First Year as a Sales Professional at RDO Equipment Co.: What’s it Like?

Coming into a new sales job can be intimidating. It’s difficult to learn everything you need to know to sell a company’s products and services effectively. Getting used to a new routine, different coworkers and the other things that accompany a new job isn’t easy either. 

These things take time. 

On the other side of them, however, you want to be happy with your new situation. 

It can take up to a year to get your feet under you in a new sales role. 

So what should you expect over that time as a new Sales Professional at RDO Equipment Co.? 

I’ve been with RDO for over a year, and while it’s fresh in my mind, I will tell you more about my first-year experience.

I hope this helps you learn more about what your first year in this, or a similar position, will be like, so you can make a decision you’re confident in.

Though I can’t touch on everything that happened over these 12 months, in this article, I’ll walk you through what onboarding was like, what training I received, what challenges I faced and what I did in a typical day. 

What Is Onboarding Like? 

Onboarding with RDO was relatively painless. The first week, like in most new jobs, was spent doing administrative tasks — setting up passwords, accounts and phones, completing onboarding training, getting to know my coworkers and meeting with my manager. 

Pretty standard stuff. 

In addition, I was given opportunities to learn from other salespeople through ride-alongs and job shadowing.

This was helpful as I was hired to oversee a territory that didn’t previously have an RDO sales presence. 

The sales professional role at RDO is very entrepreneurial. In this role, you’re expected to own your schedule and build a sales program that works for you. 

During onboarding (and throughout my time here, really), I had plenty of opportunities to pick other salespeople’s brains on best practices and what has worked for them. 

What Kind of Training and Support Do You Receive?

Sales, in some respects, is about confidence. 

Knowing the products and speaking the “language” with customers makes me confident. Coming into this role, I had some experience with heavy machinery but wasn’t super familiar with the products I’d be selling. 

RDO’s in-house training program — which includes both online and hands-on experiences — was helpful during my first year. I also did a week of in-person training at a John Deere facility in Iowa. 

Establishing a presence within a sales territory isn’t easy — especially when there hasn’t been one there previously. 

As I worked to do this, my RDO team members, like customer service advisors and salespeople in other territories would help me find a point of contact at prospective customers and advocate for me in customer conversations when appropriate. 

My manager also supported me, giving me a list to get me started and helping me throughout the year. 

All of this support helped me get my feet under me faster during my first year on the job. 

What Do You Do in a Typical Day? 

If you join RDO’s sales team — whether it’s as an account manager or sales professional — you’ll find no two days are exactly the same. 

In the end, I can only speak to my experience, but here are some of the things I do in a typical day: 

• Prospecting (researching potential opportunities in my territory)
• Outreach (contacting companies over the phone, email and in-person)
• Job site visits 
• Product demonstrations
• Creating proposals
• Working with other departments (parts, field support, aftermarket support, service)
• Providing aftersale support

A lot of my time is spent drumming up new business. 

To do so, I plan out my days in advance and spend a fair amount of time driving to customer locations and job sites. 

While, for the most part, I’m home every night, travel is a daily occurrence. 

What Challenges Do You Face? 

Challenges come with every position. 

In my first year as an RDO Sales Professional, challenges came in a few forms. 

Time management is one of them.

In this role, it’s up to you to manage your own schedule. This can be a challenge, especially in your first year when you’re still learning the business, who to go to for what and the best way to build an efficient sales pipeline. 

When you enter this role, expect to face competing priorities (should you spend your time meeting, writing up that proposal or responding to emails? Where should you drive to first this week?). This can be challenging.

Another challenge I faced in my first year was understanding how this customer (for me, it was a construction contractor) likes to buy. In any sales role, you hear a lot of no's before making a sale. 

This is true of the Sales Professional job at RDO. 

It’s important to not let this discourage you when it happens. Since the buying cycle for a piece of large machinery is longer than that of a smaller purchase, it’s a challenge to get that first sale, no matter how experienced you are. 

What Are The Best Parts About The First Year? 

This is a great job. I’m looking to make a career here. 

There are many things I could say about what I like about this role, but I’ll narrow it down to the top three. 

1. The People at RDO

One of my favorite parts of the job is the people I work with. This includes the sales, parts, service and field support personnel. Everyone wants to succeed, and many are willing to lend a helping hand when they can. 

Being part of this team culture has been a great part of the job.

2. The Freedom

I’ve mentioned this a couple of times already, but the freedom I experience in this position is top-notch. Every day it’s on me to decide what that day looks like. 

I build my own schedule, manage my own workload, travel when it makes sense and work from home or the office other times. If you’re self-motivated and good with time management, you’ll like this, too. 

3. The Fast Pace

This is a fast-paced job, that’s for sure. Each day brings something new. Often, I’m lucky to still be working on my plan for the day by 10 a.m. — something usually pops up. 

I enjoy this, though. I like the variety of things I get to do every day and the fact that I never know what’s around the corner. It keeps me on my toes and helps me grow professionally. 

How to Have a Successful First Year

I found that RDO did a lot of things to help me become successful in my first year. I felt supported and connected enough to find help when I needed it. 

To have a successful first year, here are some things I prioritized, they might also help you: 

1. Time management is critical: There just aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s helpful to have a grasp on how you’re spending your time and prioritizing tasks
2. Be self-motivated: No one is going to manage your day except for you. Being a self-motivated person is crucial to being successful in the sales professional role
3. Being informed and articulate: Having the ability to talk to customers intelligently and fluidly will go a long way. I would recommend you spend plenty of time learning the products you’re selling so you can answer questions about them. 
4. Be honest: Honesty will get you a long way in sales. If you don’t know an answer to a question for sure, don’t pretend to know it. Instead I recommend admitting you’re not sure and following up when you do. 

Learn More About RDO Sales Careers

RDO offers sales opportunities for people passionate about problem-solving and looking to take a meaningful step in their careers. These roles provide high earning and growth opportunities but are not necessarily for everyone. 

Learn more about what a day in the life in sales is like at RDO. 

For more information on our sales careers and how to join our team, view our Sales Careers website page here. 

Finally, join the RDO Careers Talent Network to stay connected to our company and future opportunities.