Outside sales rep - Outside Sales Representative United Laboratories Employee Review

Freedom to pursue your personal interests, unlimited earnings, friendly corporate culture, ESOP- company stock, green products that do not harm

You must be willing to work, the first year is difficult, but if you stick wtih it, you eventually become a "professional visitor".

Unique & Specialized Products: You get to work with industrial and specialty products that aren’t typically found in retail stores, which can be interesting if you enjoy learning about new tools and solutions. Also a good amount of the products work very well. Employee Discounts: Employees receive significant discounts on most products, making them much more affordable compared to retail prices. No Clocking In or Out: There's no traditional clock-in/clock-out system, which provides a level of flexibility in managing your schedule. Decent Starting Pay for Recent Graduates: While the pay isn’t great long-term, it’s ok for someone fresh out of college looking to get sales experience. Autonomy & Independence: Since you’re working in the field, there’s little micromanagement. You have a lot of control over your schedule and how you approach your sales. Potential for Promotion: While the pay increase isn’t drastic, there is still room for advancement within the company. Commission Opportunities: If you perform well in sales, you can earn commissions, which adds to your overall earnings.

Blurred Work-Life Balance: Even though you have weekends and certain holidays off, the job often feels like you’re always working. To stay ahead, many employees find themselves preparing on Saturdays and Sundays for the upcoming week. While this isn’t technically required, it’s often necessary for success. After-Hours Prep: You have to choose between preparing for the next day after your shift or early the next morning. Either way, you end up working more than anticipated, since you're responsible for your own prospecting, cold calling, and sales strategy without much structured support. Low Starting Pay: The pay is terrible when you first start. While it improves slightly with promotions, the increase isn’t drastic. Lack of Training & Coaching: There’s minimal hands-on teaching, and the sales coaching isn’t very effective. You’ll have to rely heavily on the provided coaching videos. High Mileage on Your Car: The job requires a lot of driving—typically 1.5 to 2.5 hours, sometimes up to 3 hours, just to get to or from a city depending on traffic. Even if you stay within a certain area, you're constantly driving to different locations, which significantly increases mileage, shortens your car’s lifespan, and raises maintenance costs. Car Space & Product Storage: You're required to carry demo products in your car at all times, meaning your trunk will be completely full with little to no room for anything else. Buying Your Own Demo Products: While you get a few demo products for free initially, you’ll eventually have to purchase your own demo supplies, which adds to your expenses. Out-of-Pocket Costs for "Barrier Breakers": These are small giveaways meant to engage customers, but you have to buy them yourself, even though you’re expected to hand them out for free. Lack of Workplace Interaction: You’ll rarely see your coworkers, which can feel isolating. Some may not mind, but others might find it frustrating. It almost seems like the company deliberately keeps employees apart. Management Issues: Management tends to communicate in a passive-aggressive and, at times, disrespectful manner, which can create a negative work environment.