Great article – it is SOOO true that retail selling is often seen as the poor cousin of the sales industry (and anyone who has every had poor customer service at the hands of a poorly trained retail sales person can relate to this), BUT it is an awesome way to get a start in a sales career, regardless of where you end up years down the track.

Like you, I got my start in retail – working in a small retail licquor store/deli, then progressing onto a computer retailer. My career has moved on since then to bigger & better, but I really enjoyed those 2 early learning experiences and they are where I developed my initial passion for a sales career.

Non-sales people rarely understand this, but the world’s economy would be a dead duck without salespeople, so we are all a major cornerstone of our society’s fabric, and that’s one of the many things I love about selling.

Retail is a great place to start, especially since there’s always a demand for salespeople with some passion & dedication to customer service, so it doesn’t take much for a newbie in the industry to stand out, as long as they put a bit of effort & enthusiam into the job.

Plus, without having the added pressure of having to prospect for clients, it is a fabulous way to learn & develop your selling skills on the job (as you said).

Keep up the great work & I look forward to future articles from you.

Eran