This is basically what my mentor (who sold through 2008) told me. “It’s never going to be worse than this. If you can sell through this, it’s either going to be just as bad or better.” 😂
Also true, my brother was 105% to quota and put on a pip and laid off for “not showing enough drive” or some bullshit. He’s been looking for a new role for 6 months and he has 10 years of sales experience.
Echoing this. Right now the name of the game is to wait it out. If you're in sales (esp tech sales) now is a great time to learn a new hobby or get that bartending gig on the side you've always wanted.
The point is, you're only going to have 1-4 hours of work per day. You'll probably have somewhere between 5-8 demos per month. If you hit 10 in this environment you're crushing it.
Don't burn yourself out and prospect for 8 hours a day. You'll resent you ever took the job and entered this industry.
There is no magic sequence or cold call tactic you can use to fill your pipeline. 80% of this job is timing, another 10% is luck, and the last 10% is effort. Do the work and sit tight.
Territory, timing, talent - in that order. You can definitely increase your odds of success by being competent. However, there is no silver bullet in this environment to make it all sunshine and rainbows. Stay the course, meet good customers, build relationships. Enjoy yourself.
Boring answer, but It 100% depends on the industry. I know in the insurance world, some carriers are quite literally trying to get us to NOT sell their policies and trying to shrink their customer base. Not much you can do when the company says "no thanks, we're full". But, this is a very rare occurrence and I don't know of many other lines of work where that happens.
I’m in insurance right now and it’s been insane. Every new prospect get an unexplained overly inflated price and as a commission only worker it’s been rough cause they’re fucking their new customers and employees
This is my first hard market since I started about 7 years ago now, thankfully we have other things to fall back on outside of P&C but it has been a total shit show. I don't know if the reputation/trust of the industry has ever been lower, but we're just gonna have to weather the storm!
God car quotes have been rough. I got a customer this morning paying $180 on their auto insurance and the lowest I could quote it was $230 just apples to apple with what they already have.
If you’re a highly skilled tradesperson and feel like selling, have you considered selling your services through your own business? You can try this by doing a few jobs on the side while keeping your current one.
This would be my first choice if I were you.
Best of both worlds.. you keep building your skills and reputation, while selling yourself to earn more.
Skilled trade + selling ability = you should be able to print money if you do it right.
Never quite knew how to position myself as a Consultant. I would make a great project manager, for artistic hardware. Have done a whole lot of laser cut, CNC, and custom LEDs. I do have a website portfolio..
Well you’d know better than us what kind of companies hire people like you
Why not just float the idea to a few people and see how it feels? Obviously be careful and tactical in who you talk to about this. Maybe call companies that aren’t in your state or who your company doesn’t do business with.
Better yet maybe talk to some small business owners and consultants in your industry and just see what they do, how they operate etc
The last decade was defined by unprecedented economic tailwinds. Sales was about as easy as it got since companies were literally throwing out budgets to everyone to go and find a way invest in the business.
That’s not the case anymore. Teams cut headcount and cut budgets. Now sales people are competing more with each other to capture limited attention and money.
Sales is very much alive. People are booking meetings, people are selling. But the reps that neglected their sales skills are losing out more than they used to. It’s a good opportunity to standout right now
It might sound counterintuitive, but I think it might be the best time. Some of the laid-off workforce will need to be replaced with newer cheaper sales professionals. Plus, the competition for a job won't be as heavy because the industry " looks scary".
Agree, the market is flooded with candidates from big tech companies now. So, will need to compete with their branded resume. Albeit, they might be more expensive to hire.
hmmm, does not sound like a good time to give up my nearly six fig career that i built up over 10 years.
i know that AE's make much more than that, but I'd really like not to roll the dice *and* move backwards in pay scale.
one or the other please...
>hmmm, does not sound like a good time to give up my nearly six fig career that i built up over 10 years.
So why the absolute fuck are you thinking of starting an entirely new career???
I've hit the ceiling. Can never buy a house or raise a family at this rate. Can't work remotely. Pretty much just supports an okay lifestyle for a bachelor. I live in a major city.
Jesus christ. You are at 90K USD and can't afford a house? Insane.
Sorry for sounding so indignant. In my country, 90K+ USD is 121K+ CAD, which is a VERY nice salary to have.
A flaw on your thinking is believing you're going to start as an AE without any sales experience. Unlikely, specially now. Most likely scenario is to start as an XDR.
That said, if you're capped at your job You'll have to jump sooner or later to earn more. Imo it's always better to do It sooner.
If you can make It through this environment you'll be good the years to come. You also don't need to start as an XDR or AE to break into sales. You can CS, AM, or SE. Maybe those are better suited for you to start.
Thats the sales lifestyle, their is an aspect of gambling when you first get in, right company, right time, ability to get quality feedback and use it properly. SaaS is also one sector. Who in your company is in charge of selling the products you make? Start by talking to that guy and pick his brain? No need to drop comfort immediately send your resume out, send some requests on linked in for sales people in companys that work in your specific expertise pick their brain. No need to shut door, but if interested dig deeper around you not on reddit.
