career Builder or Monster.com to tell us how to seek employment? If you are already unemployed, why do you need a salary?
There are a lot of companies out there that are willing to contract folks out and give commissions based on how many leads or sales they get. It’s a win-win for both parties since you as the sales-person has the opportunity to get a good amount of income based on how many people you bring to the business, and the business gets revenue and possibly loyal clients. Now, this is often 100% commission-based, which means that you need to work your butt off.
I’ve been wanting to change gears for a while now. My full-time position isn’t exciting me anymore and although my side business is doing well, I still need a little more income in order to support the family. That being said, I recently started developing restaurant franchises for a friend of mine. There’s no base pay, and what I earn is solely based on my performance – and it’s been absolutely exciting.
Startups need sales too
A friend of mine owns a startup that creates mobile web sites for businesses was struggling for a long time to get clients. Being only one guy, it’s hard to go to networking event after networking event while still having the time to work on projects for already existing clients. He recently “hired” a couple of sales people off of Craigslist and not only have they started generating income, they’ve “forced” him to raise his prices to a fair amount in order for them to get a fair commission. How cool is that?
You could be one of those sales guys that helps a new business get off the ground.
But I’m Not a Salesperson…
One thing that I’ve realized is that some of the best salesmen out there are not “salesmen.” If you can get yourself behind a product or service that you believe in, the only thing that you need to do is be yourself. Of course, you should get some sales training in order to be effective with your sales pipeline, but ultimately it’s not that difficult.
I come from an information security/techie background, and if I can make sales, so can you! Starting the sales process can be as easy as talking to someone at a business conference.
The point…
I know too many people who have been laid off and are submitting their resume to hundreds of positions, only to get rejected or hear nothing back at all. Why wait? What’s stopping you from talking to business owners in your area and asking if they would like to have a 100% commission contractor supporting their revenue generating efforts? Is it the fear of being rejected? Let me know in the comments…
When you join the Productive Catholic community, you will receive exclusive tips and tricks to living well and and fruitfully. You'll get productivity, business, and life tips that will help you to take your faith to the next level!
You can unsubscribe at any time! (we hate spam)
When I’ve needed to get more work or a new job, I’ve always cold-called in person without any prior contact. Thus far it’s worked well for me. I think most people aren’t comfortable with all the rejection, but I get enough positives to far outweigh the minuses of cold-calls.
You are a perfect example of this! Excatly though – most people are afraid of being rejected but don’t think about the rewards that may come from just asking. Even if you are rejected you could ask if they know any other business owners that may need help.
We’ve gotten so used to relying on passive methods of finding a job. You are living proof that all you need to do is walk into a place and ask if they need someone to help.
Thanks for the comment. =)
You know what’s funny: getting out there physically looking for new work is a huge ego-booster, even if every single person that day or that week rejects you.
Number one, playing a physically active role in your own life instead of waiting for other people to be active in your favor is just healthy.
Number two, my experience is that people on the receiving end of my coldcalls find them to be a short & stimulating diversion in an otherwise routine day, and will on that basis alone remember me favorably, which has sometimes paid off much later.