It took me 10 years to go from farmer to sales manager

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This post was last edited by Valve Mingming on 2016-11-18 at 18:17. Before working in sales, I was a farmer, and then a migrant worker (what a damn term). Each one is tough; it can be said that one endures the hardships of life. When farming, poor harvests meant just enough to make ends meet; as a migrant worker, I have experienced cases of wages being withheld maliciously. In 2002, I followed the stream of workers to Wenzhou, only to find it to be a place full of job opportunities, with factories everywhere in the streets and alleys. Thanks to a referral from an acquaintance, I quickly found a job at a factory that manufactures valve bodies and other mechanical components for valves. Since I don’t have any special skills, I can only do ordinary, miscellaneous tasks. Of course, I have no problem with hard work; working at least 10 hours a day doesn’t feel too tiring to me. I arrive at the factory at 7 a.m. every day, and use a trolley to transport the rough castings that were produced during the night to the workshop for further processing. First, a pneumatic tool is used to remove the outer coating from the valve body, after which the valve body is placed in a sandblasting machine to have its surface treated. This sandblasting process is repeated several times until all the surface oxidation layer is removed. It is then sent for pickling treatment; after pickling, the valve body acquires a shiny stainless-steel appearance, which is very attractive. After that, they go through further processing; defective valve bodies are identified and sent back to the furnace for remelting, while the qualified valve bodies are stored in the warehouse awaiting shipment. I worked on this physical job for two years, until a fellow villager, a welder, came to the factory. His salary was quite high; it was more than twice mine, and I was really envious at that time. As we spent more time together over time, and since we got along well and were from the same hometown, he quietly taught me how to operate welding machines and TIG welding. At first I was very nervous; my eyes became red and swollen and started to tear, and the soles of my shoes were burned by welding slag, which caused severe pain – I could barely stand it as the flesh was burned. Fortunately, my instructor was very patient in teaching me the techniques, and I wasn’t afraid of the various challenges involved. I would often use my free time to practice for a few minutes, and gradually, as my skills improved, I was able to weld some simple cracks on my own. As the days passed, sometimes it seemed that my skills were good enough, and the idea of changing jobs for a higher salary came to mind. One time, during a day off, I rode my bike out and found a small manufacturing plant that processed stainless steel flanges. Some of the forged flanges had defects that needed to be repaired; this was considered the simplest type of work. The plant had few workers – only four in total, including the owner. The flanges processed here have very small diameters, and TIG welding is sufficient for working on them. TIG welding does not produce as much slag all over the place as arc welding, making it a cleaner and more convenient process. After checking the few welding points I had tried, the boss said that my skills were still very poor – the surface was uneven and the welds weren’t thorough enough – so he wasn’t very interested in keeping me. It was a bit awkward, but I really wanted that job, so I told the boss that I was okay with a lower salary and that he could increase it later once my skills improved. He offered me a very low salary, but at that time I thought as long as I got the job it was fine – mastering skills was what mattered most. Actually, welding isn’t that difficult; the boss personally guided me, and I mastered the technique after some time. I have been working as a welder for six years; entering the field of sales was also a matter of chance, just a sudden impulse. One day, on a whim, I decided to give it a try; actually, I had no idea at all what to do. I have worked in factory workshops for many years and had no prior experience in marketing. The agent I found back then charged me dozens of yuan in commission fees. The employer’s requirements for recruitment are: a college degree or above, under 30 years of age, and at least one year of work experience. I guess that agent just wanted a commission; I didn’t even meet the basic requirements, yet they still had me go for an interview. At that time, I didn’t think much about it; if I didn’t get the job, it would just be a loss of a few dozen dollars. Coincidentally, that company also happens to produce flanges. I first made a phone call to arrange an interview time, and then I arrived at this company on time. I found the interviewer’s office, knocked on the door, and went in. It was the company’s vice president who conducted the interview; he asked me to sit down and then began asking questions. After our conversation, he realized that I clearly did not meet the basic requirements. I didn’t know where I found the courage at that time; maybe I really wanted to give sales a try. I listed all the advantages that make me suitable for this job: my ability to endure hard work and fatigue, my familiarity with different product types, and so on; I mentioned everything I could think of. To my surprise, he was moved by my perseverance. He smiled and said he could give me a chance to try it out; a three-month probationary period, which was quite an exception