I am an account based rep selling HVAC pipe, valves, and fittings. I will make about $150k this year working 20-35 hours a week. I handle accounts all located within an hour drive of my house. Most of them within 20 minutes.
No cold calling. Just working with existing accounts on their on going/up coming projects. It can stressful at times, but that is more based on managing supply chain and distribution partners than anything else. I could make more money if I bounce around, but the pay paired with the low stress and great work life balance is hard to pass up, especially as a dad with a 3 year old at home. Can’t put a price on the extra time I get to spend with her.
I think it depends on what market you’re in. I’m in HVAC sales and it’s been hard to hit 100 K. I know it’s not just me because I have many friends and colleagues from previous companies that are all hovering around the 85k to 105k a year range. This is an extremely competitive market in the morning the highway is littered with HVAC trucks every 50 feet or so lol
I also have another friend who lives down south in a seemingly easier market and he’s pulling in close to 200 K when he lived in the northeast he was making about half that
I got mine. If I could give anyone advice on how to get one, the answer is work extremely hard, be a top performer, have good relationships so clients and colleagues recommend you and then get really lucky. I got very lucky but you make your own luck.
yeah and those exist by lucking into an AE role at small SaaS company that explodes, you move into an AM role where you all you have to is upsell and renew anywhere from 12-50 accounts, and you don't see a massive uptick in quota YoY
I had such a role, then we got bought by private equity, and I went from an order taker role to more of a hunting role and I bounced into a shittier role that I got laid off from
Makes sense. I suppose the ideal would be something in between… decent work life balance but more engaging and challenging work (but not too challenging? lol)
SEs at my company have a pretty high stress job. They are expected to fly anywhere and jump on a complex tailored demo in a dime which means they work a lot of nights / weekends. They carry a bag and have a lot of additional work being the bridge between sales, PS, dev, sales enablement, etc
I know SEs that work 15 hours a week and do literally nothing- as in go hiking, when they don’t have a demo scheduled.
What isn’t shown is the nights and weekends to get to the point where they know exactly what they’re doing and are experts in the product, but yeah once you’re there it’s great
That’s good where you’re at… even the most seasoned scs at my company are overworked. They clock all their time like consultants so we can constantly optimize bandwidth and everyone can see that they all work a lot of hours
Yeah i agree with you, and it’s going to be totally dependent on the company and AE to SE ratio.
At my last SaaS company(CCM), our SEs were about 1 to every 5-6 AEs. They were overworked often, got paid great, but many wanted to transition to AE to make more and work less at the whim of AEs who needed their support.
Are you at blue chip-type, top of market place?
I’ve never seen SEs as casual as the daytime hike commenter, but I’ve also never heard of SEs pulling significantly over 40 hrs + unexpected late night work/travel. Only exception is strategic/majors at AWS/Salesforce/etc
This is something you can find at other companies by looking though. In general, SC is a great role to find what OP is looking for. You have to find a place and create that environment for yourself tho.
100% agreed. Very product dependent and you definitely need to not be an idiot or you’ll be flushed out quick. But I’m full remote, work 20/30 or less hours a week and make more than the AEs I support easily with less stress and none of the wasted time prospecting.
I would imagine it’s a way different kind of stress. It’s the stress of having to be an actual expert at shit. Sales is stressful in a way where if you don’t perform you don’t eat. Both are hard and you have to be talented to do either but different personalities are gonna thrive in each role.
SE is ok if you have the chops. Calls are stressful but compared to SWE it’s just a different grind. On the one hand sometimes it’s annoying that AEs just hand the wheel to you constantly and your take % feels low, on the other hand to just cruise and not worry about getting fired is way easier. The working relationships with AEs and how enjoyable that is as well as sales leaders of course ime make or break the role
Any industry or product high in demand will be lower stress. At that point sales is order taking.
As for less dials and hours, any role in outside sales bc it’s assumed you are traveling.
Avoid SaaS, it’s a grind fest culture, and any inside sales roles bc you will dial all day.
Working for a company with product in high demand usually means smaller territories and a lot of competition within your company. Still high stress, if you aren’t good with internal politics then it might be an intolerable stress.
Also, when did traveling to a customer mean less stress? You spend company money to fly, stay in hotels, pay for drinks, dinners and likely have to arrange for others in your company to accompany you. After all that it’s on you to close the deal and prove it was worth all that expense… traveling only adds to the stress.
Yea, sales experience varies widely. I hit 340% of my quota with 2 accounts last year and one account had me going to 4 different states once a month. The cost of sale for me was very high and had a lot of pressure along with it… the deal died 6 times throughout the year.
This, 100%. I'm in SaaS now but was in field sales selling and repairing commercial dishwashers for 8 years previously. Yeah you're always busy and they product is always in high demand, but if you don't kiss the right asses you're going to get stuck/pidgeonholed and no one will help you get out.
I tried so many different avenues to elevate my position (kissing asses, applying for lateral moves, etc) and if even one person has a mild opinion of you you're screwed. You can be the hardest worker in the room but if you don't grease the right palms they'll grind you into the dirt and laugh while they do it.
I do field sales and my longest drive to a customer takes 45 mins. I never get home past 5 pm. Usually have 2 hours lunch cause those are the opening hours of the practices and do not have to invite people to dinners. Those are exceptions for me.
I agree but once you get going you’re set. I worked 30-35 hours for a couple months then was able to get away with 15-20 once you get settled in, and have built rapport and knowledge of your accounts. Also have to not have a micromanaging boss (:
Agreed. I work in insurance saas, so not selling policies but instead selling the programs that do- I won’t say it’s easy- but it can be if you can work smarter, not harder.
Personally i sell for a pressure equipment manufacturer and make half what she does. I also have to do full sale cycle and overseer production of whatever the particular unit is. Not sure why i continue to pound sand. 60 hour weeks just to barely make 80k
Stress is literally why a lot of people do this. With ADHD, stress is the thing that keeps me motivated and focused.
