EVERYONE WANTS SOMEONE WITH CONCRETE EXPER,THE BEST SALES REP IS THE ONE YOU ALREADY HAVE HE RUNS A PUMP AND KNOWS WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH A PUMP.YOUR OPERATOR USUALLY CAN TELL HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO POUR THE JOB, WERE IS THE SAFEST PLACE TO PUT THE PUMP.HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU GONE TO A JOB AND THE CUSTOMER SAYS WELL YOUR SALES MAN SAID YOU COULD DO IT.SO IF THERE ARE ANY OPERATORS LOOKING FOR WORK MAYBE YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR A SALES JOB YOU ALREADY HAVE THE QUALIFCATIONS!

i think a lot of operators should apply for a sales job then maybe they could see how hard it is to get and keep costomers.... you are on the same team make them look bad ,maybe the next job will go to your competitor .....simple statement take it how you wish

how should i or anyone take this statement there are a lot of good operators out there that have'nt got a job anymore because of this econmy,not everyone who is being laid off is a bad operator it's the econmy 

It takes a special kind of person to be in sales.  Most operators wouldn't like it.  It takes a few unique personallity traits most operators don't have.  OPerators are good 'scouts'...going out and looking at jobs for size/type of pump, set-up, accessibility etc...

Being in sales is a whole different animal.  You can put a year or more of persistant phone calls and 'dropping by' a contractor and never get a damn thing.  ...and then one day, they give you a shot - and then they get an operator who wants off early, doesn't want to move the pump twice on the jobsite - etc... all that work - for nothing.

The transition from operator to sales is kinda hard.  You have to learn that your success is now accomplished through others.  Everyone out there with an ego or attitude that they're the best operator the earth has ever seen doesn't mean a damn thing anymore.  There's no more arguing with the customers, my way or the hi-way ideology is something you have to check at the door. 

Everyone in the company is on the same team.  The salesman can get the customer, it's up to the operator to keep them....

Very good Ray, I couldn't have said it any better, being on both sides of the fence. Sales is tough, especially when you get a phone call at early morning with the question, WHERES MY PUMP, CONCRETES ALREADY HERE.   

I view sales as 3 indevidual departments. A field dept. that has the best knowledge of what can and cant be done. The office dept. for the paperwork end. and the account maint./new accounts dept for lunches, ballgames golf tourneys and who ha's. (the grease dept.) They're all very different and each one requires a different uniform. I have often thought the right women in the grease dept. would do well.