Let's start from the beginning.
The first month you are hired, you're in a classroom setting with approximately 30 peers who are on-boarded at the same time as you (warning sign number one). You are then taught, in extensive detail, everything there is to know about having a decent conversation around all IT from software to hardware in the the data centre and onward. Now, depending who your teacher is and how well you "click" with your "classmates" you may have a fun initial experience.
Do not let that fool you.
You are (literally) being tested every week on all that is taught from week 1 until 16. If you fail twice in any given weeks (below 80%) on the "re-do" (you're given 2 chances per week/quiz) you will be walked out. No excuses, no exceptions.
Be sure to study for your week 4 final exam. Regardless if you haven't failed a test prior to, you WILL be walked out if scored below 80%.
"Phase 2" commences the week after you've written the final exam. You will be then given the territory which you will be working in and will begin to prospect a minimum of 500 companies/contacts for an entire week. It's tougher than you think. You filter through these contacts within CRM and your team and watch your list shrink, only to prospect more. Be ready to spend at least one weekend prospecting your lists. Also, Management does not share previous prospect lists from those who have left the company so don't bother asking.
Ps, You're considered lucky to be given a Canadian territory. US TSR reps hardly hit their quotas due to lack of Softchoice recognition in the US. Therefore are usually quickly fired or quit.
You're expected to call 80-100 contacts a day which turns "strategic sales calls" into a tedious marketing strategy.
Daily trainings and weekend tests continue.
The "Valley of Despair" is nonsense. They claim that after a few weeks you will want to give up but should keep pushing. Okay, true. But management is brainwashed into believing there should be a "valley" in the first place. Let me tell you why..
- The quotas are the same and at most times unrealistic from US Territories vs Canadian.
- THE TURN OVER RATE IS TOO HIGH
- Fear mongering is an overused tactic by Management, who don't realize that instead of "motivating sales toward success", everyone in Phase 2 is walking around with their tails wrapped around their legs in fear of losing their jobs. Which majority eventually do.
- IF you are liked by management you will be given extensions to hit your quota.
- Favoritism exists, as in every organization, although it is all too evident at SoftChoice. As an example, some are literally provided top leads for their territory even after another TSR has worked and won an opportunity within it.
- Management in Phase two is ridiculous. There is not enough individual training and support for the entire class. Let alone from one manager who chooses to talk down to others and act too busy to care about any question or suggestion anyone might ask. Get off your high horse, you're here to teach. Going back to training, weekly 1:1's to work on scripts, value propositions and overall telephone selling have now gone down from 30minutes per rep, to 15minutes due to said lack of support.
- the internal sales process takes TOO long. If additional vendor support is needed you have to file a ticket through the system which for the most part isn't answered for hours, if not days. A sales call is then made with the vendor specialists and customer only to then have the customer wait an additional week minimum for our internal staff to "create the best possible solution" and provide a quote. It's ridiculously long compared to other resellers and most deals are lost due to time critical opportunities.
- LACK OF COMMISSION: you *do not* receive your first commission pay until AFTER deployment or month 3 of working in Softchoice. If you make it that far.
- I won't even begin on the below industry salary rates..
To remain at SoftChoice, if you haven't already quit or been walked out, you will either A, be deployed (approx 1 out of 10 are) B, be hired into a different department within Softchoice, or C, be given weekly extensions to "prove yourself"
All in all I am thoroughly disappointed. I've watched students who are fresh out of school as well as experienced sales professionals, most of whom have families, lose their status due to the turn over. In my personal opinion, there are other companies out there who are willing to train and keep you long term. I'd suggest looking into other options before ever signing your employment contract with Softchoice. Unless of course, you're just looking for a quick IT refresher or a temporary 2-3 month employment to fill up your time. Also, be wary of organizations that hire in such a large bulk every month.
