Just wondering if anyone on here works for fastenal or knows someone who does? Im considering a position in outside sales with them. Seems to be a great starting gig for getting into sales. Im just looking for all the input I can get before I make a major career change. Thanks.

 

I buy from Fastenal and have noticed that they have a very high rate of turnaround in their salesforce. I can't tell you how many different reps I've had over the 12 years I have dealt with them. IMO, my local branch puts really young guys with no experience in that position and if they don't perform then they get canned. It seems like these guys don't really get any training though.
Sales is a tough field right now. If you are good you can still make some money though. If you have a decent job right now then you may want to consider doing the sales thing part time without quitting your other job and see how it works out...

 

I second that! I've dealt with fastenal for 3 years and had 4 diffrent reps. Don't know why. Not saying anyone was canned. Just had 4

 

Well they do go through training, or atleast I would. Its a 2-3 month training program where they send you to MN for a week and a couple weekends bounced around Indiana and Wisconsin i believe. Im not committing for a lifetime, prob just 2-4 years. I need some experience in something besides ranching, and if I wanna get into sales of any kind, their training program and no requirment for experience seems like a good way to start.

 

And thanks for the reply! Thats what Im looking for, every opinion I can.

 

I haven't dealt with fastenal. Met a couple guys at an industrial trade show that worked my area.
There is a local fastener shop that we deal with on the majority of our fasteners (short of special flange studs). Same guy for the last 10 years that I know of. He has come out on weekends to deliver screws, he has even driven 48 2-1/2" X 24" studs to houston to be coated and back to fix another vendors screwup. He could have ignored his phone like other vendors do, but he didn't.
Im not sure what all fastenal expects out of their sales force, but this is what we expect out of our vendors.

 

That's called 'customer service', and it's what more companies need to pay attention to. NO ONE knows how to do this anymore.

 

Same thing with work.. We dealt with Fastenal for about 2 years and never had a conversation with the same person twice. Ended up going online with McMaster Carr..