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Lyon posted:Software sales is pretty easy to move into which is what I assume he is talking about based on being located in San Francisco. Particularly if you start in an entry level position setting up appointments/qualifying leads. I almost took a job at Salesforce doing just that. But I didn't wanna deal with all the initial pressure and turnover. Selling packaging to manufacturing companies with this firm has given me a ton of wiggle room and I get treated really well. Plus I got paid way more than salesforce would have in the entry level and they pay for my car with at least 100 bucks in profit on top of that allowance after car expenses. But I am doing a whole lot more work. I'm cold calling, qualifying and grabbing all the leads myself. We don't have an inside sales team. Mostly from here I just wanna become successful and get good sales experience before I jump to greener pastures.
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Sep 28, 2015 01:19
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Lyon posted:Software sales is pretty easy to move into which is what I assume he is talking about based on being located in San Francisco. Particularly if you start in an entry level position setting up appointments/qualifying leads. 
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Sep 28, 2015 02:45
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KittenofDoom posted:An entry level position is what I'm having trouble finding Are you looking mostly at startup companies or established companies in the SF area? If I were you I would focus on established midsize companies who sell boring but necessary products. Sales titles can be tricky so you'll need to read the job posting carefully. You can also search for entry level business development positions. If you want to post your resume I'm sure some of us will take a look and review. Are you writing a cover letter when you apply to postings?
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Sep 28, 2015 04:57
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I'm applying for open positions on job boards, the best of which (that is, not bullshit cashier or the aforementioned scam jobs) are usually on LinkedIn. I apply for 6-10 SDR or BDR roles a day on weekdays. I don't have storage space, but may I PM my resume and cover letter to someone? Other sales people said they were okay.
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Sep 28, 2015 05:58
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Sure, or you can just upload it to something like Dropbox. I'm probably one of the least experienced people in this thread so you may want to get opinions from multiple people.
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Sep 28, 2015 08:16
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I'm east coast, but I work in the IT industry and can say that one of my coworkers used to manage a hood-rear end MattressFirm in Atlanta and he kills it here. Sales isn't really about the product, unless you do like medical devices where you are there during the surgery teaching the surgeon how to cut a guy's knee open. e: hope everyone had a good quarter-close! I didn't have any business to transact, but my teammates all had some early paperwork to bring in. Fun time until 8:30pm yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan
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Oct 1, 2015 11:58
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lazercunt posted:I'm east coast, but I work in the IT industry and can say that one of my coworkers used to manage a hood-rear end MattressFirm in Atlanta and he kills it here. Can you clarify this? I am essentially stuck selling a more expensive commodity than like 90% of my competition. My potential customers only care about price. No amount of sweet talking lets me evade RFQs and that is where I lose because the buyers will typically RFQ 3 other people who offer similar products and then I've wasted my company's resources. The absolute worst thing that happens to me though is when customers feign interest, setup an appointment and then I get stonewalled at reception. The only time we are successful is if a salesperson leverages his existing relationships via past business connections. As a young newcomer to this industry I don't have golf buddy CEOs in my Rolodex. I'm convinced if I was selling something unique like SAP, consulting services or products that have sufficient value and demand I'd win way more interest than I am now. Not to mention my mandate is to try and sell products we act as a middle man for so as soon as our margin gets put in we automatically lose because buyers aren't stupid and know they can get corrugated packaging for our cost price.
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Oct 5, 2015 16:43
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If you think you can only sell products that sell themselves, you may want to reexamine the career you are choosing for yourself. If my product sells itself, then why would I get paid to sell it? Where is my value add? You've been posting for a while about this, and you seem very negative about your product Kraftwerk. I have a hard time believing that doesn't come through in some way during sales interactions. If your leads are solely focused on price, you either aren't doing enough to demonstrate value, or you're targeting the wrong leads. Try to go see how salespeople in other regions are doing their prospecting and approaches. Maybe the issue is prospecting, not pitching. e: in response to a while back someone asking about industries... I did b2b to retail & warehouses, and sold appliances. Best salespeople I met were the appliance men and women.
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Oct 5, 2015 21:43
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Jordan7hm posted:If you think you can only sell products that sell themselves, you may want to reexamine the career you are choosing for yourself. If my product sells itself, then why would I get paid to sell it? Where is my value add? Yeah I agree. I'm gonna try and keep up a positive attitude. I was training myself a little more on spin selling and came to realize I wasn't doing enough to get my customers to talk about their issues and minimize their objections. Also choosing the right customer is important too. There's a lot of low volume targets that probably have a spend that isn't worth the effort and resources of selling to them in the first place. I find in some cases a customer comes to me asking for a solution and I haven't asked enough questions as to why they want it, what their problems are and how my product benefits them. Instead we go straight to drawing up a quote and of course a vague requirement for change versus a high cost doesn't get you anywhere. We actually had a big meeting today to refine our strategy and I think it's gonna get a bit better now.
