Why you need this:

1. It sounds crazy, but you actually think differently if you hear out of just one ear. It has been proven in clinical studies when people were forced to have a conversation through one ear, then the other, that it makes a difference. When you’re selling, you need to be at 100% effectiveness.
2. It will minimize sound from the world around you.
3. It will maximize sound from the client’s side.
4. You can type while you talk.
5. If you get a cordless like I have, you can stand and walk around, which makes you sound a lot more energetic and fun and healthy. It’s also more effective… for conversations that are pretty basic, once you’re really up to speed, I can be putting away dishes or hanging laundry while talking to long-term repeat clients (i.e. if they put me on hold).

You don’t need much, but the few things you do need are really, really important.

So, as part of your employment, you agree to buy these few things. Relax, they’re not expensive, and a great investment anyway.

1. H61 Plantronics Headset. Should be less than $40. This is important for several reasons, first, you will be better at sales if you are listening through both ears. Sounds crazy, but you will be more focused, also, it’s been proven people have slightly different conversations if they listen through just one ear or the other, because the halves of your brain think slightly different. So, be a man/woman of your word, trust us, and get the required equipment – like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Plantronics-H61-Supra-Voice-Tube-Headset-/250631832946?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Headsets&hash=item3a5ad24572#ht_957wt_911 – search here http://electronics.shop.ebay.com/Telephones-Pagers-/3286/i.html?_nkw=h61&_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282 – Note you DON’T need or want the amplifier! Don’t get it, it’s a waste. By the way, I have 3 of these headsets at my house… 2 on cordless phones, one on a corded phone at my desk. Also, having your hands free sure helps typing, and speaking with your hands will make you more lively, more natural, and you’ll enjoy your work a lot more. Heck, I sometimes am gardening while on the phone with clients, or emptying the dishwasher – as long as I can quickly run back to the computer when needed. Tip: Get a “Lot” i.e. batch, they’re fantastic, and sometimes the Lots are as cheap as a single on ebay. Use Gixen.com, set the bid for as high as you go, and it’ll snipe it for you (Gixen.com is free).
2. Plantronics adapter like this http://www.buy.com/prod/plantronics-headset-adapter-cable-mini-phone-male-quick-disconnect/q/listingid/55824729/loc/101/202333708.html or this http://www.founderstelecom.com/corphonadcab1.html –  Why you need this… to connect to a high quality cordless phone. Here’s an ebay search http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=Quick+Disconnect+to+2.5mm&_sacat=See-All-Categories
3. Any high quality, high Mhz Cordless phone. Pick ‘em up on sale, but I strongly recommend getting more than one (so you always have a charged backup, and have several around your house), and good ones allow call transfer, caller ID, etc.; a high Mhz is better and will have longer range. Mine are 5.8 Ghz and were ~ $40 for the set of 2 at Big Lots.
4. Business Cards

That’s it for required items. Naturally, since you’ll be working from home and the field, you’ll want to have a nice home office and probably a good cel phone, but we’ll leave that up to you. We are porting all applications to iPhone, Google’s Android powered phones, and Blackberry’s app systems.

Bonus: When you get a nice check, why not treat yourself to a nice big TV and a playstation or Wii or Xbox? As long as these have internet access and a cordless keyboard (available for all 3), it can be a fun way to work and a nice break from sitting behind a desk all day, and all our apps will generally run on these, since they’re web based.