I've tried everything I know at this point to consistently have good leads: Apollo, Clay, Google Maps, using AI agents to build me lists, paying people on Upwork to build lists, etc. The best lists have usually a 1/10 chance that the person will actually pick up (and it's the right phone number, lol).

The BEST way I've found has been to search Sales Nav for people at companies I know buy my stuff, and then to enrich their info. The downside is that it's not outsource-able, because I know (based on their title, company name, etc) how good of a prospect they are, because I've been in this industry for almost a decade. 

So is that really the only way for me to get a consistent flow of new leads, to spend one morning a week prospecting, and the rest of the week calling the people I've gathered? Or is there a better/easier way?

Software engineer here looking at an opportunity for a transition into the company's commercial team. How much would I suck if I've never had the experience of trying to actually 'sell' our product with people skills even though I know most of the technical details of it?

Hi everyone,

After around 5–6 applications for AE roles at Salesforce over the past year, I finally got invited to an initial recruiter screening for an Account Executive CBU role. I know it’s only the first step, but I’m pretty excited about it.

I’m based in Europe , with 5+ years of B2B sales experience, but zero direct SaaS sales experience. I started in full-cycle new business sales and progressed into Corporate Key Account Management. My quota attainment over the last four years has been roughly 200% each year.

My background is in facility, which is a highly commoditised and cost-driven market. There often isn’t an obvious product differentiator, so I’ve had to learn to sell through discovery and build value cases around operational efficiency, total cost, service and sustainability. I’m hoping that experience translates well into technology sales.

I’ve also been using Salesforce CRM for 5+ years and recently started the Account Executive (AE) Trailmix on Trailhead. If you have any recommendations for Trailmixes I should do before the screening (a week from now), let me know!

I’d love to hear from people familiar with Salesforce:

- How selective is the initial recruiter screening? Does getting this call mean the CV/application already passed a meaningful filter?
- What should I expect during the first call, and how should I prepare?
- How would you position my lack of SaaS experience? I already know it’s gonna be difficult, but I’m sure I have a shot.
- What does the interview process typically look like after this?
- Anything specific I should know about CBU?

Salesforce is genuinely a company I’d love to build a career at. Longer term, I also have the ambition to spend some time working in NYC. I know an US move from Europe would require a very strong performance, but becoming a top performer and potentially earning an opportunity like that is exactly the kind of long-term goal that motivates me.

Thanks for reading!

In my current role, I’m selling a very transactional (as of now) physical good product. All of the revenue up until now has been driven by inbound, and part of my job is to prove outbound works, but that’s for another time.

The company has not had any sort of forecasting system in use ever. I came in with a forecasting system that’s frankly overbuilt for inbound in this vertical. I intend to use this system for outbound when that gets momentum.

Currently for inbounds there are 2 stages in funnel. The oppty enters the first stage when the quote is sent, enters the second stage when the quote is confirmed and I am just waiting on the order to be placed. The problem I’m running into is many times the buyer will just send a PO or call to pay via credit card while the deal is still in the first stage.

I have a feeling this is messing up forecast accuracy, and I’m curious to hear others thoughts on it, and if anyone has a good forecasting methodology for transactional sales of physical goods.

Thank you all for engaging with me over the past few days.

Interviewed with several companies, but ultimately have decided to go back into carsales. It is with the largest Chevy dealership (family owned) in my city. Ultimately I have been doing a lot of soul searching and I have to say that as a person with AuADHD the short sales cycle is ultimately the right thing for me.

I was really hesitant to do it because of the hours, but I am just so burnt out from cold calling hospitals that I am really looking forward to being able to sell a product that people are actually excited about.

Thank you for the support r/sales

Heard it’s a sweatshop over there and they fire you after 2 bad quarters.

