Average annual income: $46,698 (National Automobile Dealers Association, 2005)

Job characteristics: Long hours; high income potential after two years; selling to a wide variety of customers.

Most common reasons for turnover: Lack of training; low income in early months on the job; high pressure to perform with lack of support and recognition from upper management.

Few people are as stigmatized as car salesmen. Most industry experts say it's exactly the opposite and that the most productive salespeople in the automotive industry exude honesty, integrity and a genuine interest in meeting the needs of customers. Because professional and successful salespeople are a rare breed, dealers must work hard to hang onto top performers.

Long and odd hours, low base salaries and cautious customers make this a high-pressure, difficult environment. Ernie Kasprowicz, general manager of AutoMax Sales Training & Consulting, says that many salespeople are turned off in their first few months on the job because it can take awhile to make decent money.

Curt Tueffert, president of Brick Wall Motivation, a company that helps motivate and retain salespeople in the automotive industry, says car salespeople seek a strong income, a supportive management team and a chance to move up in the organization. This usually includes moving into finance or insurance management where they might see more stable, higher incomes.

Most dealerships have standard medical benefits and 401ks, but some dealers use time off and trips as a performance-based incentive and benefit. The combination — giving an employee and his or her spouse a trip as well as the time off — can sometimes go further than cash for the right employees.

"Recognition for a job well done is very important. Salespeople need to know that management is behind them and they need to be rewarded for their efforts," says Kasprowicz.

Variable changing salaries are a major factor in the industry and Tueffert says the quickest way to lose a sales rep is to change pay structure. Although some dealerships are on 100 percent commission plans, most have base salaries with commissions that can come in the form of a percentage of the sales price or a flat fee per car.

Tueffert notes that each person is individually motivated and that generational and hidden psychological challenges can often come into play. He says that at the end of the day, a person is only going to be motivated by the variables and factors in their life. This can include everything to saving for a new home, preparing to send a child to college, a recent divorce or simply a desire to move up into a new position.

"Every salesperson is different. They're all motivated and managed differently. You can't line them all up and slap them in the same hand. If I can individually figure out what turns these people on, I can get them to talk through brick walls for me," says Tueffert.

Average annual income: $77,604 (account representative, senior — technology, Salary.com survey)

Job characteristics: Upper-level business-to-business sales; calling upon upper management of Fortune 2000 companies; high-pressure, long sales process

Common reasons for turnover: Pressure to perform; lack of support from management or home office; inferior products; poor company culture.

Much like the housing boom of the last five years, in the late '90s, many tech and software sales reps were simply sitting back and taking orders rather than polishing their sales skills. The tech industry is heavily driven by experienced and knowledgeable salespeople who sell software packages that can cost in excess of $1 million. Calling on upper level management of some of the world's top companies, software and tech salespeople are usually highly educated and have lots of real-world business experience.

"It's a very different type of sales. You need a business person first with sales skills versus a salesperson first. We're targeting senior vice presidents," says Ray Rike, vice president of sales for Accruent, a real-estate performance management solution provider.

Accruent's new software suite sells for $1 million-plus and is marketed to Fortune 2000 industries. Rike says the company is currently in a boom period and grew 300 percent last year with a sales force that included 10 direct reps in the field, five "solution consultants" who understand the technicalities of the software and five inside salespeople who generate leads. Rike says that companies typically see a three-year term with good salespeople and that only two of his reps have been there longer than a year and a half.

Unlike other industries where reps may be more motivated by company culture and benefits, Rike says that top-performing software salespeople are almost entirely motivated by money. And in this field, the money can be quite big; Rike says a good salesperson with Accruent can make $300,000 to $500,000 per year.

Paul Hill, COO of Clarity Systems, has approximately a dozen inside and outside salespeople in each of 12 geographic regions. The salespeople he tends to hire have been corporate controllers, financial analysts, MBAs and CPAs. In a tough market dominated by big companies such as Microsoft and Oracle, Hill says there is a cannibalization in the market that is constantly putting pressure on retention. As a small company, Clarity appeals to salespeople's entrepreneurial aspirations as part of its retention plan.

Hill says he spends a lot of time making sure the compensation plan is right. He strives to make sure that his salespeople have all the tools they need such as presentations, demonstrations, collateral material, ROI calculators and all the other things they need to do their job. Hill says he fosters an environment where Clarity's salespeople can work independently yet with the full support of the company.

"I see my job as to fundamentally support the salespeople in their pursuit of opportunities. I spend a good portion of my time ensuring that there are sufficient resources to make them more effective."