Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lush72]

3 Cheers for the �Sales� department!

This is the second installment of my �At the Chaebol� series. THE USUAL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. These are my experiences and thoughts, they do not necessarily reflect a typical Chaebol employees thoughts and or experiences. These observations are mine, and mine alone, as are the statements contained herein. Please don�t bother PM�ing me asking for my job title, where I work, what I do, as I wont respond. However, feel free to ask or comment on anything which does not have to do with those 3!

I don�t need a watch at work to tell me its 10:30 am, nor do I need one to tell me its 2 pm. The sales department does that quite effectively. Huh?

Everyday at 10:30 am, and again after lunch at 2pm, the sales department belts out their �motivational slogans� with vigor and gusto! My first day here I almost had a heart attack when I heard all the screaming! These salespeople go at it like new recruits at boot camp! When I was doing basic at Fort Lost-in-the-woods I didn�t sound off with half of this determination. They are loud, they are proud, they work the crowd! These people have the potential to be among the best-paid people here. This is due to the fact that they get commission on top of salary. (Said salary is a little under 1 million won a month) There are a few shining stars in that department who gross 13-14 million won a month. Nice�.if you like sales that is.

I could NEVER do that job. I tried in college and would never go back. It takes a certain kind of person to succeed in sales, and I am not that person! What do they sell, exactly? Sorry, I can�t say, as it would reveal the Chaebol that I work for. I hope you all understand. One of our products definitely identifies us. No, we are not HanJin!

The �Team X� sales department is on the other side of the floor I work on. 2 hallways and 3 doors separate us, yet the noise is unbelievable. Sometimes, when I am feeling tired or unmotivated, I sneak into the back of the main sales department floor right before they let loose! The noise is deafening! However, I leave there feeling like a new man! Wide awake and ready to sell something! Well, not really ready to sell anything. Oh well, you get the idea.

Management treats the sales department very well, as they bring the cash in. These guys have corporate credit cards with 100 million won limits. They are in the office, as a group, only once a week. That day is Saturday. During the week I would say that on any given day 45% of the sales department is out with clients. They don�t really report to anyone barring the sales manager. They are given a type of freedom that no one else here has.

And that leads to jealousy directed at them by the other teams. It also leads to individual sales people hating each other based on pay. Here, the turnstile attendants even sneer at the sales guys! I will admit, the sales people ARE a little arrogant. But most of them are really nice people. Unfortunately, do to the intense envy and jealously here, people are always trying to screw with the sales people. Wild rumors (and I do mean WILD) are ALWAYS popping up about that team. They are slandered on line, on message boards. There was a case this week of someone�s car being vandalized but that is suspected of being salesperson on salesperson harassment. So being in sales is a mixed bag. On one hand, you have a lot of freedom to do what you want, you set your own hours, and (to a large degree) you set your own salary! On the other hand, you work in a hostile work environment, your peers compete with and hate you, and most of the company resents you because of your salary.

Yet, without these guys none of us would have jobs!

So lets hear 3 cheers for the sales department!

[The Hammer]

Hmmm...

Misery Missouri

Combat Engineer or axx dragging truck driver?

[Mr. Pink]

Nice. I thought the desk jockey story was more interesting though Just something about losers that makes one laugh.

[just because]

i worked in a sales department once and can relate to the wining and dining of clients. never did get that 100 million won credit card limit though.
How many visits to a room salon do you think that is???

[lush72]

[lush72]

[BTM]

How about a link to part 1?

Also : my chaebol job is astoundingly normal, in almost all respects, except that it's in Korea. Then again, the company has been deliberately modelling their business processes and stuff on North American standards, and it shows.

[Holyjoe]

Interesting reading... but then again, it's essentially a blog, and this forum wouldn't be too much fun if it was full of blogs.

[Derrek]

I was in sales for a time -- radio sales. Nothing like selling air! Sucks! If you can sell that, you can sell about anything.

It's easy to become jealous of the salespeople and their freedom. Personally, a lot of it is hard work, skill, and a whole lot of luck.

I really wonder how much time these guys spend in room salons here!

[lush72]

Part one can be found here http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=13399

I should have linked it, sorry!