This is a great company to work for, the VP of Sales & Marketing whispered to me, as I was guided though the Seattle headquarters.

These guys make about 250k a year, plus bonuses, and their biggest complaint is they have to be on the road two weeks a month.

Your job as a consultant is to cut that down to one, by showing them how to use the phone effectively.

I did my job well, and they were able to substitute a phone conference or two for a much more costly and fatiguing first visit to see their prospects in the flesh.

But Ill never forget the ambiance of the place.

It was an atmosphere of privilege.

From my point of view, these sellers were lucky, theres no doubt about it. Having landed in the middle of a financial services boom, they were living large; possessed of no more talent than people I managed at Time-Life, who earned a fifth as much.

Selling is one of the most inefficient labor markets around, and thats kind of nice if its what you do for a living and you can find a niche company or industry in which to thrive.

Just follow the profit margins. Where theyre fat, youll stand a good chance of being paid way above your skill level.

But where competition is harsh, and margins are thin, youll squeak by, even if comparatively, youre a superior salesperson.

Youve heard the saying: This product sells itself, havent you?

Thats what you want to represent. Its like playing for the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Braves, consistently winning teams.

When you can get aboard with them, why would you even look twice at cellar dwellers like Tampa Bay or Kansas City?