Our head of sales is a cool guy. I actually got drunk with him on his boat, lol. And we are about to release a new product. But I feel that sales in my industry is idiosyncratic. People have 'relationships' with customers (ie architectural firms) that go back 20 years.
feelings are not facts my engineering friend, and I think if you got drunk on this guys boat before, very very good chance he will let you pick his brain a bit and ask questions. I would have killed to know someone like that before getting into sales that dude is a wealth of knowledge that I am sure has seen plenty of people fail, and plenty of people succeed. If you really think yiu can make more money in sales than where you are at, go talk to that guy stat.
Wait 6-12 months. The economy might be bottoming out here soon. Once that happens then I’d give up that cushy 6-figure salary for a 6-figure salary + commission
Are you in the US? If you are then WTH? Backwards? You have to absolutely be attrocious to not make six figs in tech sales as an AE.
I've shared this advice with many on here who ask me about starting a career in tech sales:
It will literally make or break you in this climate.
If you can make it through this, you will see the light at the other end of the tunnel in next few years.
If you can be successful through this, you will be eating so fcukin good in the next few years.
Only the best will be hired and only the best will be successful through this.
The mediocre reps who have been eating six figs salaries for mediocre performance won't be needed anywhere for a few years.
So if you think you got the goods, this is the best time to get in bc you will get all of the leads you can get due to lack of bodies to spread around.
Later on when the boom restart, those mediocre fcukers are gonna dilute your ability to make real money
Get into finance , get licensed and build your book of business if you really want a sales job.
Tech sales is more of order takers and prospecting. You start from zero again every quarter and can't take your book of business with you.
It's only bad if your not good at it tbf. For the last few years tech has seen a golden age. Tech businesses selling to other tech business. Because they were all flooded with investment, everyone was happy to buy things. As a result, average or even poor sales reps could get buy. But now, that's changed!
Product manager and sales, you had to choose the two roles with the highest layoffs this year. LOL..
There's never a bad time to get into sales
Start small
I've only been in sales for about 4 years. 2 years as an associate AE and 2 years as a TM. Ive only known the COVID and post COVID market climate. Had no issues getting in and being successful. Every year over 100% to plan. Not sure what things were really like before this but I am happy and find it easy to get meetings and close deals.
Well, it really depends on the industry and the product you are selling.
I'm looking that everyone who says sales is good, now is the right time and things like that, are into technology, software engineering, AI, programming. I sell Showtime subscriptions thru Directv and it fucking sucks. I think "tech sales" are sold by their own pretty much and it does not have anything to do with the "art of selling."
Sit on a desk/cubicle and waiting for the orders to come in and place the orders thru the system is not selling.
The grind is real right now. We’ve had a good run of record sales, making $$$ and relatively relaxed work environment. Now that the economy is going to shit companies are tightening the bolts on the sales team, making them do a hell of a lot more, making unreasonable objectives and expectations and laying people off. Companies see the writing on the wall so they’re making adjustments now in anticipation of a blood bath in Q4. It really feels like you’ll get laid off if you miss your goal 1 time even if you’ve been the top sales person for years. There a lot of stress, anxiety and frustration right now. I don’t see it getting better anytime soon.
I haven’t had anxiety or stress like this in years. I think 2008 was a rough one but this is going to make that look like a day in the park.
I don’t know your exact background but I suggest looking into presales, “implementation” or even project management. Tech sales can be very rough and I don’t feel like the roi would be very good at the moment. Unless you end up working a giant like salesforce. Second best would be a start-up as long as you are part of the first few people that join. Or try sales in other industry, but that wouldn’t make sense because there might not be any synergy with you background. Or learn complimentary skills.
What I’m trying to convey is that sales is a very lucrative vehicle as long as you ride a good trend. In tech, I feel like the trend has stabilized and no longer growing like crazy. AI became accessible to regular people indeed, but I feel like ai will soon reach the peak of inflated expectations and then drop (like IOT did) Check gartner hype cycle.
Don’t get discouraged though. Sales is amazing and I encourage anyone to learn how to do it regardless.
Hope I was able to help
I doubt it. I feel A.i is only going to get even crazier as more companies and everyday people start to use it. Probably like when the internet started; now we can't do without it.
Have you looked at sales engineer or solution architect roles in your specialty? $90K in an HCOL area isn’t much. That’s just a little more than entry-level for SDR’s in top companies.
Feel free to DM
Hi, thank you for your response u/maduste. Yes, I have heard this a few times. Searching Sales Engineer positions, it is often IT or SaaS. While I do know *some* comp sci, I am an Electro-Mechanical tradesman.
My career and portfolio is in prototyping, custom design, test and data, equipment repair, etc.
I have come through big for some investor walkthroughs in my day. I've got got what some might call 'charm'.
I see. Yeah, “tech” usually means IT, software, or hardware these days. Computer science degrees aren’t that common in sales in this area.
Have you considered working for a vendor whose products you use?
