1) Long Sales Cycle - It will take a year or more to achieve measurable success in this industry, since local governments make decisions based on town meeting schedules - which typically occur annually.
2) Low Base Salary - Many other industries with a long consultive based sales offer higher base salaries OR higher commission percentages
3) Medical Benefits coverage is expensive and limited
4) Sales representatives do not have their own leeway to negotiate with prospects - all negotiations must be run through management
5) Referral sales to other divisions are not compensated
6) Quotas are uniform throughout the country and not based on the individual territories and market conditions
7) Training is poor or in many cases non-existent. Sales people are responsible for gaining product knowledge through their own efforts - there is no structured training for sales people on the products
8) Ongoing sales training is up to the individual sales representatives and is done through their own efforts and at their own expense.
