Summer sales programs vs. year-round door-to-door sales jobs
Short answer: A summer sales program is a fixed season, about four months, usually in another city with a team and shared housing, selling pest control or home security. A year-round job is ongoing work near home in industries such as fiber, solar, roofing and home improvement. Summer programs are built for students and first-time reps who can leave home. Year-round jobs are built for people who need income every month and a normal home life.
| Summer sales | Year-round sales | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | About four months, usually May through August | Ongoing |
| Where | A market the company chooses, often in another state | Where you live, or a market you move to for good |
| Housing | Shared housing arranged by the company; who pays varies | Your own |
| Industries | Pest control and home security, some solar | Fiber, telecom, solar, roofing, windows, HVAC, water treatment and more |
| Training | Group training before the season, then daily meetings and coaching | A few days of shadowing, then coaching from a team lead |
| Hours | Long days, six days a week, for the whole season | Afternoons, evenings and Saturdays, with more say over your week |
| How pay arrives | Part during the season; a large part as back-end pay after it ends | As deals complete, through the year |
| What you risk | Leaving early can cost back-end pay, and housing or other advances may be deducted | Slow months, and in long-cycle industries a long wait for the first check |
| Recruiting calendar | Signed up in fall, winter and spring for a summer start | Any time |
| What comes next | Return next summer as a team lead, or move to a year-round industry | Senior rep, closer, team lead or manager at the same company |
Choose summer sales if
- You are a student, or you have four months with nothing holding you at home
- You want to find out quickly whether you can sell
- You do better with a team, a schedule and a scoreboard
- You can wait until after the season for part of your pay
Choose year-round sales if
- You have rent, family or school where you live
- You need a check every week or two through the year
- You want to build referrals and a reputation in one area
- You already know you want sales as a job, not a summer
How reps move between the two
Many year-round reps started with one summer. The program gives a few thousand conversations in a short time, and year-round companies in solar, fiber and roofing hire from that pool every fall.
Going from a year-round job to a summer program is less common. It makes sense when your industry has a slow summer, or when you want a team-lead season on your record. Read the rep agreement before you sign: the date back-end pay is calculated and what is deducted from it matter more than the commission rate.
Questions
Do you make more in a summer program or a year-round job?
A summer program packs a lot of selling into four months, so a strong summer can equal many months of ordinary work. Much of that pay arrives after the season, and only if you finish. A year-round job spreads the income out. Compare what a middle-of-the-pack rep took home in each, after housing and deductions.
Can I do summer sales if I am not a student?
Yes. Programs take anyone who can commit to the full season and relocate. Students are the largest group only because the calendar fits theirs.
What happens when a summer sales program ends?
The team leaves the market, the company totals each rep's accounts that are still active, and back-end pay is calculated and paid on the date in the rep agreement. Some reps stay on with a year-round team; most go home or back to school.
Read next
- What Is a Summer Sales Program?
- Is Door-to-Door Sales Worth It?
- How to Vet a Door-to-Door Sales Company
Terms used on this page
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