9 months in...I enjoy it here, and I love my DSM!
Pros
I have been a Payroll Sales Consultant for 9 months now and cannot think of a position that would provide me with this much autonomy and flexibility. I love the versatile work environment - this is NOT a desk job. I have a great work/life balance and exceed quota just about every month. I really love my DSM - I have accidentally referred to her as "mom" a few times since she is pretty much my mom in the professional world. She goes on field rides with me and helps develop me both personally and professionally which I am very thankful for. I love the networking aspect of this position as well. I have joined my local chamber and met many great business leads and referral partners through this avenue. I have also incorporated my love for social media into the job and reach a lot of businesses through that. There are also perks to working with small business owners - you learn about many different industries, you sometimes get freebies if they really like you, and you build your own brand within the community which resonates with small business.
Cons
November-January are tough months. You need to work hard these months and sell for January early on to hit quota. I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy Thanksgiving or Christmas but I had plenty of time to enjoy these holidays and still do well for January. I also wish we could present on iPads instead of our touchscreen "tablets" that are not really what I would refer to as a tablet. They are shaped like durable business laptops. The technology improves year after year though. I would also say that it takes a lot of discipline to develop yourself professionally and fill up your calendar. Since there are many industry changes and product releases - there is a constant level of learning involved. This is great but it is also a commitment to take time out of your busy schedule and read about the industry and our products. There is a wealth of information available but it is hard to find time to focus on it and keep up with it. Appointments don't always come easily so you have to find ways to book them. This isn't necessarily a negative facet of the position but it does require prospecting through cold calls, social media, telemarketing, networking, and visiting CPAs and current clients. I also wish we had more staffing during our busy months since there is a high amount of client onboarding going on. Also - sometimes it gets lonely in the field but I have found some of my clients welcome me any time and the weekly team meetings also help. One last item - the annual trip for high-achieving sales reps referred to as "Conference" does not motivate me since I cannot bring my fiance. It sounds wonderful to have 5 nights somewhere exotic but what's the point if you can't share some of it with the person you love? I hope they change that in the near future!!