Josh Robie interned for over 1000 hours this summer on a full commission basis with Moxie pest control, generating over $90,000 in revenue from direct personal sales and $65,000 in revenue as a result of Leadership training.
How did you secure your internship position?
I got this internship while reaching out to companies to sponsor the Sales Club here at UA. My manager, Jerah, recruited me because of my prior sales experience but also because he wanted to give me the chance to learn more leadership skills in a leader-in-training role. I secured Moxie as a corporate sponsor for the professional Sales Club, and as a result Moxie was then able to provide more than 11 job and internship opportunities for other students at UA.
Why did you choose this particular internship?
I chose this internship because door-to-door sales is without a doubt, the hardest form of sales and requires not just the most amount of mental strength, but also physical and emotional regulation. The job combines hard work, persistence, and most of all preparation. I also enjoy the competitiveness of full condition sales because it pushes you more to perform and not just do the minimum.
Describe the work that you did as an intern.
The internship work consisted of morning meetings every day Monday through Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00am, then knocking doors in neighborhoods performing outside sales selling pest control from 9:30 to 10:00pm. The sales portion consisted of going through pitches, persuading customers to switch providers, building rapport, explaining benefits, pricing, and most importantly, overcoming objections. All of these skills are used in any position in the sales world and the high repetition that door-to-door sales provides is unmatched by any other jobs in the sales industry.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite and most satisfying moment of this internship was achieving my personal best day in sales. On this day, I sold a total of eight accounts and was the 12th highest selling salesman out of 1,600 salesmen in the country. I was also number one for revenue in the entire company on that day, based on the size of the contracts that I was selling. This day was extremely special to me because of all the work I had put in prior to be able to perform and achieve such a great accomplishment.
What has been the biggest impact of the experience?
The biggest impact that this internship had on me is the skill of overcoming rejections as well as the work ethic required to not only hit your goals, but exceed them. I truly think that anyone, regardless of their degree or what they want to do, can benefit from doing something as hard as door-to-door sales. I’m very grateful for the impact this internship has had on me.
What advice would you give to other students searching for or beginning their internships?
My advice that I would give other students that are looking for internships is to not be afraid to try something hard or difficult, because it will only make you more well-rounded once you’re finished. One thing that my manager always says, especially on the rough days, is “there’s something special about learning to love doing the harder things more than the people around you.” I also think not being afraid to try new things even when your friends may be telling you differently only makes you stronger as an individual and closer to reaching your goals.