Door to Door and Telemarketing: Do They Still Have a Place?

For every successful sales rep that I know, I know at least four failed ones. Out of those four, three of them started in the worst sales positions imaginable. Out of those three, two of them kept on with their careers of horrible sales jobs. The last one ends up deciding that enough is enough and ends up turning it all around to become successful!

Too many people "stick it out" when it comes to a miserable sales position, then quit sales entirely, when they should be diversifying their sales experiences. If you have a set sales strategy, here is why you should "switch it up" and not stick to these two types of sales:

Door to Door Sales: It goes without saying that door to door salespeople are among the most miserable people in the world. Between the fatigue, the weather, and the constant face to face rejection, it's no wonder that door to door sales is one of the careers with the highest turnovers. Who can blame them? It's hard not to wonder how many talented salespeople never came to be, simply because door to door sales turned them off of the career?

Telemarketing: Telemarketing is almost as miserable as door to door sales. Although weather is not a factor, the stress is much higher. You don't have the luxury of seeing people in person. It all rides on the balance of one phone call; a call which is heavily scripted and can get you fired if you stray too far from it. Add on to that list that this is usually an entry level sales position, and you get a lot of people who end up hating sales. Plus, learning a script is not the same thing as learning to sell. Getting off a script is the only true way to sell!


Although these two types of sales jobs are absolutely miserable, they still have their place in a successful business. Successful salespeople sell in person, but they don't do it cold. They take the time to establish rapport with a prospect, in order to convert them into a trusting customer who views them as a valuable resource. It's a shame that these two types of salespeople aren't merged together into one, because by combining phone and in-person sales, you can get more permanent customers!