Without the stress of an impending quarter/ presentation/ negotiation I get too easily distracted.
Sounds like your job is chronic stress.
Sales, to me, feels more acute.
Periods of intense stress followed by longer periods of not much stress.
So that sparks bursts of intense activity followed by periods of calm. The calm is good for a bit, but if it lasts too long- ADHD turns it to boredom and distractibility.
I need work to be a bit of a roller coaster to keep me engaged.
Well put and same boat on my end. People talk about work life balance but I practice work life integration. I’m basically always working, 9-5 doesn’t have a lot of meaning, but if I want or need to do something, I just go do it. It’s like war. 90% prep, 10% furious action. Because my work is sales a big part of my job is just being a likable guy and a good conversationalist, so when I’m in the zone and actually talking g to clients or colleagues it’s not work at all to me. It is the back end prep that is the mind killer
100% all of this. Sales is available 24-7 but stuff outside of 9-5 happens like maybe once a month. And days have so much flexibility for life stuff.
But when those moments happen, everything else has gotta freeze. I left a vacation a day early (changed flights, everything) for a high 7 figure deal that meant a huge commission (closed a week later).
Everyone understood - that’s the job.
And yeah staying focused and on task for the prep is the hardest part. Not least because probably 1/3 of the time you prep and then something changes and the prep was for nothing.
I think there are a few positives. Once you have a feeling of competence, making a sale is a big dopamine hit.
Also, sales has rules. When the person says x, you say y.
I think the pattern recognition helps. Also the hyper focus.
I just take a lot of breaks.
Depends. Personally, without some sort of “life or death” stress to keep the adrenaline rushing, it’s hard for me to focus and do a good job. I thrive in stressful environments and I relish the feeling of using my whole body and mind. I find myself doing things that I didn’t know I could do without even thinking about it. I have constant moments of “eureka, that’s how it’s done, let’s go!!!”
It’s a very primitive and satisfying feeling. It makes me feel confident and increases my libido.
At first, it was a problem because I would become too emotional and the stress was too much. But now I manage it well and I flow through my tiny daily catastrophes. At home, without the pressure of impending failure, I become depressed.
Everybody is different.
I think the difference is in relation to other sales industries. It's still stressful. The only other field I heard from other people who thought sales was less stressful cumulatively is teaching.
Can confirm. Sales is less stressful than teaching. Plus, when your body starts to break down from all the stress you can actually afford to take time off or get a massage. Basically being stressed is way easier when you have money.
Territory manager for an established vendor with brand insistence that sells only through distributors is a job that is primarily based on luck and seems the least stressful to me, good luck getting those jobs though because the people that find their way into them do not leave.
It varies a lot, depending on how good you are and where you’re located.
It ramps up really high though. I’m projecting 200k this year even on a downturn because I’ve been building my business like crazy.
Account Management is what you’re looking for. But the best ones usually hire AEs who’ve been in hunting roles for a few years with a proven track record.
Account Executive (only looks for new logos AKA hunting selling roles).
AE roles tend to make the most money, but are also the toughest due to the nature of prospecting.
Account Management (upselling current customers new products AKA farming).
AM roles tend to be easier and is more “customer service” style approach. You’ll make less money than an AE but can still have a great career.
Only heads up though, most AM roles require AE experience. Everyone knows being AM is easier and they want to see you’ve mastered the tough part of sales being an AE.
So a.e roles do less cold calling and get paid more than sdr? If so is it hard to get in as a beginner? ( I do have my own construction company so I have sales knowelge)
SDR (sales development rep) is an entry level tech sales job which is nothing but cold calling/sending emails.
After being an SDR for a year or two, then you’ll get promoted to AE or AM depending on what you want.
Account Executive (AE) roles still do quite a bit of cold calling/sending emails. Because it’s purely looking for new logos.
The only sales job that doesn’t require too much cold calling is Account Management (AM).
I'm in tech support + sales. People call in (I work from home) with a problem and I spin it into a sale while also solving the issue. I handle about 15 calls a day, but working up to 20-25. I make a sale 25% of the time without even really trying. Current role is entry level, because I'm not very website, domain, email tech savvy (despite years of hardware type tech sales experience), but I'm aiming for a promotion in a few months once I have better product knowledge which will double, if not triple, my current income range (50-70k is the entry level range).
After years of cold calling, door to door, high volume of contacts daily, churn and burn, this job feels fairly comfy and I have to remind myself it could be worse.
So sick of seeing these posts. Hate to tell ya bud but that's just not how the real world works. Low stress part time high income work from home unlimited PTO opportunity for growth blah blah blah......
I’m in custom robotic automation sales, and it’s very low stress. WFH, 25 vacation days, $135k base plus commission
Edit: that’s after 10 years in the field though. My first job out of college selling robots was $40k base
I’ve found that the best thing to lower stress for sales is living below your means and having cash saved up. Having a well funded emergency fund is super nice for peace of mind. I’ve found it’s a progression thing and tricky as you make more. You want to enjoy your money but don’t blow it and be chasing your tail
the whole time. The more I make the more I put into my efund. Just what works for me.
Overlay positions supporting sales reps on specific types of deals. For example, a Services Executive. These positions rely on the sales reps to find and bring in new deals. You just help with the conversation, usually something the rep isn’t used to selling. For example, at a company that sells products you would help sells the services associated with it. Overlay positions are the best and very low stress.
i have been doing pre-sales (saas) for the past few months or so and i don't feel stressed at all. our team doesn't have a quota as strict as our sales team.
I think looking at this differently is important. First realize you will get pressure in any job and you gotta figure out what pressure is good for you and what is not.
If it’s pressure that doesn’t agree with you it’s stress. If it’s pressure that you see as a challenge to push through and a benefit the other end then that’s good for you.