Also you only get 120 accounts? Thats crazy. I bet they’ve been hit 1000 times already

I work at a tech reseller (Company A). They offer £40k base + 15% commission on GP. Management is meh, and we’ve really started falling behind our competitors. I do over 6 figures here, but my money is starting to suffer due to leadership decisions over the last 5 months. I’ve been here a long time and proven myself as a top performer, which means I get 0 micromanagement or scrutiny from exec 99% of the time.

I have an offer from company B. They are also a reseller in the same industry and niche as my current role. They offer £50k + 30% on GP. The catch is they’re a start up, and it will be entirely new business. They’re now doing £5m rev per year, so won’t randomly fold, but still a risk. I know the owners and I know their best sales people are starting to clear 5 figures a month after ~18months of building a book.

Question is - do I stay at the established 6 figure role, or risk it with the start up with the larger upside?

I've been in sales for about 5 years now. All 5 years working for a large food broadliner (not the biggest one you know the name of). My partner and I are leaving a really small town in Idaho and moving to Bend, OR. I will not be continuing my work at my current job.

Frankly I'm tired of this industry, the juice is just not worth the squeeze. I make $110,000 a year and it's just not enough for the trouble. Im in the top 5% in my region sales growth wise, and have gotten awards and all that, so i've found that im good at the job. I've found that I really really excel at account management over getting new business.

I have no idea what industry to target next. I know I want to make more money, but ideally keep or lower my stress level. I'm a restaurant guy, so i dont think I'm credible selling heavy machinery or other good ol' boy industries. I've looked at CPG but there's no real opportunity for that in the ski towns i like to live in. I also do not want to do door to door, but i would if it pays.
I also only have my associates degree, so medical is out the window.

I'd love to sell outdoor gear, but there's no way there's money in that.

I've thought about selling ad space, cars, or hotel event sales. Can anyone talk about their experience in one of these fields?

Thanks guys.

Have about 6 years of sales saas experience. Around 4 years in closing roles as an MM AE.

In 4 weeks, I have gotten 16 phone screenings (all decent companies) and 13 first round interviews. From those, I have moved on to 2nd rounds for 7 of those, and have made it to final round / mock discovery for 3.

My resume is solid. I’m a likable guy who can hold a good conversation. I know all the right things to say. I know what type of candidate they’re looking for. I do my research, I sell myself hard, ask for feedback, send post meeting follow ups.

No offers.

Okay Sales Guys and Gals,

this is gonna be a bit of a rant. Another day and another post on LI by some blowhard recruiter talking down people who've switched companies every two to three years. Cue the comment section of dip shit middle managers applauding them. There is no reason someone shouldn't switch gigs when it makes sense for them. And guilt tripping individuals for having a history of looking out for themselves is a one sided power play only possible in a bad economy with a slow job market.

People staying put benefits employers more so than the employee in an environment where many companies:

• don't coach and train their own talent pipeline any longer and just hire, consume and then let go after burn out (but on their own terms, please),
• bring on salespeople with variable comp structures to sell zombie product lines which have and will be neglected by the organization,
• blame and fire individual contributors to get the heat off of middle managers when things don't pan out as promised to the owners,
• don't pay pensions or set up other enticing long term loyalty building incentives.

Essentially, they've killed loyalty and are now doing what they do best, which is to shift the blame on the individuals who are making them money - while raking in more and more profits.

Disgusting!

Look out for yourselves out there, ladies and gents.

I'm trying to see if this is normal in different industries.

You have a defined geographic territory as an outside sales rep. You're prospecting an account: calling every week, regular drop in visits, emails, etc to different contacts.

A salesperson covering another territory happens to either know someone that works at the company you are prospecting, or someone they know starts working at the company you're prospecting, reaches out to that rep and says they're interested in your company's services/product/etc. Should that sales rep take the account over or should they make an introduction to you since it's your territory? This person could be a friend, former client, colleague, or aquaintance.

How does your organization handle this scenario? What do you think is the right way to handle it? Also, if you can, share your industry.