u/qtripp

A few months ago, I landed what seemed like a dream sales job for a botanical wellness company. The offer was awesome for someone getting into the field: a solid hourly base pay, mileage reimbursement, and a decent commission structure. The stability of a guaranteed hourly wage made it feel legitimate and sustainable, which isn't always a given in sales.
Looking back, there were red flags right from the beginning. The training program had a bizarre, hyper-intense name that gave off major cultish or MLM vibes, but since the hourly paychecks were actually hitting my bank account, I brushed it off and kept moving forward.
Things started going downhill once our promotional materials finally arrived. We were promised business cards and displays to sweeten deals with new accounts, but when we received them, our contact info was nowhere to be found. Instead, everything listed corporate's general call center number and direct online QR codes. They were essentially using our footwork to route reorders away from us and straight to corporate.
Shortly after, they remapped our state and expanded our sales territories, doubling or even tripling the geographic range we were expected to cover. At first, I didn't mind the expanded territory because the extra driving meant more hours and mileage pay. But as soon as major industry shifts hit, management completely pulled the rug out. They stripped away mileage reimbursement, eliminated guaranteed hourly pay in favor of a "gamified" commission scheme, and quietly altered our store surveys so leads were flagged for corporate phone calls instead of rep visits.
When I started, they pitched this position on stability, longevity, and career growth, but they only opened up six advancement spots for a field team of nearly 200 reps. Looking at the writing on the wall, it feels like a deliberate push to get the entire team to burn out and quit now that we've done all the heavy lifting of opening doors for them.
It really sucks because I thrived in the role, enjoyed the actual work, and learned a lot. But at the end of the day, it was just another temporary corporate squeeze to build their pipeline on our dime. Time to polish up the resume and find an employer that actually respects field reps.

A few months ago, I landed what seemed like a dream sales job for a botanical wellness company. The offer was awesome for someone getting into the field: a solid hourly base pay, mileage reimbursement, and a decent commission structure. The stability of a guaranteed hourly wage made it feel legitimate and sustainable, which isn't always a given in sales.
Looking back, there were red flags right from the beginning. The training program had a bizarre, hyper-intense name that gave off major cultish or MLM vibes, but since the hourly paychecks were actually hitting my bank account, I brushed it off and kept moving forward.
Things started going downhill once our promotional materials finally arrived. We were promised business cards and displays to sweeten deals with new accounts, but when we received them, our contact info was nowhere to be found. Instead, everything listed corporate's general call center number and direct online QR codes. They were essentially using our footwork to route reorders away from us and straight to corporate.
Shortly after, they remapped our state and expanded our sales territories, doubling or even tripling the geographic range we were expected to cover. At first, I didn't mind the expanded territory because the extra driving meant more hours and mileage pay. But as soon as major industry shifts hit, management completely pulled the rug out. They stripped away mileage reimbursement, eliminated guaranteed hourly pay in favor of a "gamified" commission scheme, and quietly altered our store surveys so leads were flagged for corporate phone calls instead of rep visits.
When I started, they pitched this position on stability, longevity, and career growth, but they only opened up six advancement spots for a field team of nearly 200 reps. Looking at the writing on the wall, it feels like a deliberate push to get the entire team to burn out and quit now that we've done all the heavy lifting of opening doors for them.
It really sucks because I thrived in the role, enjoyed the actual work, and learned a lot. But at the end of the day, it was just another temporary corporate squeeze to build their pipeline on our dime. Time to polish up the resume and find an employer that actually respects field reps.