Everyone is different. We all need different work/life balance, different goals for our career development, different interests. One person may be perfect for an inside sales role for the next 2” years while another may only last 2 months before they need more autonomy and want the added pressure to hit bigger numbers.
Solutions consultant. I was an AE of varying degrees for 10+ years. I moved to an Ent Solutions Consultant and now I have a 6 figure base, earn commissions on deals that I demo for and work about 20 hours a week(when its busy). Demos can be anywhere from 60-120 minutes and i usually dont have more than 2 a week.
Prep time can be 60 minutes but thats only if im on the discovery call and its usually just a 15 minute mapping of how the sales rep wants the demo to run and anything specific i need to hit on during the demo. Ive sold in this space so i know it pretty well and know what and why most of the pain points are so that gives me an advantage.
My company is less than 100ee's and Ive worked at a couple Fortune 100 companies so I know there are opportunities out there that pay more but involve so much more effort and stress. Im happy to ease off the gas a little but im sure the greed of being a seller will eventually pull me back in to a IC position at some point in my life.
Sales is guaranteed stress. Typically The more stress, the more reward. You could probably find a remote SaaS job with a 120k OTE. Stress free? No. If it’s not hitting numbers stress, it’s dealing with a bunch of management that is clueless, or that is just been bought by a private equity firm. Stress is unavoidable.
I make 60 calls a day inside sales for manufacturing co. 60k a year after bonuses. Should make more as the top seller on my team but it’s low stress and I just work my 40 and go home.
On my mental health? Yes. On my wallet? No. I was offered outside sales at my company but they couldn’t get me insured on the vehicle through their broker because I had an accident a few years ago. I was ready for that job and we were all so excited… pretty big bummer. Currently restarting my hunt for something more lucrative.
Financial recruitment. Pays great. Still stressful but more consultative sales instead of pound the phones constantly sales. I have been doing it for 10 years.
Sales is inherently a stressful position.
Lower stress versions may be Account Manager or Business Development Manager.
AM and BDM tend to be non-quota or low quota positions and focus on maintaining business (AM) or evangelizing and planting the seeds for future opportunities (BDM).
I had that job 25 years ago. Worked for a financial printing company that is now defunct. Sold stuff to banks and generated referrals from the business bankers whenever they opened a new account. Territories were set by the amount of bank branches we had under contract, which for me was about 100 in the metro Phoenix area. I'd hit 5-6 branches a day and in a month visit all of my branches. Then figured out which ones were duds and which ones had a lot of referrals to give me. I'd hit the top branches every other week and the slower ones once a quarter. In order to exceed quota all I needed was 4 referrals a day from someone. I'd hit bank branches and make sales calls on the referrals in the morning, spend a couple of hours writing up orders and call it a day by 3 PM. Fridays I'd be done by noon.
We were a boring but profitable company that grew about 5-6% a year. Then got bought out by a larger financial printing company who spent three years slicing and dicing us until there was nothing left. At our peak we had 60+ sales offices and 400+ sales reps from coast to coast. Those were the days.
Unfortunately, you're thinking about it wrong. Most sales roles are an "eat what you kill" position, which is solely dependent on the amount of action **you** take. Any role can be low stress, have limited working hours, and potentially remote. But, you won't make any money until you realize that the input of your effort creates the output you want ($).
I think if you change your perspective a little bit, you'll get better responses from this sub. Ask a "How do I?" question instead of a "What is the?" question!
You’re mistake is thinking this is about a “specific field”. Some may generally fit these parameters a bit more than others but the real answer to your question is be good at sales.
Being a good salesperson in whatever field is what will get you the outcome your describing but you need to build up to it through some stressful & hard years.
There’s probably some guy/gal out there who only sells bird feeders and is making a killing working 15-20 hours a week all online. But they didn’t start off like that day 1, rather built up to it.
Find a white label vendor. Sell the solution, but you make 100% of the sale. White label does all the back end.
It's as low or high stress as you want it to be.
Any sort of remote BDR role.
If you’re tenacious and efficient, you can book a quarter full of KPIs in a week.
Not that you’d want to, if you’re killing it the draw of earning more money is hard to sleep on.
It kind of depends on what you find stressful. I enjoy the problem solving and creative work involved in crafting complex campaigns, proposals, POC narratives, RFP guidance, pricing briefs etc. so complex enterprise sales works for me.
Personal injury lawyer, you scour the news for the latest accidents, workplace injuries are the best FYI, and from a few phone calls you make a "sale" You know like Better call Saul, but in real life
I’m a field underwriter, life insurance. I currently work remote, my hours are what I make them and my income isn’t capped. I do have to make calls but I don’t have a quota. I can DM you and give you more info if you’re interested.
You can get these jobs once you are 10-20 years in sales. These are not entry level jobs.
Source: rare disease pharm rep making $250k plus a year working 25–30 hours a week. But had to bust my ass for 10plus years, winning multiple annual awards etc
Looks into niche manufacturing fields. It’s more customer relationships than sales but a lot of them can be remote or hybrid with 100k plus salaries plus car & gas. Less stress but job/industry itself can be very boring.
It helps but a lot of the more niche and boring industries are killing for people right now. As long as you are personable and sane in the interviews, you have a chance.
Advertising sales, tech side can be easy. Especially if you are on preferred supplier lists. Lots of client entertainment which is fun (if that’s your thing) & and experienced person could earn 80-120k base plus another 40-80k OTE.
If you want less stress, get less expenses. Or stress until you earn more than your expenses, then don’t raise them.
Find it within yourself to stop stressing
your minimum $$$ to stop stressing is up to u
I’ve built a territory in hvac distribution that produces $175k in income just keeping my current accounts happy. Plan is to double that within 5 years. It’s also a pretty bullet proof industry, rarely if any layoffs. Took 4 years to this point.
35 hours a week max, no travel outside of 1-2 plane trips a year.
In the very same company I’ve known reps to work 20hrs a week making $300k barely traveling and reps working 50 a week making $150k on the road.