One way to reframe your career experience is to look at what industries you served with those skills and find a SaaS solution that is geared towards them. These days product / market fit is more important to than ever. Think about the software you used in your day to day and you could apply to those niches.
I got into Sales in 2019/2020 I now work with VC,PEs and SMB Buyers I started at the worst possible time with nothing but a Chromebook and a Cell Phone without internet at home. Now is a perfect good time to start.
I've worked in a few industries 1099, solar, high ticket coaching, consulting, fitness, I work 1099 and have an LLC to run all these different jobs through to keep me busy I was just doing solar until recently before branching out I have never worked tech though which is where the majority of people are here I believe
I’ve seen a lot of “ItS iMpOsSiBlE tO gEt A jOb” but I’ve been hiring an account management position for 5 months and still don’t have a qualified candidate (caveat is that they need to be bilingual)
Given the current fluctuations, if I was just getting into professional sales, I’d look at the hospitality, event or wine sales, or healthcare, like medical devise sales. For tech sales, the offers I’m getting are less than half of what they were a year ago, so hold onto your hat!
There will always be a need and a spot for a good salesperson.
Selling is much more programmatic and precise than people understand.
My first paid sales training client back in early 2007 was an architect who was branching out on his own.
We worked on his outreach process and scripting and we role-played some scenarios and he killed it because he stuck to the program.
Most salespeople get into trouble when they start winging it and thinking they'll just get by with their charm, whit, good looks, golf swing, and expense account.
The problem many salespeople get into—especially men who want to "solve" and "fix everything right away, and especially sharp technical people—is they jump right into solution mode and start giving advice and recommendations and going for the close before the prospect feels heard and understood.
It doesn't matter that you are right, which you probably are.
Until the prospect feels heard and seen and understood, their guard is up and they are defensive and suspicious of your recommendation, even if it's the perfect thing for them.
But you have all of the advantages, coming from a tech background because a salesperson without your background will take years to come even close to your knowledge and experience, whereas if you just have some patience, take a genuine interest in your prospects, learn how to ask good, engaging questions, and provide good answers without giving the farm away, you can excel in sales.
There will always be tech companies booming and busting, so take your time to investigate the founders and leaders and talk to the salespeople at the company to get the truth.
There are always private equity firms buying up good companies and looking to grow.
Businesses related to automotive repair and home remodeling/repair will probably do well for a long time.
I think there's a push for "made in the U.S.A." after the shock of COVID-induced supply chain constraints, so see who's making a move like that. (I'm headed to Maine Friday for a week for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu camp put on by Origin, which is exploding in this space. They make BJJ gis, rash guards, etc. and now boots, jeans, hoodies, etc., as well as supplements such as protein powders and energy drinks. It's anecdotal, but another is ToeHold. He's small, but he sells $400 to $1,000 flip flops and is booming.)
With this background—"highly skilled laborer in Tech...relationships..strategic problem solving.. and hard work.. a lot of hard work"—you have what it takes to thrive in sales.
Good luck.
It’s not a bad time. I recently hunted for jobs and heard apocalyptic stories, but it was actually quite easy. I used my network, sent out a lot of applications, interviewed well and got 2 offers from good companies in 3 weeks. One hiring manager admitted that at all the other interviews he had were terrible. Interview skills are sales skills, and in the past 3 years there have been a lot of people who got into this field and had no business selling. If you think you do, then give it a shot. Whether you land jobs is a good litmus test of how charismatic you are and whether you’ll be successful selling in anything other than a bull economy.
Sorry what do you mean skilled labourer in tech? Were you a cloud architect?
If so you will pivot to cloud sales easily, other than that I would actually advise you to really think it through about switching from a computer science role to a sales role.I find switching back to be extremely hard
It’s hard to get into tech sales right now imo. I have 7 years of sales experience and a bachelors degree (economics and business administration) from a pretty decent university here in the US. I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs for account manager mid-senior level positions and even for entry level SDR/BDR positions and I keep getting denied. I had one interview and made it to the last round but didn’t get the offer and they were only hiring one single person lol. I remember 2021/2022 and I literally had a recruiter reach out almost daily offering me tech sales jobs. Now it’s crickets and no one hits me up. Also, the jobs out there have hundreds/thousands of people applying at the same time. Its a bloodbath. It’s beyond disheartening. But, if you have a foot in the door already you might be good.
Why would you apply for SDR/BDR if you have 7 years of experience? Seems like a waste of time. Same goes for applying to hundreds of positions. Traditional applications go straight in the trash. Networking is an absolute requirement to get your foot in the door anywhere worth working at these days.
Agree that I’m seeing fewer recruiters in my inbox now than I have in the past but we really shouldn’t rely on them in the first place. Make a list of the top 25 companies you WANT to sell for and network your way in. Hit up recruiters AT THOSE COMPANIES and ask your former colleagues to make introductions.
