Sales requires patience, pressure, and personal responsibility

One of the hardest parts of sales is patience. Right now, patience defines my job. American clients remain divided in their business intentions. Some walk away from foreign suppliers to buy American only. Others hedge their bets. They source domestically while still importing from overseas.

Price still rules everything. Anyone who believes a North American product can cost the same as an offshore one lives in a fantasy. That math has never worked, and it won’t start now.

Finding new clients has become my main task. Communication with existing clients has turned unpredictable. Some get irritated when I call, or email to offer help. Others stay silent until they urgently need service. So, patience matters. Interest appears when clients need a custom fabricator. Otherwise, I share our corporate materials and move on.

Shifting sales regions from the U.S. to other markets takes work. I’ve targeted high-end retailers with some success, but that space comes with familiar challenges.

High-end retailers expect perfection but offer vague direction. They provide limited information to manufacturers. Designers hold enormous decision-making power and often change direction late in the process. Financial pressure shows up through prepayment demands and delayed balances. Delivery timelines stay unrealistic. Everything arrives “rush,” and nothing feels early enough. These same retailers may sell a handbag for $2,500 yet negotiate like every dollar hurts.

I want to shed light on the business relationships suppliers face with retailers and display houses worldwide. We deal with demanding, uncertain customers every day. I accepted that burden for decades. I no longer do so quietly.

Industries still follow unwritten rules. November through January runs slow. Some customers expect suppliers to follow their rules without question. Retail staffing shifts constantly, especially in visual merchandising and store planning. A trusted contact can disappear overnight.

Your first quote must compete. You won’t get a second chance. Lose the job once and it’s gone.

Sales demands more than skill. It demands emotional endurance. I carry responsibility for the employees who rely on the work I bring in. Their livelihoods matter. That weight follows me home.

I envy people who collect a paycheck every two weeks and leave work behind. I never had that option. My family trained me to build, not clock out. Responsibility came with that training.

Treat your sales representatives with respect. Many businesses hire salespeople because they must, not because they value them. That mindset shows. Sales professionals sit at the front line of uncertainty, rejection, and pressure.

Sales keeps businesses alive. The least we can do is acknowledge the cost.