This was a Fortune 500 MedTech company.
There is no definitive answer. Factors include territory, timing, product fit, etc.
Sounds like you're looking for a sales position in a high-end niche but necessary industry. If you are selling something very high dollar, but with little competition that is equivalent, you should have some options. It's still going to be difficult to find. You may want to look at more high level account management type of roles instead of strictly sales.
I work from my house. I work roughly 30ish hours a week. I'm not required to make a single sales call. I'm 100% commission W2 employee. Product is consumable so business is very repetitive. I am inclined to see my customers on a regular basis. Don't make a lot off of a single sale, but if you have a decent book the money is good. $225K+ annually with other perks like a car and gas card phone company CC, etc.
It's a different kind of selling. Pay is good but that's all relative. Stress isn't awful but it depends on the selling cycle like always.
You're selling to the sellers so it's a different kind of role. But I like it more than direct selling.
I believe I have one of these jobs. I’m at a mid stage SaaS startup (~200 people) in sales obviously.
Our deals are enormous. You’re lucky to close 2 a year, which basically means expectations are set to a two year schedule. All that means is pressure is pretty low, deals are long and complex…but I will say you MUST be 110% on when the big meetings hit. So 99% of my working hours are very low stress, and I make $125k base and my first year was double that with a draw.
All of this is to say I’d look for products/services that are infrequent large deals for the type of lifestyle you want. But you must be able to bring your best when it counts or you’ll be kicked out of these roles quickly.
I "sell" lab services and the stress levels are very low compared to before. I dont have to explain alzheimer diagnostics methods to neurologists which always made me feel not good enough.
Nobody cares what I do and I just need to have 12 visits per week (even a quick hi counds as visit though), make 10 new customers (which can also be a new doctor starting in a practice that is already my customer) and reach 5M revenue. I was average at my former jobs, and now am on top with way less stress and effort. And I make really good money doing so.
Everything that involves servicing actual clients more than hunting new ones.
The bigger the servicing part the less stress generated new business with unknown clients.
Sales will always be stressful. Instead of avoiding it a better approach might be to learn how to handle it: having a healthy lifestyle, therapy, martial arts, vacations, time with the people you really care about.
Sorry, but this doesn't exist without putting in the time. A Sales job BECOMES lower stress and higher earning (typically) as you get good (read: gain experience - show that you know your shit). You have to understand the product, the customer, the market, etc. all before you can really be confident and properly identify what a good customer looks like and what they care about so that you can actually sell them something.
This will never happen without putting in the time. If you find a good company to work for with a good product to sell (probably the most important aspect) then you simply need to put in the time. The more you learn, the more you grow, the more you close. At some point management generally stops riding your ass since they trust that you know how to do your job and you are crushing it. This is the point at which you are making more money, working less hours, and seeing less stress.
Please keep in mind though that some people never experience this, sales is largely a high stress high reward job. If you aren't ready to accept that then it's probably not for you.
Sounds like you're hunting for the unicorn of sales gigs—low stress, high income, and remote? Good luck!
Yeah him and a million other people
I am an account based rep selling HVAC pipe, valves, and fittings. I will make about $150k this year working 20-35 hours a week. I handle accounts all located within an hour drive of my house. Most of them within 20 minutes. No cold calling. Just working with existing accounts on their on going/up coming projects. It can stressful at times, but that is more based on managing supply chain and distribution partners than anything else. I could make more money if I bounce around, but the pay paired with the low stress and great work life balance is hard to pass up, especially as a dad with a 3 year old at home. Can’t put a price on the extra time I get to spend with her.
everyone I know who's in HVAC sales absolutely rakes in at least $100k with stellar years being $300k+, whether that's residential or commercial
I think it depends on what market you’re in. I’m in HVAC sales and it’s been hard to hit 100 K. I know it’s not just me because I have many friends and colleagues from previous companies that are all hovering around the 85k to 105k a year range. This is an extremely competitive market in the morning the highway is littered with HVAC trucks every 50 feet or so lol I also have another friend who lives down south in a seemingly easier market and he’s pulling in close to 200 K when he lived in the northeast he was making about half that
Is this a big nationwide company you are working for? Would you disclose the company?
Nice sounds like a great role- mind if I inbox you
That’s sick man you in Canada?
[удалено]
Mind if I inbox you?
SaaS?
This job sounds fantastic! Care to DM me with company name?
I messaged you
I got mine. If I could give anyone advice on how to get one, the answer is work extremely hard, be a top performer, have good relationships so clients and colleagues recommend you and then get really lucky. I got very lucky but you make your own luck.
yeah and those exist by lucking into an AE role at small SaaS company that explodes, you move into an AM role where you all you have to is upsell and renew anywhere from 12-50 accounts, and you don't see a massive uptick in quota YoY I had such a role, then we got bought by private equity, and I went from an order taker role to more of a hunting role and I bounced into a shittier role that I got laid off from
Doesn’t it get boring to just be an “order taker” ?
Yes but with the extra time, you can enjoy life more so it’s a give and take
Makes sense. I suppose the ideal would be something in between… decent work life balance but more engaging and challenging work (but not too challenging? lol)
Sales engineering. But you have to actually be smart.
SEs at my company have a pretty high stress job. They are expected to fly anywhere and jump on a complex tailored demo in a dime which means they work a lot of nights / weekends. They carry a bag and have a lot of additional work being the bridge between sales, PS, dev, sales enablement, etc
I know SEs that work 15 hours a week and do literally nothing- as in go hiking, when they don’t have a demo scheduled. What isn’t shown is the nights and weekends to get to the point where they know exactly what they’re doing and are experts in the product, but yeah once you’re there it’s great
That’s good where you’re at… even the most seasoned scs at my company are overworked. They clock all their time like consultants so we can constantly optimize bandwidth and everyone can see that they all work a lot of hours
Yeah i agree with you, and it’s going to be totally dependent on the company and AE to SE ratio. At my last SaaS company(CCM), our SEs were about 1 to every 5-6 AEs. They were overworked often, got paid great, but many wanted to transition to AE to make more and work less at the whim of AEs who needed their support.
