"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." — Aristotle

By Skyler Holman

7 Tips from 7 Years

I've been in the door-to-door sales industry for seven years. When I was first approached about the opportunity, some things sounded too good to be true. I personally decided to take a chance at "making $20,000" my first summer. If it was possible, I didn't want to miss out on this kind of an opportunity. I was determined to give it my all, and I did!

After a summer of hard work, I walked away with more than $30,000 and I could barely believe it. I suddenly realized that there was more potential here than I previously realized.

In honor of seven years of hard work in this industry, I want to give you seven reasons why I believe door-to-door sales is worth a try.

1) You NEED the money

College is a tough time if you don't come from money. Upon returning home from my LDS mission, I found a job doing technical support at a call center. Between the endless amounts of homework and class and my extremely boring call center job, I had zero time for anything I wanted to do for myself! Aside from that, I was barely making rent for the incredibly low amount my tech support job was paying me.

One day I saw an advertisement that looked too good to be true. It said that I could make on average around $25 an hour by working for a company chosen by a placement agency if I was a returned missionary. So I instantly applied and was lined up with a pest control company in California. I was told that I could make as much as $20,000 in the summer. It sounded crazy. But when I walked away from that experience I was a firm believer.

2) You NEED the skills

Everyone needs sales skills. It doesn't matter what you plan on doing professionally. Talking to people and knowing how to do so persuasively is CRITICAL to your future success regardless of the industry you choose to work in.

This skill is something that is not taught in school and is only gained through practice. If you want to completely set yourself apart from all others in your future, getting the skills that come with door to door sales is a MUST!

3) Gain confidence

Working in sales can be extremely tough, mostly because there is a lot of rejection. And I mean, A LOT! That being said, you learn to work through each rejection and really not care. For reps who really want to succeed, they will quickly learn that being rejected is part of the game. In fact, the more no's you go through, the more likely you are to get to a yes!

4) Get away from home

For anyone who has ever left home, you know there is something about getting out of the place you are used to and going someplace new. You meet new types of people, have new experiences, try new food, make new friends, and really experience a different culture.

5) Make new friends

Some of my BEST friends are the people that I have worked challenging jobs with. There is something about the comradery of doing something incredibly difficult that brings you closer together with those around you.

6) Become a leader

Working in the field forces you to become a leader. You are prepared with one of the most important skills in door to door sales: Learning how to work hard. As you work hard, you start to succeed. As you start to succeed, others look up to you and praise you.

7) Become a better person

I overall believe that my 7 years in sales has taught me nothing but good, strong, life principles. It has shaped my character and work ethic. It has pushed me to not only care about my own success, but others as well. It has made me more prepared for the future and better equipped with a skill that is usable in any industry.

Door-to-door sales is an incredible industry filled with massive opportunity. The answers to a lot of questions concerning personal growth are found in this rare opportunity. But the question is... Are you going to take advantage?