Rant: The Scam of Corporate America

[JMapleton]

But if you are responsible for 5 million of direct sales, I'm hoping you either got a promotion or some fatty bonus checks. In general - creating direct revenues seems to be the easist way to make $$$

I received neither. Just an average salary, which I increase to a decent one through overtime. I'm the highest paid rep in the company, I even make more than all managers (who are underpaid), but if you knew my salary compared to what I've done for them, you'd be shocked.

The one advantage I've gotten is that I can basically do whatever I want. I regularly turn my boss down when asked to do things and I once even told him (when he joked about firing me) with a smirk on my face "come on, you need me more than I need you." I break rules, do what I want and they keep me. But financially they do not offer me much for what I've given them.

 

[Nebor]

I can't grow my own jeans and every corporation does evil in some fashion or another.

I never advocated consumers overthrowing companies. My philosophy is just the opposite. Worry about yourself, I say. There is no perfect structure for society where we can all be rich, so put your efforts into right here and right now and make your life what you want it to be.

I don't worry about my consumer habits. I worry about me. I'm concerned for others, but I'm not superman.

Spoken like someone that doesn't know that you can mix the nitroglycerin with sodium nitrate and sawdust to make dynamite

 

[Nebor]

I received neither. Just an average salary, which I increase to a decent one through overtime. I'm the highest paid rep in the company, I even make more than all managers (who are underpaid), but if you knew my salary compared to what I've done for them, you'd be shocked.

Are your sales difficult, or are they regular accounts that anyone could manage?

Because it sounds like you could go work for a competitor and make a lot more money. Everyone I know that's responsible for $5M+ in sales is making $300k+, with most of their income being in commission. They're all in IT security or IT support though.

 

[busydude]

There is no perfect structure for society where we can all be rich, so put your efforts into right here and right now and make your life what you want it to be.

Why shouldn't you follow that right here, right now attitude at your workplace or while studying in college?

 

[arkcom]

Ultimately in a capitalist society, money is relative freedom. If you want to eat lobster, sushi, filets, and caviar every night for dinner, you need money. I don't like money and I don't worship it, but money rules the world we live in. It's unfortunate but we cannot change it. Best we can do is not fall victim to it or the problems a lack of money causes.

Yep, you aren't free unless you're eating lobster, sushi, filets, and caviar every night for dinner.

Nobody's doing any brainwashing but you.

 

[JMapleton]

Are your sales difficult, or are they regular accounts that anyone could manage?

Because it sounds like you could go work for a competitor and make a lot more money. Everyone I know that's responsible for $5M+ in sales is making $300k+, with most of their income being in commission. They're all in IT security or IT support though.

Let me clarify, this is $5m over the course of 3 years.

So I average $1.5m per year, plus the additional revenue I generate by training new reps.

No it's not a job that others could do with ease or without a lot of motivation to learn. In fact I sell a product where it's nearly impossible to find someone trained in it (I won't say), the company has to train them (I train them at my company). My supervisor himself barely knows the product.

In fact I can honestly say I'm the only person in my dept who should actually be there, most everyone else knows only a fraction of what they should and I'm constantly having to fix other's mistakes because of it.

I can outsell everyone without trying simply because of my knowledge. During the sales peak seasons I regularly taunt my coworkers by offering free pizza for a month anyone who can outsell me for that month in sales or in a given sales content. No one has beaten me yet when I make the pizza offer. Believe it or not, this is also increased our sales because they know I'm a nice guy and I'm partially joking but they take it seriously and try to beat me just to shut me up.

My supervisor's supervisor once sent out an email saying "someone beat him to shut him up," in response to my pizza emails.

 

[JMapleton]

Yep, you aren't free unless you're eating lobster, sushi, filets, and caviar every night for dinner.

Those are the things I can say I honestly want to eat whenever and however I want.

If I cannot have them, I would be settling for second best. That's not living free. That's serfdom.

 

[Nebor]

If I cannot have them, I would be settling for second best. That's not living free. That's serfdom.

I think you accidentally your entitlement.

 

[magomago]

Let me clarify, this is $5m over the course of 3 years.

So I average $1.5m per year, plus the additional revenue I generate by training new reps.

No it's not a job that others could do with ease or without a lot of motivation to learn. In fact I sell a product where it's nearly impossible to find someone trained in it (I won't say), the company has to train them (I train them at my company). My supervisor himself barely knows the product.

In fact I can honestly say I'm the only person in my dept who should actually be there, most everyone else knows only a fraction of what they should and I'm constantly having to fix other's mistakes because of it.