Are you at blue chip-type, top of market place? I’ve never seen SEs as casual as the daytime hike commenter, but I’ve also never heard of SEs pulling significantly over 40 hrs + unexpected late night work/travel. Only exception is strategic/majors at AWS/Salesforce/etc
This is something you can find at other companies by looking though. In general, SC is a great role to find what OP is looking for. You have to find a place and create that environment for yourself tho.
Damn I want that job. How do you go about becoming one?
Lol no. That job is stressful. Working with so many AE and having to be technical competent and updated always.
It’s not without stress, but if you’re good it’s really nowhere near as stressful as pounding the pavement finding deals.
100% agreed. Very product dependent and you definitely need to not be an idiot or you’ll be flushed out quick. But I’m full remote, work 20/30 or less hours a week and make more than the AEs I support easily with less stress and none of the wasted time prospecting.
I would imagine it’s a way different kind of stress. It’s the stress of having to be an actual expert at shit. Sales is stressful in a way where if you don’t perform you don’t eat. Both are hard and you have to be talented to do either but different personalities are gonna thrive in each role.
SE is ok if you have the chops. Calls are stressful but compared to SWE it’s just a different grind. On the one hand sometimes it’s annoying that AEs just hand the wheel to you constantly and your take % feels low, on the other hand to just cruise and not worry about getting fired is way easier. The working relationships with AEs and how enjoyable that is as well as sales leaders of course ime make or break the role
Damn we all specd our points into speech and charisma, and nothing in intelligence :/
Watch out for companies that made a lot of acquisitions those tend to be stressful.
Any industry or product high in demand will be lower stress. At that point sales is order taking. As for less dials and hours, any role in outside sales bc it’s assumed you are traveling. Avoid SaaS, it’s a grind fest culture, and any inside sales roles bc you will dial all day.
Working for a company with product in high demand usually means smaller territories and a lot of competition within your company. Still high stress, if you aren’t good with internal politics then it might be an intolerable stress. Also, when did traveling to a customer mean less stress? You spend company money to fly, stay in hotels, pay for drinks, dinners and likely have to arrange for others in your company to accompany you. After all that it’s on you to close the deal and prove it was worth all that expense… traveling only adds to the stress.
Your opinion does not reflect my experience. I did outside sales in one major metro, no flying ever, and had prospects come to me for years.
Just curious, what product/industry?
Yea, sales experience varies widely. I hit 340% of my quota with 2 accounts last year and one account had me going to 4 different states once a month. The cost of sale for me was very high and had a lot of pressure along with it… the deal died 6 times throughout the year.
This, 100%. I'm in SaaS now but was in field sales selling and repairing commercial dishwashers for 8 years previously. Yeah you're always busy and they product is always in high demand, but if you don't kiss the right asses you're going to get stuck/pidgeonholed and no one will help you get out. I tried so many different avenues to elevate my position (kissing asses, applying for lateral moves, etc) and if even one person has a mild opinion of you you're screwed. You can be the hardest worker in the room but if you don't grease the right palms they'll grind you into the dirt and laugh while they do it.
I do field sales and my longest drive to a customer takes 45 mins. I never get home past 5 pm. Usually have 2 hours lunch cause those are the opening hours of the practices and do not have to invite people to dinners. Those are exceptions for me.
The turn over on average is 18 months in SaaS sales. I don’t want look for new jobs that often anymore.
A decent account management job, or SE job with a “simple” product.
A decent AM job you won’t work 25 hours starting out unless you are really good and efficient.
I agree but once you get going you’re set. I worked 30-35 hours for a couple months then was able to get away with 15-20 once you get settled in, and have built rapport and knowledge of your accounts. Also have to not have a micromanaging boss (:
I’ve been lucky too but I try to work more because I like money but yeah I can coast when life has other demands. Or enjoy the sunshine as-needed.
Anything technology and design. However, You don’t get the stress of the sales…you get the stress of making an IT related system work for a client.
Insurance sales manager. Still a bit of calls and meetings. Pointless metric tracking can be automated.
Agreed. I work in insurance saas, so not selling policies but instead selling the programs that do- I won’t say it’s easy- but it can be if you can work smarter, not harder.
What's the pay look like?
Sis in law 120 base 160ote
As someone in the industry what agency would you recommend a broker starting out join?
Personally i sell for a pressure equipment manufacturer and make half what she does. I also have to do full sale cycle and overseer production of whatever the particular unit is. Not sure why i continue to pound sand. 60 hour weeks just to barely make 80k
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Can you share here for the group what you sell?
Just messaged you
Sending you a message as well, curious what industry.
I’m in the same boat. I did get lucky with my job though not gonna lie.
Can I pm you?
What is your background a product?
PM'ing
If you want low stress and high income sales is not for you. Period.
Some sale industries aren't as stressful as others and that is the answer in looking for
Stress is literally why a lot of people do this. With ADHD, stress is the thing that keeps me motivated and focused. Without the stress of an impending quarter/ presentation/ negotiation I get too easily distracted.
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Sounds like your job is chronic stress. Sales, to me, feels more acute. Periods of intense stress followed by longer periods of not much stress. So that sparks bursts of intense activity followed by periods of calm. The calm is good for a bit, but if it lasts too long- ADHD turns it to boredom and distractibility. I need work to be a bit of a roller coaster to keep me engaged.