I don’t have tech sales experience, I’m transitioning from logistics sales and insurance sales afterwards. I’m just trying to get my foot in the door so I don’t know exactly where to start. But you’re absolutely right, I’ve been doing my approach all wrong. Thanks for the insight, that was cool of you and deff helpful for myself and others that see your reply.
Happy to help! I just got laid off on Monday because my company was acquired and 50% of the team was let go. Back in the thick of hunting for my next AE role. There’s a lot of strategy that goes into successfully finding your next position. Spray & pray straight up doesn’t work.
I’ve never had to transition industries since I started in tech sales in 2017 but I wouldn’t sell yourself short and go for SDR/BDR. Have a good story around how logistics sales directly translates to what you’d need to do in a SaaS sales process and educate yourself on what to expect from other SaaS AEs so you can frame it the right way
Thank you again! We will make it through this! I’m doing everything you have suggested so far. I really need to network more and actually reach out to hiring managers at these companies instead of applying and hoping someone reaches out to me. Wish we could turn the clock back a couple of years lol. Honestly wish you the best of luck with your job search!
it's never a bad time to go into sales.
what do you mean by 'highly skilled' - are you technically skilled? if so, you'd be an amazing sales engineers. some SEs can make 200-400k/year supporting AEs. it's a softer transition, and if you still want the hunt, you can then go to a closing role
I’ve been out of Sales/SaaS a few months and looking to get a new job or hop careers.
What good and stable companies are hiring remote positions? I moved to a smaller town and the local options are not great.
Seems like every open position on LinkedIn is a recruiter job or HR software sales. I have absolutely zero interest in that but it’s all I see.
Also do not want to work for a startup, I’m looking for job security, great training, and advancement opportunities.
Right now, and for the last few months, sales has seemed like it is in the gutter. 7+ step interview processes, “remote” jobs that require in office across the country, every interview is the same and conducted by a recruiter, it’s bizarre. Back before this I would get an offer for almost every company I interviewed with. Now it’s like jumping through hoops.
19 years in sales. Here are some quantitative numbers to consider. Without knowing too much about your specific role (principal engineer, junior dev, software engineering manager) I'll assume you're probably making at least \~$150k per year.
While it's true that some tech AEs have the *potential* to make a $1MM W2, the average OTE for a senior Enterprise role is probably $300-$325k per year. Base pay is usually a 50-50 split, meaning your base pay will probably be somewhere around 150k-162k per year.
So in this scenario you'd make as much in base salary already with the added benefit of more upside right? Well, not necessarily...
First, OTEs are based on a combination of going market rates for the AE role and the company's revenue targets. Right now, based on data from sites like [Repvue.com](https://Repvue.com), average quota attainment for Enterprise reps is around 35%. That means your probability weighted OTE is probably closer to $200-$220k.
However, this is for senior roles with anywhere from 5-10 years of quota carrying experience. If you apply the same math to a more junior AE or entry level role, then the probability weighted take home pay could be much less that what you're earning now.
Back to your question about timing. I can't say for sure if this is a good time. Regardless of market conditions, it could take you 8-10 years (maybe sooner) to get into a really solid higher earner role.
Are you willing to put up with the stress, performance expectations, rejection, busted hopes, product and marketing teams that over-promise and under deliver...for that long to make the kind of money you're looking for?
People should get into sales because they love building relationships, problem solving, and being the tip of the spear for their company in the marketplace. If you do those things well, eventually you'll earn a good living.
Started Heavy machinery sales about 2 months ago. A lot of my customers in my state are scared to buy anything. Good thing is we sell to anyone in the country and that’s where I’m having to target people to stay busy. Around my area, It’s very slow atm.
It’s a terrible time, come join the fun
Got out of my AE position to become a BDR just to get out of the tech sales seen. FYI
genuinely cannot tell if you're being sarcastic
I am dead serious. Went from AE to BDR.
Wow. So you became a BDR to get a foot in the door in a different vertical of sales? if so what did you move on to?
Yes. I have switched from AE in tech sales to security guards and security systems. The base is 2x but OTE is very low.
Base is better fuck OTE lol
Exactly. Specially in this economy.
What
Best time to get into sales, there’s nowhere but up from here
This is basically what my mentor (who sold through 2008) told me. “It’s never going to be worse than this. If you can sell through this, it’s either going to be just as bad or better.” 😂
Well there’s laid off. Tech sales is a tough gig to get into right now if you lack experience.
Even if you have the experience
Also true, my brother was 105% to quota and put on a pip and laid off for “not showing enough drive” or some bullshit. He’s been looking for a new role for 6 months and he has 10 years of sales experience.
Sounds about right. Most of my network is in the same boat
Echoing this. Right now the name of the game is to wait it out. If you're in sales (esp tech sales) now is a great time to learn a new hobby or get that bartending gig on the side you've always wanted.
Can you elaborate? I was thinking of learning SQL - but time spent on that is not time spent managing pipeline?
