Sales Reality

This is where the Tianjin marketplace is facing the exact same challenge of other countries the world over, who also had their industry heyday. The problem is simple. Service is hard work. It requires rolling up the sleeves and getting dirty. It involves long hours and a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Still these service related jobs are absolutely mandatory. In fact, they are arguably the very lifeblood of any company. From Apple and their iPhone to Samsung and their countless consumer goods (some of which at least as of current haven’t been self-combusting) all major manufacturing brands rely on service. In some respects these service employees are the most valuable. While they often they don’t get paid the most personally, they very well may make the most in terms of profit to the company.

Sales really has nothing to sell without service. Yet, in many cases the top sales rep of any organization will make as much if not far more than the majority of service workers. Thus comes the marital discord in this couple of sales and service. Expats coming to Tianjin need to keep all this in mind. Namely, don’t come here with simply a heart full of ambition, looking to “sell” something. Instead be sure to have a solid skill in the form of some type of service. Many expats are getting a serious wakeup call in terms of Tianjin’s current job market. Day by day the freshness of a foreign face is wearing off. As such getting a job is becoming increasingly linked with actual ability.

Take for example the real estate industry. It is absolutely incredible how many real estate agents are packed into each office. In seems like everywhere you turn there is another sales office. These sales reps have a really tough life. They work ridiculously long hours and often get zero guaranteed compensation. Some may receive a meager amount of money from the company if they have no sales for the month, however this is often nothing more than a “commission advance”. Whereby it is deducted from any future sales. In actuality, only the really skilled sales person can find higher earnings than those in service. However, the probability of this isn’t great. The majority of sales people often struggle to make ends meet, even being forced to switch jobs repeatedly due to subpar performance and missing quota. This is why having a decent service job with a set monthly salary can be less stress and more stable.