You're exactly right Dave.

We were on a cruise recently, met some folks, and the subject was what we did in our careers. I explained how I worked as a 100% commission-comped salesman for a management consulting firm and that it was the best job I had - both from self-satisfaction and earnings viewpoints. They all kinda shuddered when I told them was only comped on commissions. A lot of people want the "comfort" of a base salary. To each his own.

And you're right, we mostly remember the wins. But there were some notable losses. We spent two full weeks in New Orleans with a team of about 10 people writing a response to an RFP, and a big one at that.

Two weeks in, the guy leading the proposal decides to "no bid"! We all went out and partied that night in New Orleans! That was fun. Spending two weeks for nothing? Not so much.

But you're right, with the wins come the losses. And as salespeople, we hear "no" a lot more than "yes".

And that brings me to a saying I heard from a close friend who started his own lucrative business - "Yes comes fast. No takes forever." We probably should have known we wouldn't be able to bid that New Orleans job, but heh, that's life!

Joe