I can outsell everyone without trying simply because of my knowledge. During the sales peak seasons I regularly taunt my coworkers by offering free pizza for a month anyone who can outsell me for that month in sales or in a given sales content. No one has beaten me yet when I make the pizza offer. Believe it or not, this is also increased our sales because they know I'm a nice guy and I'm partially joking but they take it seriously and try to beat me just to shut me up.

My supervisor's supervisor once sent out an email saying "someone beat him to shut him up," in response to my pizza emails.

Wow unless everyone is chill and its all joking, you sound like an asshole at work lol.

Anyways, if you've pushed it to that level, imo i'd have no qualms sitting down and saying "I want a raise. XX%. Or I leave. And you know exactly what I bring, and how I'm the only one that really knows what is going on. Kthxbye" If you are indeed that valuable, they'll watch their department fall apart once you leave.
And if they say no, prepare to leave and apply elsewhere; I would think with the revenues you directly generate, you should have no problem finding another position

 

[Nebor]

Wow unless everyone is chill and its all joking, you sound like an asshole at work lol.

Anyways, if you've pushed it to that level, imo i'd have no qualms sitting down and saying "I want a raise. XX%. Or I leave. And you know exactly what I bring, and how I'm the only one that really knows what is going on. Kthxbye" If you are indeed that valuable, they'll watch their department fall apart once you leave.
And if they say no, prepare to leave and apply elsewhere; I would think with the revenues you directly generate, you should have no problem finding another position

This. If you're as valuable and irreplaceable as you say, they'd be fools to let you go.

 

[JMapleton]

Wow unless everyone is chill and its all joking, you sound like an asshole at work lol.

Anyways, if you've pushed it to that level, imo i'd have no qualms sitting down and saying "I want a raise. XX%. Or I leave. And you know exactly what I bring, and how I'm the only one that really knows what is going on. Kthxbye" If you are indeed that valuable, they'll watch their department fall apart once you leave.
And if they say no, prepare to leave and apply elsewhere; I would think with the revenues you directly generate, you should have no problem finding another position

They know I'm joking. My coworkers like me because I clown around so much.

As far as a raise, I cannot. No one gets anything except yearly raises. Company policy. I could literally get promoted twice and not make anymore money. My company doesn't care at all about paying us according to our effort. The only commission I get is from the actual vendors (my company doesn't even pay me commission). But the vendor commission (I get paid to sell a certain product) I get is decent but not all my vendors give me this, only a handful. I'd probably make six figures if all my vendors offered me this kind of commission.

As far as leaving, I work there because it's easy. I got home from a 10 hour shift just a few hours ago. I spent half of my shift working and selling and the other half playing Scrabble against my co-worker on his iPod. I do nothing. If I screw up, I don't get punished for it. I sell half asleep and surf the web all day.

 

[arkcom]

As far as leaving, I work there because it's easy. I got home from a 10 hour shift just a few hours ago. I spent half of my shift working and selling and the other half playing Scrabble against my co-worker on his iPod. I do nothing. If I screw up, I don't get punished for it. I sell half asleep and surf the web all day.

As hard as you work, you do deserve lobster, sushi, filets, and caviar every night for dinner.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

As far as leaving, I work there because it's easy. I got home from a 10 hour shift just a few hours ago. I spent half of my shift working and selling and the other half playing Scrabble against my co-worker on his iPod. I do nothing. If I screw up, I don't get punished for it. I sell half asleep and surf the web all day.

lol you poor corporate slave you.

 

[JMapleton]

lol you poor corporate slave you.

What other company is going to pay me to go to work and give me enough freedom to work on my business all day?

A lot of time instead of goofing off, I work on my business at work, which I admit I should do more often because I don't want to spend my life at this company.

 

[JMapleton]

As hard as you work, you do deserve lobster, sushi, filets, and caviar every night for dinner.

I'm glad someone sees it my way.

But seriously, as much as I goof off, I produce results and I try to be a nice guy to everyone and help them when they need it so I'm not the only one selling anything. When I started I didn't know anything and other people helped me. I really put effort into helping my coworkers be successful at their jobs because I work with some cool people and I joke about how great I am on here but I'm not arrogant I just like to joke around. I tell people at work these same things about how great I think I am and they get a kick out of it, they think it's hilarious.

One of my favorite things to tell my coworkers is when they have a question from a customer, they ask me what they should tell the customer, I joke and say "just hang up on them!" Of course they don't and I don't do that but it's fun to joke.

 

[Nebor]

As far as a raise, I cannot. No one gets anything except yearly raises. Company policy. I could literally get promoted twice and not make anymore money.

