What is the best way to transition from teaching to a sales position?
466030
Look to businesses that serve educators/education field. There's a great company - McGraw Hill. Educators make great salespeople! Good luck!
847207
If it's easy to learn, and the sales come easy, then the commissions are minuscule.\n\nBeing an agent for Northwestern Mutual Life is deemed by one major magazine to be the best sales job, but the failure rate is about 95% and there is a mountain of things to learn.  \n\nI've observed that one needs sales skills to excel in about any field, but you also need knowledge in some area (financial, industry, real estate) to make it really work.
205496
Go to the library reference section and have the reference librarian show you how to find companies that do business between US and Canada. Apply to those companies. Usually sales jobs require frequent travel. Go to the yellow pages and find companies in your field. Call up and ask if you can fax over your resume and find out to who's attention. Make sure the objective in your resume lists a specific job you are looking for. Generalized resumes get thrown out. Don't put you are looking for a challenging job that offers personal growth. Do put down you are looking for a sales job in which you can use your strong interpersonal skills.
1055912
Consider a job in sales.  It usually doesn't require additional education and you can start making money right away.  You can go really far depending on the items you sell.  Locally and internationally, you can make money and potentially help others by getting them items they need.
628806
I assume you are in the USA? I am a teacher in Australia and have tried this here: Several methods worked for me, mabe they will for your too.\n\n1 Through Official Channels\nIntroduce yourself to the education authority in the areas you want to do business. Pester their public relations officer for an interview and come equiipped with references to: Substatiate your good character (police clearances etc to prove you are not a criminal.) and references to confirm the value of your product/service to the teachers AND the students (target both here).\nRemember all you are after is the authorities approval - you won't get it but conversely, their failure to stop you approaching teachers, amounts to an endorsement by default. What you are after is being able to approach Principals and say honestly that the Authorities are aware of your actions. (Kind of a default reference)\n    If you are extremely lucky, and sufficiently impress the Education Authority's representative, they can supply you with a list of facilities that fit your market, so be specific what type of schools etc. you want access to.If they don't - don't panic - read on . . . \n\n2. Professional Development\nThis is a totally different marketing strategy - you want access to teachers proffessional development meetings. This will come through the Principal personally and you will address a staff meeting. To win this one you need to use the "Snowball Effect" - you win one Principal over, then after you have addressed that meeting you use that as a reference for approaching the next principal. Now your credibility has increased 100% - repeat the whole process again. After each seminar/meeting, ask the Principal if he would "have any objections if you used him as a reference". The wording there is vital - you want a "Yes" from someone who cant get through the workload they have now - so you don't want them to feel they have to do anything extra, that you'll do the work and all they have to do is say yes.\nAfter a dozen or so successes, the professional grapevine will market your seminars if they truely are value for money.\n\nHere teachers have a Gazette that is used to advertise vacancies. This tells you the school, address, Principals name and phone number - for you it could be a goldmine if you can get one (hint - even an old one that the staff at a school doesn't value any more :-)
871724
This is purely based on demad vs supply concept.\nThere are many ways!\n\n1. Win them on what you are good at\n2. Show courage to learn new things\n3. Convince them to adapt yourself\n4. Genuine display of long term goals\n\nIf nothing works out.. use the ultimate threat in your current company that, you would resign.. Let me know if this doesn't work! All the best :)
615848
SALES!!!! SALES!!! I don't have a degree, have been in lots of trouble in my youth, but have found the right sales job where I make over a $100k a year and this is my 3rd year making that much!
456919
If I were a new Realtor, just getting into the business, an "instructor" who learned from a book or school, rather than experience, is not someone whom I would feel confident learning from.  Let me tell you why....\n\nRealtors jobs are pretty basic....find a client, find a house, sell them the house.  Or it could be....find a client that wants to sell their house, then find the client that wants to buy their house....  Pretty simple huh???  Well...not really.  In between all of those pretty "simple" things, you need experience.  Things happen in the real estate experience that nothing in books is going to teach you to deal with. \n\nThe best real estate "instructors" are the ones that have been successful in real estate, and or at least they have been doing it for years and they are now teaching others.\n\nPlease do not think that you can just go and get some kind of instructors license to teach Realtors how to do their jobs, when you yourself would not even know except by the book that would teach you.  Real estate does not work that way...please don't try to make it work that way...
