Sales in a Nutshell - A Very Short Story Sales and Selling |
- Sales in a Nutshell - A Very Short Story
- My story with sales and alcoholism. A cautionary tale.
- Haven't been able to share many other places - my small success story from the past ~1.5 years
- What would be that ONE sales tip that'll lift someone's mood today?
- I finally broke into SaaS B2B sales!
- Where can I get quick highlights of recent sports news without actually having to watch games/pay attention?
- Just had " the talk" with my sales manager about my performance this month. I need to resign and I feel like a huge failure at the age of 30. Huge anxiety and feeling sick.
- SDR to AE growing pains
- Quota raised by nearly 60% - how to handle?
- Screw Docusign!
- Offer to go into sales
- Working for LinkedIn . Experience
- Books that paint a vivid picture of what it’s like to be in sales?
- First Sdr interview
- Is it worth getting into sales while starting as a sales advisor?
- Breaking into tech sales from entrepreneurship
- Sales to consulting agencies.
- What kind of calculator do you use?
- Impostor Syndrome
- Real Estate Wholesale
- Moving from auto to B2B.
- What can I do about my AE’s selling restrictions?
- Selling to nonprofits
- If anyone wants to practice interview for a Sales Role I'm happy to help and looking to practice some of my answers too
- Prospects! In Dire Need!
| Sales in a Nutshell - A Very Short Story Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:11 AM PST Here I am, beating myself up about how this job might not be for me. I decide, hey, I'm going to update my resume and apply to some jobs. As I am typing, I receive a call from a huge prospect I've been working on for 3 months giving me the go ahead paperwork for this quarter. [link] [comments] |
| My story with sales and alcoholism. A cautionary tale. Posted: 08 Feb 2022 08:05 PM PST So a recent post here just kinda struck a chord with me. And I appreciate the OP for bringing it up and having the courage to talk about. I felt like I had a lot to talk about here, so I figured I'd make a new post about it. This is long, and there's no TLDR. A few of you have read some of my posts here, and I'm grateful for it. But I never spoke about an issue that took nearly half of my career and nearly my life from me. Figured now was as good a time as ever. I started in sales at the age of 18 and was always pretty shy and suffered w/ social anxiety. When I started, I was around a lot other older guys, and guys that drank a lot. And I always wanted to fit in with the older, "cooler" guys who were making a lot of money. So I started drinking, but nothing too crazy. Maybe one or two drinks every few months, and honestly, I didn't even like it. A couple of years later, I'm drinking every Friday after work. The buzz eventually felt great after I got used to it. I was more sociable, and I thought to myself, damn, this feels pretty good - let me try this during work. So one day, I went to lunch and got a couple of drinks. Come back to the office feeling great and I close a few deals. I felt loose, got rid of my social anxiety, and felt like I could talk to anybody. It was amazing for a kid growing up shy and with social anxiety. That's when it hit me. Drinking is fucking awesome & this is my shortcut to millions and people loving me. So I started drinking more and more and more. Eventually, it went from taking longer lunch breaks, then leaving the office randomly to my apartment (at this point I lived a few blocks from where I worked) and having a few shots, to taking even longer breaks to drink, then coming in late often because I was hungover as hell. But I still performed, and so everything was great. (And honestly, I never performed any better when I was drunk or drinking, I just thought I did.) Wasn't until maybe 1-2 years later though, that I started to feel the real negative effects. And this is all looking back at it, because back then, I still didn't know why I felt so bad. My anxiety was through the roof, nearly every day. I thought everyone was out to get me. Thought the owner of the biz wanted to fuck me over - even though he loved me. Thought my clients would stop working with me, even though they loved me. But eventually, I got to the point where I couldn't even speak to anyone again without drinking because of that anxiety. And again, looking back at all this, it happened so fast - Within just 2 to 3 years from when I first thought drinking was so great. A really simple problem gave me so much anxiety that I would have to go to the liquor store, spend $15 on a pint and tell myself I'll have a sip of it and THEN deal with the problem. But in reality, I end up finishing the whole thing, wasting my time getting drunk and don't even make the damn call. The next day I wake up feeling like crap, guilty, bloated, and anxious, and the call is still on my mind, and so I repeat the process. So shortly after all that, I end up getting arrested for a DWI. I also made a lot of bad financial decisions during this time that left me with terrible credit and six figures in debt. I thought my life was over, and this was rock bottom - and it sucked. So what do I do? 3 years after that I get a second DWI and get into an even worse financial position. And my second DWI was actually an attempt to end my life. Yup. Those few drinks I had that made me believe I was a better salesperson ended up with me trying to kill myself in about 5 years. Didn't happen, obviously. No one was hurt either, and for that, I'm forever grateful. But what happened after that changed my life. I was forced to do 2x weekly check-ins at outpatient rehab, and I can honestly say that it saved my life. The first couple of months fucking sucked. I couldn't drive so I had to take cab/uber/subway, miss a ton of time from work, and spend more money than I had. Secondly, I didn't close any deals. I