I have been in sales for a bit now. First started as a door knocker for a home improvement company and I loved that job, was the top performer, etc. Unfortunately they let us go. So I pivoted to inside Masonry/construction sales with a promise of becoming a territory/outside salesman in 6-8 months and, when that didn't materialize I moved back to home improvement. Was immediately closing deals, but was still in training and boss didn't like that I didn't sell things by lying, high pressure, and cussing at customers so I left that place. Now I sell sign repair and sign design.

Saying all this to say that this is the first sales job I feel I am majorly struggling at. The leads are photos of signs and it is almost purely cold outreach. Been here just over a year and the sales manager says I am doing a great job but lately it feels that it has gotten so difficult to even get someone to agree to a $600 repair.

I want to believe that it is not my fault but, honestly, I just have no idea what is going on. Just the last couple months before this one I was getting more jobs than now. This month it has been insanely difficult to book anything. I get pushback on super small orders now. Most of my "leads" are mom and pops, so maybe that is why. But it just feels brutal out there.

If you've been having success, what are you doing that I could implement. On-site visits are off-the-clock and discouraged, so I can't really do those.

Hey everyone. Long story short, I’m currently getting pipped at my company. $130K OTE (50/50) split.

I do miss my previous employer since I was EXCELLENT at the job and still keep a lot of good connections. However, I’d have to drop my income again down to less than 60K OTE to build my book or business again. After 3-4 years, my income would return to my current level and I would be fully remote. After that, sky’s the limit.

When would a (substantial) drop in income make sense?

Seems like a shit move, having you record answers to questions. Better than AI, but if the intro is a video diary, doesn’t seem good.

Late last year I left a BDR job that paid me $120K~ CAD to join a NY startup as their founding BDR. I am Canadian and always wanted to spend some part of my professional career in NY or someplace similar. The NY startup was willing to sponsor.

I started off remote, was hitting ramp but they had decided that securing TN visa would be too lengthy and expensive and they terminated me.

Instead of finding a BDR role I started a fractional BDR business. For the first few months I struggled closing but I got a few clients and last month did $10K not accounting expenses like tech stack and phone data, etc.

I don’t want to be cold calling indefinitely for the rest of my life. Especially not isolated in my bedroom. Even if I’m at capacity I won’t make more than an ENT AE and I have no ambition to hire people.

My ego is reluctant to take a BDR role that pays me less than the initial $120K job I had. I haven’t had many AE interviews. The main barrier is lack of traditional AE exp and the fact that I have my own agency makes me look like a flight risk.

What do you suggest I do. Find a really really good BDR role? Or larp and somehow try to get an AE gig somewhere. Mahbe an AE role that asks its reps to self-source a lot of their pipe?

Start of a new month, the grind never quits. Back to $0 and praying to hit quota before the last few days of the month. It never changes. We all know that. Maybe one day I’ll get a real job. Let’s rest up tonight boys and do it all over again.

Working in adtech/martech sales, it’s very transactional, and every week I’m out for lunches, drinks, spas, gym classes with clients. It’s very campaign by campaign sales and quite fickle.

I’m thinking of moving to move tech based sales where it’s more akin to SaaS sales - however I wondered, does this sort of client ents translate to other industries?

They said I did really well on the mock demo portion. They ended the call by saying the last round would be with the VP of sales, and that was more of a culture fit round. They then asked to confirm my salary expectations for the role.

Is that a really good sign? I don’t want to assume, because they said I’d hear back on next steps, so I’m not even sure if I’ll make it to that final conversation. But hard not to get my hopes up…

They could always go with someone internal

• Why or why not? If not, how would you recommend I reach out to people?

Would love to connect about what’s it like, especially right after that acquisition with AutoDesk.

Reviews on RepVue seem to quite positive with a few people being concerned about quotas increasing but still doesn’t compare to just talking to someone about it in real time.

Additionally if anyone’s working in the RDU area for a company they’ve really loved, would enjoy hearing from you too!

Does anyone have any tips on selling to Korean and Japanese manufacturers, mostly in the automotive manufacturing sector? I mean their production and distribution facilities in the USA. I am mainly in packaging equipment, service, and consumables sales but also sell misc. safety and warehouse supplies. I've sold to several Korean companies before, but at a previous employer that already had connections. (Automation component manufacturer rep) So far I haven't been able to connect with very many because for the most part all of their doors are locked and they don't answer the phones. I've thought about actually physically mailing them brochures and letters. Would it be tacky to include a translated version?

I've been in tech for a minute, but recently took a job at a major Telco/ISP. In my short time it feels like internet and to a certain extent, managed services has become such a commodity theres minimal distinguishing factor.

Like every nearly every single F2K account is locked in on symmetrical speeds of dedicated fiber, coax redundancy, and SD-WAN.

The only time I get anybody on the line is when Comcast, Verizon, or whoever fucks something up.

For the first time I feel like I'm selling the most widgity widget on the market.

Any advice from enterprise Telco reps?

Been a bdr and my current role for 6 months. Before this was a bdr at another company and quit because I knew the ship was sinking. Whole sales team quit and fired shortly after. Now at a new role. Above my quota in August. Most of the ae’s are not hitting there number and the base and ote are far below industry standard. Nearing my mid 20’s and starting to feel like a failure. When I signed on I was promised to become an ae within 6 months. Not exactly able to just quit but not sure if it’s the area I’m in (florida) or if I am doing something wrong. I am the only bdr that has been consistently hitting my numbers. I just looked at this as just trying to get an account executive role on my resume so I could go on to a better company eventually. Rethinking sales and needing advice.