926750
Yes, I have been in sales for almost 10 years and it does get trying sometimes. One thing you have to do is sell something you like and that will help tremendously. You also have to take a vacation every 3 months even if you don't go anywhere you just need to take some time for yourself to reset. I try to take a long weekend once a quarter (Friday-Monday) and do nothing it helps not thinking about anything for a few days.\n\nI have even thought of leaving sales business a few times but I can go back to working for the $ that people want to pay for hourly workers. That is the good and bad thing about sales you get paid more but with the $ comes stress.
1138285
First of all make sure everyone on your team knows their product. Have one person a week do cold calling but rotate the person. Cold Calling gets old.  Make sure heads don't get to big in other words keep your sales team humble. No one likes a show off. Make sure your sales team believes in the product your selling and make sure they are happy working for you. One sales person can make or break your company.  Word of mouth is very powerful I was a cold caller for a Trucking company and the customers I got for that company took me forever to get but at the end I knew my customer personally. People are twice as likely to do business with friends then with strangers. let your sells team talk on the phone with them for a while about non work related things friendships will be made and business will be done. Your company will have loyal customers for life....
811959
* Call your local public school headquarters, and ask if there is an "alternative certification" program where as long as you have a college degree, you can take classes/tests to get certified while you are already teaching and deduct the costs from your pay. If you teach a subject outside your credits, you may be required to earn additional course credits in that.\n* Also ask if there is another group that offers certification outside the school district.  In Houston it is called Region IV and\nit is better than the program offered by the public schools. Compare costs and requirements, and get recommendations from other teachers which one is better for your field of interest.\n* Can you contact Teach for America?  This nonprofit assigns college grads to teaching assignments to offset college loans.\n\nWhile you explore that, can you substitute teach? This may help you decide what subject, class size, demographics, etc. suit your teaching style, or which school administration you prefer.\n\nAs long as you have a college degree, you should be able to substitute teach or qualify for a program that will pay for your courses/certification out of your salary.  Good luck!
830551
Man, you can't come up with your own answer???  And you want to be in sales??  If you don't even know the answer, why work in that position?  I understand that you want to have a "good answer", but be yourself and answer it.  \n\n**EDIT**\n\nSorry, did not know you were so young.  Did you try searching online for some "templates" or examples?  I know there are alot of free help tools on a lot of Job Websites (monster.com, HotJobs, etc.) that can help you make a nice resume AND give you suggestions for writing Cover Letters, Personal Description, etc.\n\nGOOD LUCK with your job!\n\n:)
606258
Consider a part-time college teaching gig.  It gives you a great avenue to hone your skills at presenting ideas to people whom you need to inform.  A very valuable skill to have as you go into your career.\n\nYou would be surprised at how time much we Econ's spend teaching in the corporate work place.  Heck, we're usually the only one's who have a clue how to approach something and have the skills and the "toolbox" to tackle it.
515548
You have two options that I can see.\n\nYou can pick up a bachelors degree in business in management or a related field and then use that to get you some interviews for entry level positions.\n\n-OR-\n\nJump right into the job market and excel.  Many of the business managers I’ve spoken too actually started in sales and were promoted into managerial positions after proving themselves. That being said many of them advised me to stick it out in school because it makes everything easier for you down the road.\n\nRegards,\nArmus
671479
it cant hurt to meet the sales and marketing people.  you do have a masters and that says a lot so you can be trained in other areas rather easily.  i use to work in a hr office and a lot of places will hire and train just because you have achieved such a high degree.  ever thought about maybe just changing who you are teaching or the location?  maybe a different age range of students or a diff type of students would help with the burnout prob.  could you not work to be a administrator at a school?