honestly couldn't even think about selling or speaking to clients or prospects or w/e. But I still showed up because I had no choice. It was court-mandated and I would get arrested, again, if I was caught drinking. But lemme tell you, after the first few months - the next 4 months, I felt like I regained ALL of the confidence that I had before I ever took my first sip of alcohol. The anxiety that I thought I had - was completely gone. Realized it came all from alcohol. I wasn't phased by a thing. Literally, all the fears/anxiety about performance at my job were completely gone, but the best part is - I was doing better than ever. I was closing bigger deals, getting more deals, and my confidence was sky-high. I was doing things that I NEVER thought was possible without alcohol. I realized that doing my job without alcohol was basically like living life on easy mode. Things just became so fucking easy. I wasn't scared anymore. SO If you REALLY feel like you need to drink and you can't do sales without drinking, please quit sales or seek help. Nothing wrong with either. There are TONS of ways to make money in life, and there's also a reason therapists exist. I never thought my drinking was a problem, even when I tried to kill myself. Crazy thing is - I was always good at what I did. I was always a top performer. But the alcohol made me think I was GREAT (even when it made me sound like shit). I know this was super long. If you read it, I appreciate it. This was cathartic for me to write. Please use my story as an example of why not to start relying on alcohol in sales. It won't end well. I'm only 33 now. But I felt like a majority of my adult life was completely wasted. There was about 7 years of my life that were absolute shit for me because of alcohol. One last thing I wanted to say. After 3-4 months of being sober, I learned how to think normally again, and the really fucked up financial situation I was in, that I thought I would never recover from, I did. And I did it in 2 years when I thought I would never be able to do it. I know sales is hard, but don't rely on alcohol to help you get to where you wanna be. Life (and your business) is so much better without it. :) [link] [comments] |
| Haven't been able to share many other places - my small success story from the past ~1.5 years Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:41 AM PST Hello all! Wanted to share this. I wanted to transition into sales from the manual-labor field. Got hired as a SDR for a small startup early 2021. Throughout the course of the year, I loved sales. Became #1 on the SDR team and even got some processes I thought of implemented into the companies flow. My goal was to become an AE. Fast forward a year after my start date, got headhunted and recruited for an Enterprise AE position at a company in the same vertical, but quite a bit larger. My space is a bit unique, so the transferrable skills are sought after. My base is now higher than my SDR OTE, and my current OTE is in the low-mid six figures. ($45k/$70k --> $80k/$140k) A year ago I had no savings and was constantly stressed about money. Now I have $30k in savings and will be able to add even more to that as I work at this new job. Super happy and excited to keep going. Age 23, no college degree, no professional experience other than simple labor / store jobs in the past. [link] [comments] |
| What would be that ONE sales tip that'll lift someone's mood today? Posted: 09 Feb 2022 09:12 AM PST Just one sales tip or advice that can bring a smile or hope to a demotivated seller. [link] [comments] |
| I finally broke into SaaS B2B sales! Posted: 08 Feb 2022 09:38 PM PST I am a 27 female coming from insurance sales. Decided to move to software. My new position is a remote Business Development Representative at 70k base plus uncapped commission. I've been pursuing this new venture for almost two months. Out of over 200 applicants, I got 1 out of 3 of the available BDR positions they had to offer, with no experience, no degree, and with a quick glance of my resume, you'd think I'm a job hopper (which I am in some capacity).. I'm going to put the steps I think got me the job, since I would constantly look on Reddit for advice. Step one: I filled out a massive amount of applications within the last two months. Easily over 200. I got rejected sooooo many times. I kept going to interviews and getting multiple denial letters. I was going to 8-10 interviews weekly. It got to the point that filling out applications was a hobby. I applied for every remote BDR, SDR, and Account Executive position I came across, regardless of required qualifications. I knew eventually, I would get a yes, so I stayed motivated, learned from my no's and looked forward to the yes', like you have to do in any sales position. Step two: With the job that finally said yes, I researched the software intensely before the interviews. During the interview, I broke down the software to the interviewers and showed them I was dedicated by going into great details. I explained it, provided the system names, what they did, how they did it, and how it benefits other businesses. I knew the name of the CEO, when they were founded, why they were founded, how many employees they have, and exactly how I could benefit their company. Everything they was planning to teach me about the software, I already knew. When I had my 4th interview with the VP of Sales over the company, and he said "so you're the expert I've heard so much about".. I knew I had the job. Good luck. Hope this helps. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:25 PM PST I'd like to be able to hold my own in small talk about football and basketball matches. Currently, I don't pay too much attention to sports. What's a good source that will tell me about how I should feel about recent matches/local team news/March Madness, without needing to pay too much attention? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2022 10:23 PM PST No idea why. I just have no more interest in pursuing sales or chasing money. But I feel like a massive failure at 30 but have no direction of where to go. First time in my life where I feel like I have lost confidence in my own abilities. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:37 PM PST Hey all, I just got promoted from SDR to AE, and since I'm the first to do that in our company, there isn't any structure designed to onboard those folks without any AE experience. It's just a lot of, "Hey learn this and the board for it is on Thursday." Between learning how to pitch, disco, and demo within two weeks, I'm officially on the struggle bus and it's obvious. I have the personality and work ethic for the role, but not the instincts Ive noticed from the others that are onboarding with me. Any one have any advice or a pep-talk that'll help before I fall too far behind and wrapped up in my self-doubt? [link] [comments] |
| Quota raised by nearly 60% - how to handle? Posted: 08 Feb 2022 06:57 PM PST Top performer in my company pretty much every year. They pay me a lot. Quota was jacked up by nearly 60% this year. Are they trying to get me to quit? Why would they do that? Others have seen an increase but nowhere near 60% Is this a form of claw back? Paycheck management? There is ZERO chance I hit the number and it will result in a significant pay cut. What should I be thinking? Has anyone else seen this? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2022 05:34 PM PST This is really just a rant post because I'm having to rush home from dinner because I can't send a contract out through the mobile app. I'm so mad though rn because I WAS having a nice night out. Had setup the contract earlier today on my computer and everything was good to go but just was waiting on the green light from my champion so I could send to their boss. Downloaded the app and logged in before I left the apt so all I had to was open it and hit send. Well guess what, I keep getting an error saying some fields in my form aren't supported by the app. Wtf? Ok so I'll just open it in my phones browser.. Nope mobile site. K, I'll just force the desktop version. NOPE their website detects I'm on my phone and prompts me to use the app since it's SUPER CONVENIENT ON THE GO FML…. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:01 AM PST Hopefully I'm posting in the right spot. I've been an hvac tech for about 5 years now and I've been offered a sales position at another company. Details of the new position would include:
Is this a good offer or should I look elsewhere? Ive been really interested in sales. Very charismatic and I enjoy interacting with customers and I already sell quite a bit as a service tech with agreements and leads. Should I take the offer or should I keep searching ? My current pay is about 60k for the year [link] [comments] |
| Working for LinkedIn . Experience Posted: 09 Feb 2022 09:51 AM PST Hi all Been approached by the company to work for them. I am looking for a new position after 10 years with the same company. Software sales. Money is basically the same , slightly more by like 2k. Normally I wouldn't entertain the offer but I am assured targets are very very achievable and all sales over achieve ( I take that with a pinch of salt) obviously I always aim to over achieve. Any experience working for them.. love to hear your view. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Books that paint a vivid picture of what it’s like to be in sales? Posted: 09 Feb 2022 01:29 PM PST I'm currently considering a career in sales and am finding myself obsessively thinking about it for large parts of my day. Been working my way through some of the more learning based books recommended in this sub, but I'd love to mix in something more anecdotal. Maybe a biography or even something fictional. Do any of you guys have recommendations for a book that portrays vividly the daily interactions of a salesperson? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 01:25 PM PST Hey I have my first Sdr interview later today and I am a little nervous. This is my time to kick start my career. What would you guys advice me to do in this interview process. [link] [comments] |
| Is it worth getting into sales while starting as a sales advisor? Posted: 09 Feb 2022 01:14 PM PST I've always loved the corporate world. Sales, marketing and advertising. I have experience in the last two. But would I be able to get a career in sales if I start as a sales advisor? Or would I need something better like representative? [link] [comments] |
| Breaking into tech sales from entrepreneurship Posted: 09 Feb 2022 01:10 PM PST Currently looking into tech sales, and doing tons of research. I have previous AE experience, but I'm wondering if I'd be at a disadvantage by having entrepreneurship as most recent experience on my resume. Anyone have experience breaking into the industry, going from entrepreneurship to tech sales? Did companies see this as a pro or con? If seen as a con, how did you position yourself to help you get in? Also, any other advice would be helpful. It seems the best way to break in would be to start as a BDR, then work your way to AE. Does this apply if you already have non-SaaS AE experience? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:23 PM PST Hi all, there is some product, SaaS, good for consulting, so they can build cool stuff for their client. Please rate / help to improve idea. ---- - hello, how much would cost your consulting for me and I am not sure what service to choose for my current query / challenge. - ****! ****! ***? - Well I need advice/strategy/whatever how to sell my product to agencies like yours. It's a SaaS which is doing such a cool stuff and will improve your service so much, so what would you suggest and how much may it cost. - ehm... eh... please share your contacts and someone from our team suggest what would be the best fit for you. ***** When / if they contact back - it's a second chance to pitch and convince to sign up / try, BTW their offer is going to be tenderly avoided. So what do you think, how much is naive/obvious/annoying such approach? Scenario above unintentionally happened with me just minutes ago (with no back contact yet), so I am thinking to try it again. [link] [comments] |