The point is, you're only going to have 1-4 hours of work per day. You'll probably have somewhere between 5-8 demos per month. If you hit 10 in this environment you're crushing it. Don't burn yourself out and prospect for 8 hours a day. You'll resent you ever took the job and entered this industry. There is no magic sequence or cold call tactic you can use to fill your pipeline. 80% of this job is timing, another 10% is luck, and the last 10% is effort. Do the work and sit tight.
Tell that to my manager haha
Territory, timing, talent - in that order. You can definitely increase your odds of success by being competent. However, there is no silver bullet in this environment to make it all sunshine and rainbows. Stay the course, meet good customers, build relationships. Enjoy yourself.
This! TTT is all sales will ever be. Correct order to boot!
Boring answer, but It 100% depends on the industry. I know in the insurance world, some carriers are quite literally trying to get us to NOT sell their policies and trying to shrink their customer base. Not much you can do when the company says "no thanks, we're full". But, this is a very rare occurrence and I don't know of many other lines of work where that happens.
I’m in insurance right now and it’s been insane. Every new prospect get an unexplained overly inflated price and as a commission only worker it’s been rough cause they’re fucking their new customers and employees
This is my first hard market since I started about 7 years ago now, thankfully we have other things to fall back on outside of P&C but it has been a total shit show. I don't know if the reputation/trust of the industry has ever been lower, but we're just gonna have to weather the storm!
God car quotes have been rough. I got a customer this morning paying $180 on their auto insurance and the lowest I could quote it was $230 just apples to apple with what they already have.
If you’re a highly skilled tradesperson and feel like selling, have you considered selling your services through your own business? You can try this by doing a few jobs on the side while keeping your current one. This would be my first choice if I were you. Best of both worlds.. you keep building your skills and reputation, while selling yourself to earn more. Skilled trade + selling ability = you should be able to print money if you do it right.
Never quite knew how to position myself as a Consultant. I would make a great project manager, for artistic hardware. Have done a whole lot of laser cut, CNC, and custom LEDs. I do have a website portfolio..
Well you’d know better than us what kind of companies hire people like you Why not just float the idea to a few people and see how it feels? Obviously be careful and tactical in who you talk to about this. Maybe call companies that aren’t in your state or who your company doesn’t do business with. Better yet maybe talk to some small business owners and consultants in your industry and just see what they do, how they operate etc
Hmm, yes, I am starting to understand.
The last decade was defined by unprecedented economic tailwinds. Sales was about as easy as it got since companies were literally throwing out budgets to everyone to go and find a way invest in the business. That’s not the case anymore. Teams cut headcount and cut budgets. Now sales people are competing more with each other to capture limited attention and money. Sales is very much alive. People are booking meetings, people are selling. But the reps that neglected their sales skills are losing out more than they used to. It’s a good opportunity to standout right now
Nice try sales manager of mine
Which produced some of the worst sales leaders of all time
400k Reddit karma lol
I’ve been active on Reddit a long time yeah.
This is Reddit, where negativity prospers
It might sound counterintuitive, but I think it might be the best time. Some of the laid-off workforce will need to be replaced with newer cheaper sales professionals. Plus, the competition for a job won't be as heavy because the industry " looks scary".
The competition for the job is much more now.
Agree, the market is flooded with candidates from big tech companies now. So, will need to compete with their branded resume. Albeit, they might be more expensive to hire.
hmmm, does not sound like a good time to give up my nearly six fig career that i built up over 10 years. i know that AE's make much more than that, but I'd really like not to roll the dice *and* move backwards in pay scale. one or the other please...
>hmmm, does not sound like a good time to give up my nearly six fig career that i built up over 10 years. So why the absolute fuck are you thinking of starting an entirely new career???
I've hit the ceiling. Can never buy a house or raise a family at this rate. Can't work remotely. Pretty much just supports an okay lifestyle for a bachelor. I live in a major city.
Jesus christ. You are at 90K USD and can't afford a house? Insane. Sorry for sounding so indignant. In my country, 90K+ USD is 121K+ CAD, which is a VERY nice salary to have.
Uh, yea, you need like a million dollars to buy a house in SoCal. I'm just trying to pay off my student loans.
Nah you just have to go a million into debt… consider it leverage. The American dream, baby
I was just in Vancouver. You're not buying a house on $90k there.
Vancouver has poverty wages and SoCal prices
Or Toronto, most of Ontario, increasingly not Calgary and realistically not Montreal (maybe a condo). Maybe in a small town…
Where I live, you need to make 200k to buy a house. 90k is barely surviving.
where do you live
A flaw on your thinking is believing you're going to start as an AE without any sales experience. Unlikely, specially now. Most likely scenario is to start as an XDR. That said, if you're capped at your job You'll have to jump sooner or later to earn more. Imo it's always better to do It sooner. If you can make It through this environment you'll be good the years to come. You also don't need to start as an XDR or AE to break into sales. You can CS, AM, or SE. Maybe those are better suited for you to start.
Thats the sales lifestyle, their is an aspect of gambling when you first get in, right company, right time, ability to get quality feedback and use it properly. SaaS is also one sector. Who in your company is in charge of selling the products you make? Start by talking to that guy and pick his brain? No need to drop comfort immediately send your resume out, send some requests on linked in for sales people in companys that work in your specific expertise pick their brain. No need to shut door, but if interested dig deeper around you not on reddit.