538817
I also have a Master's in Education.  I don't want to discourage you, but I will start with the bad news.  Most people in this country believe it is very, very easy to teach and as a result those of us who have a teaching background are pretty unemployable in most fields even though we all know we have great skills.  I went into temping for a while because I found it nearly impossible to find anyone willing to take a chance on me.  I learned from Human Resources professionals who would be honest with me that they would rather take a chance on someone without a degree than a teacher because teachers can't think for themselves and cannot take direction.  This is a bizarre stereotype and I have no idea where it comes from, but it made me HAVE to temp so that employers could see how very capable I was.\n\nSome people DO make the leap from teaching into other professions.  Usually this leap is done over time and is hard to do while unemployed.  There are many fields that love the kinds of skills teachers bring, but first you have to analyze what it is you want to do.\n\nThis is what I finally did: After temping and being offered many full-time jobs that were not right for me, I took some advice from my aunt who is a teacher that she had from her principal: Go back to where you last felt comfortable, and move forward from there.  This was what led me to law school, and I am finally, for the first time, really feeling like I'm in the right place.  I was actually a really good teacher, but I was never completely happy when I taught, and now I finally know I'm in the place that's right for my skills AND interests.  I don't necessarily recommend this for you, but I do recommend going back to what you last felt was "right" and use that to guide you in your move forward.  As it turns out, for me, where it was last completely right was HIGH SCHOOL, where I had considered becoming an attorney, but just didn't for whatever reason.  My teaching experience and degrees were not a waste of time and money (I have to keep reminding myself), but experience.  In my case, I am very different from most of my classmates in law school because I have lived another life and have consciously chosen this path.  I also have found a field in which my teaching background is NOT considered a detriment at all (lawyers, weirdly, "get" teachers...they use the same skills and aren't overly critical of a past in teaching).\n\nSo, don't get discouraged.  If you're not sure what to do, I highly recommend temping.  You may fall into the right job, but even if you don't, you will gain a LOT from being out in the business world.  I happened to get one assignment in particular that was on Sarbanes-Oxley in the insurance field (of all things), and I liked it quite a bit, and considered staying.  I never had such exposure to the business world in my classroom, and temping is a lot like subbing: you get the experience and can try things out until you find something that works.  While you temp, you might be able to find for yourself where you last felt comfortable and move forward.  At the same time, you won't be "just a former teacher" or "just a person with an Education degree," but you'll be someone with experience and a working knowledge of business who happens to also have a B.A. and an M.A.\n\nGood luck.  This was a painful experience for me (teaching is tied up with your entire life...you can't even watch a movie without thinking of how you could possibly use it in your classroom), and it was hard to find my path since it is a "vocation" career tied up with your whole identity.  This will not be an easy switch, but it will be worthwhile.
543077
Is it possible to change jobs and move to a competitor?  Or, another sales job in a different industry?  Being able to sell is an amazing talent to have and very transferable.  \n\nIf you're the best sales person in the region, that's a fact and it doesn't matter what your boss says.  Sometimes you just have a crappy boss who is never pleased with what you do.  The problem is the boss and it's probably because they feel insecure.  Try to find compassion for the other person (i.e., maybe he's scared of losing his job, maybe he was picked on in school and you remind him of someone, etc.).  \n\nAlso, instead of worrying what they think, focus on what you know about yourself.  In your case, you know you're the top sales person.  Own it.  Be proud of it.  Broadcast it.\n\nSometimes, managing perceptions is all it takes.  Put some effort into communicating all the hard work you do.  If you don't get sales, talk about all the calls you made and then just shrug it off.  \n\nYou could also try speaking with your boss about this issue.  However, the key is to not do it when you're pissed off.  The other thing is to try to really listen to what they're saying even if it comes out sounding like crap.  Some people lack communication skills.  Really try to focus on a solution and a common goal.  \n\nSometimes being really honest helps too.  Rather than act like you don't care what he thinks, tell him you value his opinion and you feel very demoralized when he does x and that you were wondering if your perception of the situation was a bit off.  Don't blame.  Always chalk it up to differences in how you communicate.