I copied the title of this blog from a recent Linkedin post from Greg Walters. I haven't figured out how to share it and not sure it can be shared. If I can I will in the reply section from this blog.
I thought it would be fun to share how I ended up in copier sales and hope to hear from others in the reply section for "How Did You End Up in Copier Sales?"
I'll go first and I will try to shorten it, but I've never been a guy to shorten a great story 
1980
The year was 1980, I was 23 years old and out of work during the summer that year. My job at the glue factory got in the way of trying to have a great summer. Many of those summer days saw me searching the help wanted ads in my local newspaper. Jobs for someone like me (long story) was few and far between because I had no path to college, the economy was in shambles along with high inflation and high interest rates.
Making the Effort
At least I was making the effort to look for something, right? Finally I found something that was interesting (actually anything that paid was interesting), I called and was asked to come in for an interview in the next few days. That ad was for a Copy Machine Repair person, the ad made mention of the interview, and taking a mechanical/electronic aptitude test. Hey, I thought I'm okay with my hands since I've been able to fix my own cars and my Dad was a communications Sargent during WWII. My Dad taught me morse code and showed me how to make a morse code machine in my younger days.
The Test
Frak, the aptitude test was difficult for both the mechanical and electronics (tough for someone who left school during the junior year in HS). Three weeks passed since the interview/test and there were no calls, at this time I seriously considered entering the Army because there were no other jobs. Yikes!
The Call
Ring, ring went the phone that was next to my bed (I was never far from a phone especially when I was sleeping), that call was from the copier company, they asked if I was still interested in the job? Hell yes I was still interested. I was told that I needed to be at there place tomorrow because the class had already started!
Whoa, I got the job! I was getting paid to go to school to learn how to be a copier technician. Thank goodness it was summer because my only transportation was my Harley and there was no rain in the immediate forecast.
Training at $3.75 per hour
I think it was three months of hands on training for mechanics and then a crash course of electronics (I still remember zener diode).
At the end of graduation the company that sponsored the class then found everyone a job as a copier repair person. Yes, I landed a job as a real copier technician in New Jersey. Back tracking a bit here, the day that they called me I was an alternative option for the job. Seems the first person was female and she was the only female in the first day of class. Well, she opted out and I was next on the list. Funny how things work.
90 Days
After 90 days I had my review with the company that hired me. I was brought into the owners office and he told me that I was doing a great job at taking the copiers apart but not so good at putting them back together (that wasn't the exact conversation, but you get my drift because I wasn't that good). I was told that I was being laid off, however on the way out the owner reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He stated "would you rather finish out the week to make the rest of this money or would you rather talk me out of the cash". I had no job and trying to talk him out of the cash seemed like the best option. I thought it was 30 minutes and I tried every thing I knew to get that cash. It was probably more like 5 minutes, and I was never able to secure the cash, however the owner stated "would You like to give it a go selling copiers?"
42 years later..........
What's your story I'd love to hear!
-=Good Selling=-
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