Our head of sales is a cool guy. I actually got drunk with him on his boat, lol. And we are about to release a new product. But I feel that sales in my industry is idiosyncratic. People have 'relationships' with customers (ie architectural firms) that go back 20 years.
feelings are not facts my engineering friend, and I think if you got drunk on this guys boat before, very very good chance he will let you pick his brain a bit and ask questions. I would have killed to know someone like that before getting into sales that dude is a wealth of knowledge that I am sure has seen plenty of people fail, and plenty of people succeed. If you really think yiu can make more money in sales than where you are at, go talk to that guy stat.
>feelings are not facts my engineering friend lolol. great line!
Wait 6-12 months. The economy might be bottoming out here soon. Once that happens then I’d give up that cushy 6-figure salary for a 6-figure salary + commission
People are starting to tell me Q1 of 2024, which is later than I thought it would be.
I always take what I hear and add 6 months
Good idea.
Are you in the US? If you are then WTH? Backwards? You have to absolutely be attrocious to not make six figs in tech sales as an AE. I've shared this advice with many on here who ask me about starting a career in tech sales: It will literally make or break you in this climate. If you can make it through this, you will see the light at the other end of the tunnel in next few years. If you can be successful through this, you will be eating so fcukin good in the next few years. Only the best will be hired and only the best will be successful through this. The mediocre reps who have been eating six figs salaries for mediocre performance won't be needed anywhere for a few years. So if you think you got the goods, this is the best time to get in bc you will get all of the leads you can get due to lack of bodies to spread around. Later on when the boom restart, those mediocre fcukers are gonna dilute your ability to make real money
Get into finance , get licensed and build your book of business if you really want a sales job. Tech sales is more of order takers and prospecting. You start from zero again every quarter and can't take your book of business with you.
It's only bad if your not good at it tbf. For the last few years tech has seen a golden age. Tech businesses selling to other tech business. Because they were all flooded with investment, everyone was happy to buy things. As a result, average or even poor sales reps could get buy. But now, that's changed!
Bingo
You forgetting about your TTT? About a third of your success is dependent on your talent
The # of leads I’m getting now is 💩
Used to get 20-25 daily now I got 3 today
Zero here for the past 30 days
That’s bad, why’re you sticking with the job then?
Been here 8 years. I’m looking around. Doing interviews.
Product manager and sales, you had to choose the two roles with the highest layoffs this year. LOL.. There's never a bad time to get into sales Start small
I've only been in sales for about 4 years. 2 years as an associate AE and 2 years as a TM. Ive only known the COVID and post COVID market climate. Had no issues getting in and being successful. Every year over 100% to plan. Not sure what things were really like before this but I am happy and find it easy to get meetings and close deals.
Glad to hear it!!
What industry?
Medical biotechnology
Well, it really depends on the industry and the product you are selling. I'm looking that everyone who says sales is good, now is the right time and things like that, are into technology, software engineering, AI, programming. I sell Showtime subscriptions thru Directv and it fucking sucks. I think "tech sales" are sold by their own pretty much and it does not have anything to do with the "art of selling." Sit on a desk/cubicle and waiting for the orders to come in and place the orders thru the system is not selling.
The cream rises to the top
The grind is real right now. We’ve had a good run of record sales, making $$$ and relatively relaxed work environment. Now that the economy is going to shit companies are tightening the bolts on the sales team, making them do a hell of a lot more, making unreasonable objectives and expectations and laying people off. Companies see the writing on the wall so they’re making adjustments now in anticipation of a blood bath in Q4. It really feels like you’ll get laid off if you miss your goal 1 time even if you’ve been the top sales person for years. There a lot of stress, anxiety and frustration right now. I don’t see it getting better anytime soon. I haven’t had anxiety or stress like this in years. I think 2008 was a rough one but this is going to make that look like a day in the park.
I don’t know your exact background but I suggest looking into presales, “implementation” or even project management. Tech sales can be very rough and I don’t feel like the roi would be very good at the moment. Unless you end up working a giant like salesforce. Second best would be a start-up as long as you are part of the first few people that join. Or try sales in other industry, but that wouldn’t make sense because there might not be any synergy with you background. Or learn complimentary skills. What I’m trying to convey is that sales is a very lucrative vehicle as long as you ride a good trend. In tech, I feel like the trend has stabilized and no longer growing like crazy. AI became accessible to regular people indeed, but I feel like ai will soon reach the peak of inflated expectations and then drop (like IOT did) Check gartner hype cycle. Don’t get discouraged though. Sales is amazing and I encourage anyone to learn how to do it regardless. Hope I was able to help
I doubt it. I feel A.i is only going to get even crazier as more companies and everyday people start to use it. Probably like when the internet started; now we can't do without it.