to the norm. It was only when I went to work that I realized my colleagues in the office were all educated young people; I, an overweight man in my early 30s, was sitting among them, which made me feel a bit inferior. Moreover, once I actually started working, I realized how difficult sales work is. To be a salesperson, one must first know where one’s customers are; yet my mind was completely blank on this front. I simply relied on my honest and straightforward nature as a farmer to step into this industry. I worked hard during the three-month trial period, but it seemed like all the clients were avoiding me. A week passed, then two weeks, and I still hadn’t found a single client. One day, I heard someone talk about online searching; at that time I didn’t know how to use it, so I asked the younger people around me for advice and started registering on websites like Alibaba to promote myself. As time passed, a month went by, yet I still had no clients and no orders – I was so anxious that I could hardly sit still. Still, there were some gains during this period; at least I knew a direction to go in. So I searched the internet every day, and sometimes made calls as well. Time passed as the days and months turned by, and the second month came to an end. I no longer have any confidence at all; countless brain cells have been damaged, and only those who have gone through it can understand that agony. Some colleagues have taken on new orders, while others have left the job. Although the boss said nothing, I was worried inside. Until one day, someone on Alibaba Wangwang sent a message saying they needed to purchase 316 stainless steel flanges – it was excellent news, and I was overjoyed, unable to contain my excitement. The customer sent over the specifications, model, and quantity. I purchased the items and asked my boss for a quote; once the price was determined, I sent it to the customer. The price was acceptable, but payment was to be made upon delivery. The boss does not agree to this method of payment and requires payment before shipping. So I discussed it with the client. The client won’t budge; otherwise they won’t buy from me. I don’t want to lose my first order; I really want to get it. In 2009, there were three 316 flange pieces. It’s worth over 600 yuan. It’s roughly equivalent to my 20-day basic salary, and yet I used my salary as collateral to ask the boss to arrange production. Later, when the product was ready, Fran got in touch with the other party to arrange shipment, but they hesitated and refused to provide a specific address; they only asked that the goods be sent to a certain station, gave a phone number, and didn’t provide any details such as a contract or the name of the company. The boss assumed I had encountered scammers, so he didn’t send the shipment. The three months at this company passed by in no time; I didn’t receive a single order, and I almost got scammed as well. I felt extremely ashamed. At the end of the trial period, I resigned from my boss and took those shameful three flanges with me (I asked to use them to offset my salary). After leaving Flange Company, I stayed unemployed in a rented apartment for some time, feeling down with shadows in my mind that wouldn’t go away. I even think about picking up the welding torch again, or just becoming an ordinary worker. But there’s always a voice in my heart telling me that you can try again. After some time, I mustered the courage to apply for a sales position at another valve company. This company had a paid online marketing platform; the main task there was to run advertisements in order to rank high and increase visibility. There are a few orders, but they’re just small ones scattered here and there. I get a basic salary plus a little commission from sales, but the amount of money I end up with isn’t enough at all; it’s not possible to keep going like this. At this time, I really wish there was someone to guide me and help me out. I heard that others can handle orders worth hundreds of thousands, while my own orders are not even in the tens of thousands – what’s the difference? It’s difficult to secure business online. Then I heard from others that going out to do market outreach could be effective, as it might help in getting large orders. But our boss doesn’t cover the travel expenses; it’s the boss himself who goes out to do the marketing, while we just stay in the office, sending and receiving faxes as well as following the boss’s instructions. It’s almost impossible to learn any sales skills; landing big deals is nothing but a dream. On such days, although the exterior appears calm, the interior feels as if time is passing slowly, and the desire to move forward grows ever stronger. By chance, I met an enthusiastic online friend who was also in the sales field; he advised me to work for a large company so that I could travel frequently to various markets, which would help improve my professional skills. After hearing what he said, I resigned not long after. Next, after some inquiries, I found a relatively large company that is also well-known in the industry. I got the job after the interview; the trial period was two months. Perhaps it was fate helping me, as just 20 days into working there I received a client order worth 120,000, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in my career. Although it gradually matured, it took another two or three years before it was able to function on its own. No talent, no background, no capital – only persistence, again and again. A message of encouragement for all sales professionals! Haichuan Pump and Valve Group