Choosing where

This post is a lot more about revelation than it is about sales.

After deciding on summer sales in general, I needed to decide what opportunity I was going to go with.  My conversation with the satellite company introduced me to the world of summer sales, so I began to open my mind and look at the options I had.  Several of my friends and family members were planning on doing sales the next summer, and from communication with them, I came to learn of the three most common sales jobs for RMs (returned missionaries):  security systems, satellite, and pest control.  I collected as much knowledge as I could about these three.

Security systems seemed appealing, but I had heard from several people that it was the hardest of the three.  I decided that I didn't want to begin my sales experience with security, although I held that idea in reserve for when I was more experienced.  So that was out for now.  Next, because I'm not really a TV person, I couldn't imagine myself getting excited about convincing other people to buy satellite services, so that was out.

With pest control, I was looking at two main companies that I'll call Apple and Orange.  I was introduced to Apple by a friend in the window cleaning job (Brightly Services).  He had sold pest control over the summer before and introduced me to a friend of his who would be leading a sales team at Apple.  I liked that I was being introduced to the company by someone I trusted.  After school one day I headed over to the Apple office and met with the guy who would be my team leader.  After my interview with the satellite company, I had come to realize that interviews for many summer sales companies are not like interviews for other companies.  In interviews with most companies, the prospective employee must show and persuade the employer that he is qualified for the position.  In interviews with summer sales companies, the employer tries to "sell" the job to the prospective employee.  After being in sales, I now understand why they do this, but back then it seemed strange.

At the Apple office, I was shown videos, stats about the company, all kinds of fun incentives that were part of the sales program, and I met several salespeople at various levels in the company.  Almost all of the guys seemed friendly, honest, and trustworthy.  Their presentation was excellent.  I liked the team leader and I felt like he really wanted me to succeed.  I didn't tell them my decision right then, but I contacted them later to let them know.  The truth was, I had already made my decision before I entered the office.

About a month earlier, I came in contact with Orange.  Blake Edwards, somebody I barely knew from my childhood and hadn't talked to in years, posted on Facebook about a job opportunity at Orange.  The post was intentionally vague, but I knew from experience that it was referring to summer sales, so I contacted him about it.  He met with me over dinner and we discussed what the job would be like.  Blake would be the team leader for Orange in Oklahoma City, and I would be part of the team.  At that point, I had already learned a little bit about the other company, Apple, through an email conversation with Apple's team leader, so after the conversation, I told Blake I would choose between them and Apple and let him know what I decided.  Both companies seemed to have a lot of similarities, and they both seemed like good opportunities.

As I thought the decision over, I thought about what God would want me to do.  I knew that wherever I went, I would try to serve Him and serve in His church.  I had already been taught that there are some times, especially like a full-time mission, when there is a specific place the Lord wanted you to be.  I didn't know if it would be like that with summer sales, but if it was important, I wanted to know about it.  During this time, I attended the temple with some members of my singles ward (LDS temples are different from regular meetinghouses; they are considered very sacred and set apart from the world.  Often members will attend the temple if they are seeking help or answers to difficult questions).   I didn't necessarily go to the temple to find out if the Lord wanted me to be somewhere, but while I was there, I felt like the Lord wanted me to pray about it.  At first, I was hesitant, because I prefer to focus on spiritual things in the temple; not things like work or school.  But I felt that it was important, so in prayer, I asked Him, "Do you want me to go to Oklahoma with Blake?"  The answer came clearly; "I want you in Oklahoma."

It was the next day that I met with the team leader at the Apple office.  After comparing the pay scales, it looked like I would have made more money with Apple (you can never be sure with sales, but I still think that would have been the case).  But I remembered my answer from the day before, so I decided on Orange.  This was back in late January 2013, and ever since then I've been searching for reasons why the Lord wants me here in Oklahoma.  That search has led me through a lot of ups and downs, and it's given me both difficult and rewarding experiences.  But I've never doubted what the Lord told me that day, and I know He has a reason for everything.