| What kind of calculator do you use? Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:19 PM PST What calculator do you use at your desk and what type of sales are you in? How did you come to this device? I use the TI-83 Plus graphing calculator I sell hardware and software to mid to large enterprises. I started using this in high school in the early 2000s. It has been a main stay on my desk as a sales professional since 2007. This calculator is way more than I need. However, I like it because I can see all the prior calculations and make calculations off of the previous solutions easily. I know how to use it but I wish there was a smaller version; I never use the graphing functions. It does take up a lot of room on my desk and maybe it is time for a change. However, I've made a lot of money with the help of this machine. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:25 AM PST Started a new position, I've been in sales for 8 years, it's now halfway through the first quarter and I haven't sold a single deal and I have 3 opps in my pipeline. I'm losing my mind a little bit because I have never had this bad of a start and I feel like I may have just been extremely lucky over the entirety of my career and I'm not actually a good sales rep. Has anyone else hit this wall before? Any tips/advice? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 11:02 AM PST Anyone work in the industry that has advice for someone looking to get into it? I work in high volume tech sales now, but have a background in real estate and a Realtors license. Wonder about barriers to entry, overhead costs, things that most people struggle with getting started, etc. Any advice is appreciated!! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:52 AM PST I'm currently working on moving from automotive sales to B2B sales. I've been in contact with a couple of companies about SDR positions. One of the companies wants to move forward with the interview process after going through their screening. What tends to be standard interview process? They want to setup two back to back hour long interviews with managers at their office in my area. My interview for the car sales position I was in was only one in person interview with a single manager and that lasted about thirty minutes. [link] [comments] |
| What can I do about my AE’s selling restrictions? Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:37 AM PST I've been working with a SaaS company as an SDR for about a year now (maybe more) I was originally selling our product in our chemicals vertical with immense success (over 200% to quota 3 quarters in a row) and have recently shifted verticals due to a company partnership. I work the food and CPG vertical now and I feel like I am not getting the support or even access I need in order to do my job effectively from my AE. For context I've been with him since late December and have asked for an account list since our initial meeting. To date he has allowed me to work 3 of his over 100 accounts which frankly is not enough for anyone to hit quota. Currently I'm creating as many opportunities as possible with what I have, but my AE is not communicating with me on what I am currently working so all the learnings, research, or previous conversations we've had with prospects is being sourced or found by myself despite asking and getting no response. I've brought this up to my Manager and had a sit down with the 3 of us, the conclusion is the three of us are now meeting with our SVP in sales to sort out the issue. My concern is because my AE has large deals in process (J&J, PepsiCo, Molson Coors) that my SVP will do nothing and I will be stuck with a dried up pipeline. How can I make a compelling argument for my SVP in order to get the support or accounts needed to succeed? Open to all feedback, and thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:34 AM PST I work primarily with nonprofits, property and casualty insurance broker, but I am trying to make the jump from small / midsize organizations, under $1M revenue to $3M in revenue, to larger ones. All of my clients are pretty localized so in addition to getting in front of larger accounts I want to be working with ones that have much larger footprints. What can those that sell in the nonprofit space tell me about how they want to be sold to? Also, we are transitioning from selling on price to selling on value / services which I know can be more difficult with nonprofits. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2022 12:00 PM PST I'll happy offer to video chat or have a call to mock interview anyone who wants some help with a b2b sales role. I've interviewed and hired a few people in my career and have interviewed for jobs a lot as well. Happy to practice, ask questions and give feedback. Also if someone is wanting to do the same it'd be nice to have someone help me prepare some answers for some good questions. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2022 10:21 AM PST So long story short I work for a company that primarily focuses on subscription companies as their clients. Currently working as a BDR and coming up short of prospects after 6 months/2000 contacts. Would love to hear any companies that come to mind! Anything with a subscription model! TIA [link] [comments] |
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