Is the sale of copies a good industry?

In a previous article, I told you about all the wonderful reasons why you should consider a career as an account executive in the copier industry. By now, he might be thinking there are no downsides to a career in copy sales. But, you would be wrong. Let me play devil’s advocate and give you the following warnings:

1. Not much social status is given to a copied sales rep. You are classified somewhere between a used car salesman and a telecommunications representative. Your friends won’t think your work is great. But it’s okay. When they’re still eating Top Ramen for dinner, you can jump into your new BMW and offer to take them out to dinner and pick up the tab, since you’ve achieved the financial stability that probably still eludes your friends three years later. University graduation.

2. The work is hard. Very very difficult. But, not for the reasons you think. The combination of a great deal of freedom coupled with the absolute necessity of a disciplined mindset can be a dangerous combination for most people. I knew a manager who used to say, “we give you enough rope to hang around here.” This means no one is watching his every move, but when it shows up in poor sales performance, he doesn’t have enough time to improve the situation before the company shows him the door.

3. You must be able to survive on a meager base salary for at least six months to two years until your commissions start rolling in. Most base salaries in this industry are $20,000 to $30,000 plus benefits.

4. It could take you seriously two years to build a territory that rewards you with a copied sales salary of $60,000-$80,000 a year. This salary range assumes that you are really good at what you do and that you are at least 100% of your annual sales quota. This brings us to our last point:

5. The company may not give you two years to get it all together. Generally, after your first year in sales, if you’re not at 100% of your annual sales quota, your sales manager will “free you up to pursue other opportunities.” In other words, “you’re fired”! Make no mistake about it, your sales quota is not your goal, it’s your minimum requirement. In reality, it is expected to exceed its annual sales quota.

So is copy sales a good industry? All in all, the copy equipment industry offers more advantages than disadvantages. If you consider yourself ambitious, energetic and in possession of superior people skills and exceptional communication skills, this could be the career for you.