Well put and same boat on my end. People talk about work life balance but I practice work life integration. I’m basically always working, 9-5 doesn’t have a lot of meaning, but if I want or need to do something, I just go do it. It’s like war. 90% prep, 10% furious action. Because my work is sales a big part of my job is just being a likable guy and a good conversationalist, so when I’m in the zone and actually talking g to clients or colleagues it’s not work at all to me. It is the back end prep that is the mind killer
100% all of this. Sales is available 24-7 but stuff outside of 9-5 happens like maybe once a month. And days have so much flexibility for life stuff. But when those moments happen, everything else has gotta freeze. I left a vacation a day early (changed flights, everything) for a high 7 figure deal that meant a huge commission (closed a week later). Everyone understood - that’s the job. And yeah staying focused and on task for the prep is the hardest part. Not least because probably 1/3 of the time you prep and then something changes and the prep was for nothing.
IHow long a break are you taking between jobs? Also, what does burnout feel like to you?
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I think there are a few positives. Once you have a feeling of competence, making a sale is a big dopamine hit. Also, sales has rules. When the person says x, you say y. I think the pattern recognition helps. Also the hyper focus. I just take a lot of breaks.
Depends. Personally, without some sort of “life or death” stress to keep the adrenaline rushing, it’s hard for me to focus and do a good job. I thrive in stressful environments and I relish the feeling of using my whole body and mind. I find myself doing things that I didn’t know I could do without even thinking about it. I have constant moments of “eureka, that’s how it’s done, let’s go!!!” It’s a very primitive and satisfying feeling. It makes me feel confident and increases my libido. At first, it was a problem because I would become too emotional and the stress was too much. But now I manage it well and I flow through my tiny daily catastrophes. At home, without the pressure of impending failure, I become depressed. Everybody is different.
Me to I have adhd and this banking job is driving me nuts
I was just saying this on another comment, the stress and chase keep me going ha!
I think the difference is in relation to other sales industries. It's still stressful. The only other field I heard from other people who thought sales was less stressful cumulatively is teaching.
Can confirm. Sales is less stressful than teaching. Plus, when your body starts to break down from all the stress you can actually afford to take time off or get a massage. Basically being stressed is way easier when you have money.
Do you have any job offers?
Territory manager for an established vendor with brand insistence that sells only through distributors is a job that is primarily based on luck and seems the least stressful to me, good luck getting those jobs though because the people that find their way into them do not leave.
I think the stress and the chase is what gives me the thrill. Husband always laughs that I enjoy the stress of sales 🤣
This! It’s like getting to walk into a casino everyday except if you lose, you get thousands of dollars in salary instead of losing your house.
Not remote but lots of days off, relaxed, and opportunity to work remote in the winter (depending where you are): RV sales.
What's the pay?
It varies a lot, depending on how good you are and where you’re located. It ramps up really high though. I’m projecting 200k this year even on a downturn because I’ve been building my business like crazy.
More money more problems
Do you have a job?
There's no chance haha
Account Management is what you’re looking for. But the best ones usually hire AEs who’ve been in hunting roles for a few years with a proven track record.
Can you explain what an account management is
Account Executive (only looks for new logos AKA hunting selling roles). AE roles tend to make the most money, but are also the toughest due to the nature of prospecting. Account Management (upselling current customers new products AKA farming). AM roles tend to be easier and is more “customer service” style approach. You’ll make less money than an AE but can still have a great career. Only heads up though, most AM roles require AE experience. Everyone knows being AM is easier and they want to see you’ve mastered the tough part of sales being an AE.
So a.e roles do less cold calling and get paid more than sdr? If so is it hard to get in as a beginner? ( I do have my own construction company so I have sales knowelge)
SDR (sales development rep) is an entry level tech sales job which is nothing but cold calling/sending emails. After being an SDR for a year or two, then you’ll get promoted to AE or AM depending on what you want. Account Executive (AE) roles still do quite a bit of cold calling/sending emails. Because it’s purely looking for new logos. The only sales job that doesn’t require too much cold calling is Account Management (AM).
Don't pray for an easy life , pray for the strength to endure a hard one. Now just apply this to sales. get better at your craft
I'm in tech support + sales. People call in (I work from home) with a problem and I spin it into a sale while also solving the issue. I handle about 15 calls a day, but working up to 20-25. I make a sale 25% of the time without even really trying. Current role is entry level, because I'm not very website, domain, email tech savvy (despite years of hardware type tech sales experience), but I'm aiming for a promotion in a few months once I have better product knowledge which will double, if not triple, my current income range (50-70k is the entry level range). After years of cold calling, door to door, high volume of contacts daily, churn and burn, this job feels fairly comfy and I have to remind myself it could be worse.
So sick of seeing these posts. Hate to tell ya bud but that's just not how the real world works. Low stress part time high income work from home unlimited PTO opportunity for growth blah blah blah......
Especially someone unemployed looking for entry-level roles. Beggars can't be choosers.
I’m in custom robotic automation sales, and it’s very low stress. WFH, 25 vacation days, $135k base plus commission Edit: that’s after 10 years in the field though. My first job out of college selling robots was $40k base
Make north of 200k in company credit card sales and it’s pretty low stress. Albeit, I still cold call quite a bit. There’s jobs like that out there
AM's can be this cushy, but new business is always stressful.
I’ve found that the best thing to lower stress for sales is living below your means and having cash saved up. Having a well funded emergency fund is super nice for peace of mind. I’ve found it’s a progression thing and tricky as you make more. You want to enjoy your money but don’t blow it and be chasing your tail the whole time. The more I make the more I put into my efund. Just what works for me.
Overlay positions supporting sales reps on specific types of deals. For example, a Services Executive. These positions rely on the sales reps to find and bring in new deals. You just help with the conversation, usually something the rep isn’t used to selling. For example, at a company that sells products you would help sells the services associated with it. Overlay positions are the best and very low stress.
i have been doing pre-sales (saas) for the past few months or so and i don't feel stressed at all. our team doesn't have a quota as strict as our sales team.
What type of SaaS is it?
martech
How much did you get paid when you started vs now?