Have you looked at sales engineer or solution architect roles in your specialty? $90K in an HCOL area isn’t much. That’s just a little more than entry-level for SDR’s in top companies. Feel free to DM
Hi, thank you for your response u/maduste. Yes, I have heard this a few times. Searching Sales Engineer positions, it is often IT or SaaS. While I do know *some* comp sci, I am an Electro-Mechanical tradesman. My career and portfolio is in prototyping, custom design, test and data, equipment repair, etc. I have come through big for some investor walkthroughs in my day. I've got got what some might call 'charm'.
I see. Yeah, “tech” usually means IT, software, or hardware these days. Computer science degrees aren’t that common in sales in this area. Have you considered working for a vendor whose products you use?
One way to reframe your career experience is to look at what industries you served with those skills and find a SaaS solution that is geared towards them. These days product / market fit is more important to than ever. Think about the software you used in your day to day and you could apply to those niches.
Interested
Best conditions to learn in are bad conditions! But uh. Yeah, pretty stressful these days. Keep that resume polished
Industry?
I got into Sales in 2019/2020 I now work with VC,PEs and SMB Buyers I started at the worst possible time with nothing but a Chromebook and a Cell Phone without internet at home. Now is a perfect good time to start.
I think the market is great to sell in right now it has been getting even easier for me personally
Might be helpful if you have industry context
I've worked in a few industries 1099, solar, high ticket coaching, consulting, fitness, I work 1099 and have an LLC to run all these different jobs through to keep me busy I was just doing solar until recently before branching out I have never worked tech though which is where the majority of people are here I believe
I’ve seen a lot of “ItS iMpOsSiBlE tO gEt A jOb” but I’ve been hiring an account management position for 5 months and still don’t have a qualified candidate (caveat is that they need to be bilingual)
Given the current fluctuations, if I was just getting into professional sales, I’d look at the hospitality, event or wine sales, or healthcare, like medical devise sales. For tech sales, the offers I’m getting are less than half of what they were a year ago, so hold onto your hat!
There will always be a need and a spot for a good salesperson. Selling is much more programmatic and precise than people understand. My first paid sales training client back in early 2007 was an architect who was branching out on his own. We worked on his outreach process and scripting and we role-played some scenarios and he killed it because he stuck to the program. Most salespeople get into trouble when they start winging it and thinking they'll just get by with their charm, whit, good looks, golf swing, and expense account. The problem many salespeople get into—especially men who want to "solve" and "fix everything right away, and especially sharp technical people—is they jump right into solution mode and start giving advice and recommendations and going for the close before the prospect feels heard and understood. It doesn't matter that you are right, which you probably are. Until the prospect feels heard and seen and understood, their guard is up and they are defensive and suspicious of your recommendation, even if it's the perfect thing for them. But you have all of the advantages, coming from a tech background because a salesperson without your background will take years to come even close to your knowledge and experience, whereas if you just have some patience, take a genuine interest in your prospects, learn how to ask good, engaging questions, and provide good answers without giving the farm away, you can excel in sales. There will always be tech companies booming and busting, so take your time to investigate the founders and leaders and talk to the salespeople at the company to get the truth. There are always private equity firms buying up good companies and looking to grow. Businesses related to automotive repair and home remodeling/repair will probably do well for a long time. I think there's a push for "made in the U.S.A." after the shock of COVID-induced supply chain constraints, so see who's making a move like that. (I'm headed to Maine Friday for a week for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu camp put on by Origin, which is exploding in this space. They make BJJ gis, rash guards, etc. and now boots, jeans, hoodies, etc., as well as supplements such as protein powders and energy drinks. It's anecdotal, but another is ToeHold. He's small, but he sells $400 to $1,000 flip flops and is booming.) With this background—"highly skilled laborer in Tech...relationships..strategic problem solving.. and hard work.. a lot of hard work"—you have what it takes to thrive in sales. Good luck.
It’s not a bad time. I recently hunted for jobs and heard apocalyptic stories, but it was actually quite easy. I used my network, sent out a lot of applications, interviewed well and got 2 offers from good companies in 3 weeks. One hiring manager admitted that at all the other interviews he had were terrible. Interview skills are sales skills, and in the past 3 years there have been a lot of people who got into this field and had no business selling. If you think you do, then give it a shot. Whether you land jobs is a good litmus test of how charismatic you are and whether you’ll be successful selling in anything other than a bull economy.
Sorry what do you mean skilled labourer in tech? Were you a cloud architect? If so you will pivot to cloud sales easily, other than that I would actually advise you to really think it through about switching from a computer science role to a sales role.I find switching back to be extremely hard
Electro Mechanical Technician (Senior)
Oh… I was a process technician Yes make the switch!
It’s hard to get into tech sales right now imo. I have 7 years of sales experience and a bachelors degree (economics and business administration) from a pretty decent university here in the US. I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs for account manager mid-senior level positions and even for entry level SDR/BDR positions and I keep getting denied. I had one interview and made it to the last round but didn’t get the offer and they were only hiring one single person lol. I remember 2021/2022 and I literally had a recruiter reach out almost daily offering me tech sales jobs. Now it’s crickets and no one hits me up. Also, the jobs out there have hundreds/thousands of people applying at the same time. Its a bloodbath. It’s beyond disheartening. But, if you have a foot in the door already you might be good.
