Ralph_SwaggumHow's the pay? Feel free to pm me if you want.
The pay is not too shabby for my first year in the industry. 40K base plus commission, expense account and gas paid.
This industry is interesting because the units that I sell are large ticket items. (50K Walk-in Coolers, 60K combi ovens, 40K wood burning pizza ovens) Because of the budgeting associated with large purchases, the sales cycle are in turn longer than most industries.
With that said, I've been managing projects for over a year now and the projects are becoming PO's... which bring in the commission portion of my pay.
It's a very old industry, mostly males, 55+ that look at me like i'm their son or grandson. All they want to do is drink scotch, talk about how they use to be so crazy at trade shows and eat great food. All in all these are things i'm cool with.
I cover four and a half states. (Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Southern Illinois MAFSI 16)
I sell directly to dealers who sell to the end user. This isn't a factory direct industry, however I call on the end users to drive brand awareness. So I meet with school lunch ladies, nigh club owners, restaurant owners, correctional facilities, food trucks, and college / universities... and everything in between.
If you're interested in learning more about the industry or want to find a rep firm in your area to speak with, I'd be glad to lend a hand with your search.