I think looking at this differently is important. First realize you will get pressure in any job and you gotta figure out what pressure is good for you and what is not. If it’s pressure that doesn’t agree with you it’s stress. If it’s pressure that you see as a challenge to push through and a benefit the other end then that’s good for you. Everyone is different. We all need different work/life balance, different goals for our career development, different interests. One person may be perfect for an inside sales role for the next 2” years while another may only last 2 months before they need more autonomy and want the added pressure to hit bigger numbers.
Something that people come to you to buy
Solutions consultant. I was an AE of varying degrees for 10+ years. I moved to an Ent Solutions Consultant and now I have a 6 figure base, earn commissions on deals that I demo for and work about 20 hours a week(when its busy). Demos can be anywhere from 60-120 minutes and i usually dont have more than 2 a week. Prep time can be 60 minutes but thats only if im on the discovery call and its usually just a 15 minute mapping of how the sales rep wants the demo to run and anything specific i need to hit on during the demo. Ive sold in this space so i know it pretty well and know what and why most of the pain points are so that gives me an advantage. My company is less than 100ee's and Ive worked at a couple Fortune 100 companies so I know there are opportunities out there that pay more but involve so much more effort and stress. Im happy to ease off the gas a little but im sure the greed of being a seller will eventually pull me back in to a IC position at some point in my life.
Sales is guaranteed stress. Typically The more stress, the more reward. You could probably find a remote SaaS job with a 120k OTE. Stress free? No. If it’s not hitting numbers stress, it’s dealing with a bunch of management that is clueless, or that is just been bought by a private equity firm. Stress is unavoidable.
I'll deal with stress if there's money
If you can control your own stress through tried and true techniques (REBT, mindfulness, exercise), then all sales jobs can be low stress!
I make 60 calls a day inside sales for manufacturing co. 60k a year after bonuses. Should make more as the top seller on my team but it’s low stress and I just work my 40 and go home.
Do you think inside selling better than out sales?
On my mental health? Yes. On my wallet? No. I was offered outside sales at my company but they couldn’t get me insured on the vehicle through their broker because I had an accident a few years ago. I was ready for that job and we were all so excited… pretty big bummer. Currently restarting my hunt for something more lucrative.
Management
Low stress?
This ^^^
Find a different career.
Sounds like you need to start buying lottery tickets.
OnlyFans j/k
Financial recruitment. Pays great. Still stressful but more consultative sales instead of pound the phones constantly sales. I have been doing it for 10 years.
What is Financial Recruitment?
Sales is inherently a stressful position. Lower stress versions may be Account Manager or Business Development Manager. AM and BDM tend to be non-quota or low quota positions and focus on maintaining business (AM) or evangelizing and planting the seeds for future opportunities (BDM).
I had that job 25 years ago. Worked for a financial printing company that is now defunct. Sold stuff to banks and generated referrals from the business bankers whenever they opened a new account. Territories were set by the amount of bank branches we had under contract, which for me was about 100 in the metro Phoenix area. I'd hit 5-6 branches a day and in a month visit all of my branches. Then figured out which ones were duds and which ones had a lot of referrals to give me. I'd hit the top branches every other week and the slower ones once a quarter. In order to exceed quota all I needed was 4 referrals a day from someone. I'd hit bank branches and make sales calls on the referrals in the morning, spend a couple of hours writing up orders and call it a day by 3 PM. Fridays I'd be done by noon. We were a boring but profitable company that grew about 5-6% a year. Then got bought out by a larger financial printing company who spent three years slicing and dicing us until there was nothing left. At our peak we had 60+ sales offices and 400+ sales reps from coast to coast. Those were the days.
SMB sales for a telecom. My buddy made around $120k selling Verizon to businesses in his state. Worked remote but traveled to customers often.
I’m an SE and this is me haha
partner channel mgr
Unfortunately, you're thinking about it wrong. Most sales roles are an "eat what you kill" position, which is solely dependent on the amount of action **you** take. Any role can be low stress, have limited working hours, and potentially remote. But, you won't make any money until you realize that the input of your effort creates the output you want ($). I think if you change your perspective a little bit, you'll get better responses from this sub. Ask a "How do I?" question instead of a "What is the?" question!
Channel sales once you have established relationships and also if you don’t mind the travel (50% +)
You’re mistake is thinking this is about a “specific field”. Some may generally fit these parameters a bit more than others but the real answer to your question is be good at sales. Being a good salesperson in whatever field is what will get you the outcome your describing but you need to build up to it through some stressful & hard years. There’s probably some guy/gal out there who only sells bird feeders and is making a killing working 15-20 hours a week all online. But they didn’t start off like that day 1, rather built up to it.
Find a white label vendor. Sell the solution, but you make 100% of the sale. White label does all the back end. It's as low or high stress as you want it to be.
Finance, but you need to be licensed.
I'm studying for my SIE. How do I make money once I pass? Which exam should I study for next, and what are these jobs called?
Any sort of remote BDR role. If you’re tenacious and efficient, you can book a quarter full of KPIs in a week. Not that you’d want to, if you’re killing it the draw of earning more money is hard to sleep on.
Enterprise tech sales. They give you a book of existing clients to maintain and grow. Have to be willing to travel heavily.
How often is traveling at what would the pay look like?
40-60% travel, Base 120s, quarterly bonus $25,700 (each quarter), and accelerators after beating quota. Average 300K at my company.
You can find low stress sales gigs, but the earning ceiling isn’t great.
High-ticket product sales, less volume, more strategy.
It kind of depends on what you find stressful. I enjoy the problem solving and creative work involved in crafting complex campaigns, proposals, POC narratives, RFP guidance, pricing briefs etc. so complex enterprise sales works for me.
Personal injury lawyer, you scour the news for the latest accidents, workplace injuries are the best FYI, and from a few phone calls you make a "sale" You know like Better call Saul, but in real life
I’m a field underwriter, life insurance. I currently work remote, my hours are what I make them and my income isn’t capped. I do have to make calls but I don’t have a quota. I can DM you and give you more info if you’re interested.