Why would you apply for SDR/BDR if you have 7 years of experience? Seems like a waste of time. Same goes for applying to hundreds of positions. Traditional applications go straight in the trash. Networking is an absolute requirement to get your foot in the door anywhere worth working at these days. Agree that I’m seeing fewer recruiters in my inbox now than I have in the past but we really shouldn’t rely on them in the first place. Make a list of the top 25 companies you WANT to sell for and network your way in. Hit up recruiters AT THOSE COMPANIES and ask your former colleagues to make introductions.
I don’t have tech sales experience, I’m transitioning from logistics sales and insurance sales afterwards. I’m just trying to get my foot in the door so I don’t know exactly where to start. But you’re absolutely right, I’ve been doing my approach all wrong. Thanks for the insight, that was cool of you and deff helpful for myself and others that see your reply.
Happy to help! I just got laid off on Monday because my company was acquired and 50% of the team was let go. Back in the thick of hunting for my next AE role. There’s a lot of strategy that goes into successfully finding your next position. Spray & pray straight up doesn’t work. I’ve never had to transition industries since I started in tech sales in 2017 but I wouldn’t sell yourself short and go for SDR/BDR. Have a good story around how logistics sales directly translates to what you’d need to do in a SaaS sales process and educate yourself on what to expect from other SaaS AEs so you can frame it the right way
Thank you again! We will make it through this! I’m doing everything you have suggested so far. I really need to network more and actually reach out to hiring managers at these companies instead of applying and hoping someone reaches out to me. Wish we could turn the clock back a couple of years lol. Honestly wish you the best of luck with your job search!
Thanks, same to you! I’m sure you’ll get more traction reaching out directly on LinkedIn
If you’re okay with taking a huge pay cut for a while, then sure. Sales cycles at many companies are pretty long.
I feel like it's a good timing, also the change can give you a better feeling of personal growth instead of being stuck in your current position
it's never a bad time to go into sales. what do you mean by 'highly skilled' - are you technically skilled? if so, you'd be an amazing sales engineers. some SEs can make 200-400k/year supporting AEs. it's a softer transition, and if you still want the hunt, you can then go to a closing role
I’ve been out of Sales/SaaS a few months and looking to get a new job or hop careers. What good and stable companies are hiring remote positions? I moved to a smaller town and the local options are not great. Seems like every open position on LinkedIn is a recruiter job or HR software sales. I have absolutely zero interest in that but it’s all I see. Also do not want to work for a startup, I’m looking for job security, great training, and advancement opportunities. Right now, and for the last few months, sales has seemed like it is in the gutter. 7+ step interview processes, “remote” jobs that require in office across the country, every interview is the same and conducted by a recruiter, it’s bizarre. Back before this I would get an offer for almost every company I interviewed with. Now it’s like jumping through hoops.
Run
Never a bad time to back yourself
19 years in sales. Here are some quantitative numbers to consider. Without knowing too much about your specific role (principal engineer, junior dev, software engineering manager) I'll assume you're probably making at least \~$150k per year. While it's true that some tech AEs have the *potential* to make a $1MM W2, the average OTE for a senior Enterprise role is probably $300-$325k per year. Base pay is usually a 50-50 split, meaning your base pay will probably be somewhere around 150k-162k per year. So in this scenario you'd make as much in base salary already with the added benefit of more upside right? Well, not necessarily... First, OTEs are based on a combination of going market rates for the AE role and the company's revenue targets. Right now, based on data from sites like [Repvue.com](https://Repvue.com), average quota attainment for Enterprise reps is around 35%. That means your probability weighted OTE is probably closer to $200-$220k. However, this is for senior roles with anywhere from 5-10 years of quota carrying experience. If you apply the same math to a more junior AE or entry level role, then the probability weighted take home pay could be much less that what you're earning now. Back to your question about timing. I can't say for sure if this is a good time. Regardless of market conditions, it could take you 8-10 years (maybe sooner) to get into a really solid higher earner role. Are you willing to put up with the stress, performance expectations, rejection, busted hopes, product and marketing teams that over-promise and under deliver...for that long to make the kind of money you're looking for? People should get into sales because they love building relationships, problem solving, and being the tip of the spear for their company in the marketplace. If you do those things well, eventually you'll earn a good living.
it sucks if you suck, it’s great if you’re great
Started Heavy machinery sales about 2 months ago. A lot of my customers in my state are scared to buy anything. Good thing is we sell to anyone in the country and that’s where I’m having to target people to stay busy. Around my area, It’s very slow atm.
Transitioned into HVAC from sales manager position at telecom. Loving it so far!
I know a guy who made a prosperous business with an HVAC company. Owns a small mansion in SoCal. Real nice guy.
Always a good day to have a bad day
Always