The morning\day crew will point out your naivete in this. But I'll get them started: Would you buy gas at a gas station that kept prices at "summer high" prices year round because it was their "policy?" Would you trade in your car at a dealership that always paid $30% under blue book value because it was their "policy?" Probably not. Saying something is "policy" is just a way to discourage the easily discouraged.

 

[JMapleton]

The morning\day crew will point out your naivete in this. But I'll get them started: Would you buy gas at a gas station that kept prices at "summer high" prices year round because it was their "policy?" Would you trade in your car at a dealership that always paid $30% under blue book value because it was their "policy?" Probably not. Saying something is "policy" is just a way to discourage the easily discouraged.

While I agree you may be right, I'm honestly too afraid of a terrible awkward situation to ask for a raise.

I've been promised by some higher ups during non-business related outings that our salaries and potential commissions are going to get a serious rethinking, but it will take a while as the people who run my part of the company are stubborn, so I'm just waiting on that. Maybe then things will change.

I'm focusing on my personal goals and ambitions too much to care about my company. The whole place could go under for all I care. I got a million people who will hire me.

 

[arrfep]

Eh. People just want to feel important and part of something larger. Busting their butts for 60 hours a week for nothing more than a paycheck and a pat on the back helps them feel that way.

Same reason people are devoted to shitty sports teams. They think the loyalty goes both ways, but 99% of athletes could care less what city they're playing for unless it's the one that pays them the most.

There is very little honor left in anything these days; life is only about the bottom line.

 

[arkcom]

While I agree you may be right, I'm honestly too afraid of a terrible awkward situation to ask for a raise.

So, you're exactly one of the people you're ranting against. Someone content with the status quo and have no desire to change it.

 

[JMapleton]

So, you're exactly one of the people you're ranting against. Someone content with the status quo and have no desire to change it.

I'm working on changing it by changing my own situation. I can't force anyone to be motivated to move out of the corporate situation.

If the company gave me a raise, it would not matter, it would still not be enough.

I want Mercedes with RennTech engines and a Ferrari 288 GTO, I want sushi and lobster every night, I want huge modern houses filled with contemporary art. Most importantly I want personal time and freedom. Nothing I do at that company will get me that.

 

[Lithium381]

No, you're just a cog in the machine...easily replaced. Unless you're the owner, it IS someone else's company.

Corporations aren't necessarily bad things, but they've been given far too much power.

i love this picture.....

everyone's measure of success is different. Mine is to make sure my family has a safe place to sleep every night and food that they will never be hungry. do i make someone elses' business successful at the same time. Yep, but our goals are mutually supportive....

 

[Nebor]

I want Mercedes with RennTech engines and a Ferrari 288 GTO, I want sushi and lobster every night, I want huge modern houses filled with contemporary art. Most importantly I want personal time and freedom. Nothing I do at that company will get me that.

Does your CEO have all that? If so, can you do what he does? If so, why don't you?

 

[sjwaste]

You're thinking about this the wrong way. It's the trap a lot of 20-somethings fall into, myself included.

The job after college, for the next 10 or 15 years, is training. You work there for a wage/salary because you lack the skills, capital, or both, to start your own business and be the guy at the top of the pyramid.

If you're the rainmaker you say you are, they've paid you and developed one of the most valuable skills in the corporate world. Let's face it, if you really can sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in the desert wearing white gloves, you'll do just fine on your own once you have a product and enough financial backing to get started.

It's not a bad deal to get paid to develop skills at little to no financial risk. That's why some people never leave - they don't want to put in the time or effort to run their own show, or they just prefer the risk tradeoff.

 

[bas1c]

You're correct. When you say they've been given too much power, your definition of that isn't nearly as broad.

Where corporate America has been given too much power is in it's brainwashing of our population into dedicating their time, lives, health, and emotions into maintaining them for other people's benefit.

Every year millions of people enroll in colleges across the nation in hopes of getting a "good job." But the only thing they'll be getting in a lifetime of effort and if they're lucky, a decent roof over their head and little else. All while other people fly in corporate jets and drive sports cars.

I'm not hating on those who are rich, I'm only saying people should wake up and create their own success OR at the very minimum, don't stress out over your jobs and dedicate your soul to a company.

The way you make it sound you make it seem that everyone is equal, with the same levels of intelligence and talent, and deserve to successful. Most people are stupid and lazy and don't deserve shit.

 

[busydude]

I got a million people who will hire me.

Then.. why don't you look for better opportunities? Again - no one is forcing you to stay with your current employer.

Corporations aren't necessarily bad things, but they've been given far too much power.

For far too long Americans were led to believe that capitalism is the only solution that works.. and it did for the last 60 years or so. You guys tend to forget that in this day and age corporations do not have a nationality.. they go where they feel is best for their company.