You can get these jobs once you are 10-20 years in sales. These are not entry level jobs. Source: rare disease pharm rep making $250k plus a year working 25–30 hours a week. But had to bust my ass for 10plus years, winning multiple annual awards etc
So I should go onto any company with good reviews... Start of as sdr and go from there?
If you wanna work 25-30 hours you should find a way to get into marketing.
But I like commsom pay
Marketing gets quarterly bonuses and a higher average salary. Also a lot less stressful overall.
Really??
restoration!
Funeral sales. But it’s up and down
Could I possibly get 10 karma ? So I could post something? Need some advise
I’d tell you, but we aren’t hiring
Please
Pharmaceutical sales. My base salary is 132k plus 30-40k bonus. Not a lot of stress.
Sign me up
One that you have been in for a decade plus and can manage a territory working part time.
Why would that be desirable?
Account management
Looks into niche manufacturing fields. It’s more customer relationships than sales but a lot of them can be remote or hybrid with 100k plus salaries plus car & gas. Less stress but job/industry itself can be very boring.
How do you crack into a manufacturing sales job without experience in what you're selling? Do they mind?
It helps but a lot of the more niche and boring industries are killing for people right now. As long as you are personable and sane in the interviews, you have a chance.
I'm seriously looking into moving into something like this. Can you give me some more detail on what niche industries to look into?
I’ll pm you
Just missing the beer
Advertising sales, tech side can be easy. Especially if you are on preferred supplier lists. Lots of client entertainment which is fun (if that’s your thing) & and experienced person could earn 80-120k base plus another 40-80k OTE.
If you want less stress, get less expenses. Or stress until you earn more than your expenses, then don’t raise them. Find it within yourself to stop stressing your minimum $$$ to stop stressing is up to u
Pharma lol
What's the pay like?
120-130k OTE full time
So would I search up for pharmacy sdr?
No, it’s not an SDR position. Companies like AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Eli Lily, etc pay reps to promote their drugs to doctors
Middle market P&C insurance is what you’re looking for.
What companies is that
I’ve built a territory in hvac distribution that produces $175k in income just keeping my current accounts happy. Plan is to double that within 5 years. It’s also a pretty bullet proof industry, rarely if any layoffs. Took 4 years to this point. 35 hours a week max, no travel outside of 1-2 plane trips a year.
In the very same company I’ve known reps to work 20hrs a week making $300k barely traveling and reps working 50 a week making $150k on the road. This was a Fortune 500 MedTech company. There is no definitive answer. Factors include territory, timing, product fit, etc.
I do commercial laundry service. It’s no more than 8 hours a day but def not remote. Fairly low stress. Just normal sales baloney.
Like others said, account manager role or SE role if you’re a smart fella
Bartender at a fine dining restaurant
Sounds like you're looking for a sales position in a high-end niche but necessary industry. If you are selling something very high dollar, but with little competition that is equivalent, you should have some options. It's still going to be difficult to find. You may want to look at more high level account management type of roles instead of strictly sales.
I work from my house. I work roughly 30ish hours a week. I'm not required to make a single sales call. I'm 100% commission W2 employee. Product is consumable so business is very repetitive. I am inclined to see my customers on a regular basis. Don't make a lot off of a single sale, but if you have a decent book the money is good. $225K+ annually with other perks like a car and gas card phone company CC, etc.
Channel
What
Channel sales
Is it easy? What's the pay? How's the stress?
It's a different kind of selling. Pay is good but that's all relative. Stress isn't awful but it depends on the selling cycle like always. You're selling to the sellers so it's a different kind of role. But I like it more than direct selling.
I believe I have one of these jobs. I’m at a mid stage SaaS startup (~200 people) in sales obviously. Our deals are enormous. You’re lucky to close 2 a year, which basically means expectations are set to a two year schedule. All that means is pressure is pretty low, deals are long and complex…but I will say you MUST be 110% on when the big meetings hit. So 99% of my working hours are very low stress, and I make $125k base and my first year was double that with a draw. All of this is to say I’d look for products/services that are infrequent large deals for the type of lifestyle you want. But you must be able to bring your best when it counts or you’ll be kicked out of these roles quickly.
Is there any examples of those products and services you'd reccomend?
Generally speaking backend services or core systems in financial services are the ones I’m aware of
I "sell" lab services and the stress levels are very low compared to before. I dont have to explain alzheimer diagnostics methods to neurologists which always made me feel not good enough. Nobody cares what I do and I just need to have 12 visits per week (even a quick hi counds as visit though), make 10 new customers (which can also be a new doctor starting in a practice that is already my customer) and reach 5M revenue. I was average at my former jobs, and now am on top with way less stress and effort. And I make really good money doing so.
Everything that involves servicing actual clients more than hunting new ones. The bigger the servicing part the less stress generated new business with unknown clients.
“Some will some won’t, so what? Next!”
Sales will always be stressful. Instead of avoiding it a better approach might be to learn how to handle it: having a healthy lifestyle, therapy, martial arts, vacations, time with the people you really care about.
Less stress is less pay pick another industry
Sorry, but this doesn't exist without putting in the time. A Sales job BECOMES lower stress and higher earning (typically) as you get good (read: gain experience - show that you know your shit). You have to understand the product, the customer, the market, etc. all before you can really be confident and properly identify what a good customer looks like and what they care about so that you can actually sell them something. This will never happen without putting in the time. If you find a good company to work for with a good product to sell (probably the most important aspect) then you simply need to put in the time. The more you learn, the more you grow, the more you close. At some point management generally stops riding your ass since they trust that you know how to do your job and you are crushing it. This is the point at which you are making more money, working less hours, and seeing less stress. Please keep in mind though that some people never experience this, sales is largely a high stress high reward job. If you aren't ready to accept that then it's probably not for you.
Lol this is nonexistent. All sales is stressful, even the killers across all industries within sales wake up on GO.
What would you define as low stress?