I’m just so defeated. First one was my fault despite sky high expectations from management (any month under quota got you put on a PIP), second one wasn’t (medical discrimination after an injury - won a small settlement), this one is a combination of the two; mom and pop company that got purchased by a PE firm right before I signed my offer, and is seriously underwater. I’m the newest hire, and was tasked with growing a bad territory, so things haven’t been great in the almost year I’ve been there.

Fuck it, we ball I guess.

Has anyone on here dealt with an employer withholding pay? Not putting thru documented raises or fully paying out commission that is also documented?

I’m in a state with intense payroll laws. Clearly they are trying to get me to quit. But so bold.

I seem to have upset a petulant CEO by over performing.

Trying to consider the best next steps.

Yes, I am already interviewing.

I moved from 15 years of senior R&D/engineering into technical sales. I’m an engineer by training and was very successful in R&D. I was repeatedly encouraged to move into sales because I was good with customers.

What I completely underestimated was the political chess game.

Due to my neurodivergence (ADHD) I’m more sensitive to sub currents. Im also a dot connector so very good at reading people and noticing inconsistencies. I can often see political maneuvering happening very quickly and before other people do. My issue isn’t that I don’t see it… it’s that I don’t know how to counter it and I feel like a deer in headlights.

I’ve already had a colleague use internal politics to take my previous territory. My manager didn’t see it at the time because the maneuvering happened above him, but afterward he admitted, “You were right. I didn’t see it.” I felt extremely disappointed in myself for seeing it happen but failing to stop it. I’m extremely lucky my manager was able to find me a new role.

Now this person has my old territory, works directly with my manager, and I’m watching this person maneuver to take my new territory. This person is not more technically credible in front of customers, nor do they have better soft skills with customers. They’re just a master manipulator of our senior leaders. It’s kind of amazing to watch, in all honesty.

Probably due to my neurodivergence, I’m naturally genuinely sincere. I like almost all people and I build relationships because I actually like them, not because I’m calculating what I can get from them later. I don’t naturally think several moves ahead in terms of alliances, positioning, influence, etc. I could never harm a colleague to benefit myself.

Coming from R&D, I was used to competence, intelligence and results carrying most of the weight. I’m realizing that in sales, that’s not always enough.

If you’re a sincere, analytical/neurodivergent person who has had to learn corporate politics the hard way, what actually worked for you?

Also, how do you deal with the mental turmoil when it’s your colleagues, not your customers causing you stress?

Thank you in advance!

Over the past 6-9 months or so I've spoken with a few decision makers in various verticals of sales. AI, HVAC, Construction, Marketing, Tech (non-AI) just to name a few.

10 of 10 were all actively hiring for multiple sales roles. Some for founding roles, others much more mature companies hiring for other roles. But the important note, 10/10 were hiring and according to the DM "For immediate hire, start for the right candidate". Some were replacement hires, others were new roles, but all were 100% adamant they were very serious about hiring!

(Note: I was not interviewing with these companies; these were informal conversations/consultations, and I think one of them might have been an interview in disguise).

6-9 months later 9/10 of these companies have not hired a SINGLE PERSON. They are all, still, actively interviewing for these and other roles that they were trying to fill 6-9 months ago. The 1 of 10 companies technically didn't hire anyone; they filled all of their roles internally and are now hiring to refill the roles they replaced. These 4 or so sales roles (requiring 5-7 years of experience) were given to internal non-sales candidates who all have never sold.

So take note, in this little sample, 90% of companies who 'need to get someone in next week' are willing to wait 9+ months to actually fill the role.

Morale of the story: It's not you. Something's in the water.

For those of you handling accounts year to year does a renewal get you the same comission as a new customer or does it change? Do you have a separate renewal quota or does all the income still go towards standard quota?
Also helpful to know i fyoure in SaaS, Services, or Other when you comment, thanks!

Thanks.

I'm in building rmasonry restoration. For reference, it's a small, family company that has my dad, my coworker (just turned 74) and myself (39m.) We typically do between $5-$7 million a year in gross sales and aim for 30-35% net on each job. My commission is 7% of gross and my quota is $500k. Most jobs we sell range between $1,500 and $100k so the big ones are really nice.

This month I have closed $5.7 million over 3 jobs (all for next year after the work is done, which means I don't get paid out until December 2027.)

My previous record for an entire year was $4.2 million.

Anyway, wanted to share

I’m brushing up on my interviewing skills, especially behavioral and senior-level sales interviews. Any YouTube channels, books, or other resources you’d recommend?

I currently work in construction (IBEW) after having left my SaaS sales role after 3-4 years. I loved my first company but joined another company that left a bad taste in my mouth. Now that it’s been a while, I’m potentially looking to get back in.

I know that SaaS/Tech are the big thing on this sub, but I’m curious if there are any reps here, specifically in the electrical supply sector. How are things treating you, how’s the future of the industry looking and what would career compensation look like for someone getting in, all the way up to mid/late career?

Specifically

1. What should I include in my message?

   Resume, specific achievements, references, etc.?

2. Who would you recommend I reach out to? Managers, owners, hr, etc.?

I’m currently studying CS, and I want to get into a technical industry to sell in (hardware, software, industrial, etc)

What advice would you guys give me in order to land an internship in sales right now as I’m in uni?

Connecting with people at the companies I wanna work at and then asking for if I could intern for sales there?

Are sales internships different from others (like engineering, finance, business etc) in terms of demand?

I don’t know why a company would say no to more sales interns as, if even one of them is good and trained well, they’ll get a few extra meetings or even sales

Would really appreciate your advice

I am looking for a job and it seems that almost every posting wants your address for a remote position and then want to identify you by means of your veteran status, gender, ethnicity etc.

I usually answer those, but am thinking maybe I need to start to decline to answer. Anyone have any positive or negative experience with this?

Also today I got my first virtual screener. Evidently it's a chance to tell them about myself via a one way video. I am declining that as well, but do any of you have experience on this?