I have a ton of respect for people who are in sales, good at it, and honest. It’s a tough job (especially with the lure of getting ahead through dishonesty), but necessary for companies. I would say I have negative feelings about 2/3 of the sales reps that come through our lab, although many are trying to push products we have little interest in. From what I’ve seen, the best reps are the ones that truly build relationships beyond just trying to make the sale, and focus on filling the customer’s needs first.

In my experiences in retail sales I was pretty marginal at it, because given my background, I have a hard time feeling “pushy”. I’m a very analytical person who as a customer is resistant to sales techniques and advertising. I’m like a judge: I want the facts, the bottom line, and I want to render my judgement.

I do think I’d be better at company-to-company sales, which lack the personal wallets involved.