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Oct 7, 2015 22:20
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Kraftwerk posted:Yeah I agree. I'm gonna try and keep up a positive attitude. I was training myself a little more on spin selling and came to realize I wasn't doing enough to get my customers to talk about their issues and minimize their objections. Also choosing the right customer is important too. There's a lot of low volume targets that probably have a spend that isn't worth the effort and resources of selling to them in the first place. I find in some cases a customer comes to me asking for a solution and I haven't asked enough questions as to why they want it, what their problems are and how my product benefits them. Instead we go straight to drawing up a quote and of course a vague requirement for change versus a high cost doesn't get you anywhere. You should certainly tier out your prospects. I tier all mine by relevancy and org size, into tier 1, 2, and 3. Sales should be all about finding out their needs. At the end of the day, there should never be a true conversation about price. The price isn't too high, they just don't see the value of what you are selling. SPIN selling is a great way to organize how you go through your discovery with a prospect, since it works your way to the pain that drives someone to buy a solution. The Need-payoff questions are always kind of weird until I get an idea of what they need, but when you find some sort of pain or problem they need to solve, you can sit on it until its exhausted. Once you exhaust the pain, you can just ask, "so what would solve this?" and, if you are on the phone with them, they'll probably answer something related to you. No one takes your call because they are lonely. They have a solution in mind, tailor your solution. It's so much easier to sell something they want versus something you think they need. e: in regards to you selling SAP, its not that simple either. I have a client that's an SAP implementation company, specifically in artwork, labeling, and fashion management (in Europe). It's hard as hell. I sell a product with literally no parallel, and you still have to compete with the status quo. There is always a substitute to you. Find it and compete with it. yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan lazercunt fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Oct 8, 2015 |
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Oct 8, 2015 01:37
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I'm finding it's much more effective to try and get a meeting with the client and talk face to face rather than attempting to get everything done on the phone. Maybe a quick convo on the phone, identify a few needs, expand a little on them. Show them at least one benefit and then ask for a meeting to drive it home. Is it a good idea to sometimes walk into a company without any prior appointments and attempting to talk to staff or get info on them? My boss sometimes tells me to walk into the back of a loading bay and just chat up workers to get a feel for whats going on in the company so when I make a serious approach I'll have intel on their issues.
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Oct 8, 2015 03:11
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I did my b2b by walking down main street and talking to store managers, or cold calling and asking for the owner. It's the way to go for sure if you aren't getting the leads. And in smaller businesses that local touch means A LOT. We also got sales by walking up to loading bays and asking the guys about the way they were currently doing things, as your boss suggests. We sold inventory services so the staff were jacked at the idea of not doing it themselves and often very happy to give the right info and contacts. It's more effective in certain areas obviously, like down near the industrial parts of Toronto than here in Ottawa, but it just works. Face to face rejection feels the same as phone rejection, just takes more time (but can lead to more sales...) Also, good on you to recognize when you're being negative! I had someone I worked with in appliances who was good about telling me to go outside and chill out when I got into a funk and it definitely helped me a lot. So much of sales is attitude.
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Oct 10, 2015 00:42
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I work strictly inside sales Please, give me 90k over the phone yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan
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Oct 10, 2015 13:46
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Just landed my first purchase order in my entire sales career! Suddenly it feels like it was all worth it.
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Oct 15, 2015 17:04
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Kraftwerk posted:Just landed my first purchase order in my entire sales career! Suddenly it feels like it was all worth it. It won't mean anything next month.
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Oct 15, 2015 21:57
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It'll mean that if he doesn't close a PO, he's now failing to meet his previous sales expectations.
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Oct 16, 2015 00:33
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50 business days left in the year. My company swaps prospecting territories each year, so i'm loving gutting my pipeline right now. There will literally only be hot garbage left when i'm through with it
yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan
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Oct 17, 2015 12:36
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Finally starting to build a bit of pipeline and get some deals rolling in, closed two deals this week. I will need a couple of big ones to land to hit my quota this year though. When you guys book a new customer how much paper work do you need to have signed and returned by the customer? We have...
Each one of these documents typically requires legal review from our customers' side and then their finance team needs to generate a PO which means they need our W-9 and all the contracts signed and returned. This process is brutal but I imagine it is pretty similar for the rest of you depending on what you sell. For existing customers we need the Schedule A/quote, if there are services the Statement of Work, and the PO#. The Statement of Work is its own hell because we need our services team to generate the level of effort and approve the SOW before we can send it to a customer which can take weeks.
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Nov 5, 2015 22:27
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Lyon posted:Finally starting to build a bit of pipeline and get some deals rolling in, closed two deals this week. I will need a couple of big ones to land to hit my quota this year though. Just an SA with General Terms, total of 3 pages, 1 page is signatures. Larger clients may use some sort of Master Agreement, which I usually push to get signed earlier in the sales cycle. I have a client that cuts POs. It's almost 2016 and you are a tech company, don't use POs.
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Nov 6, 2015 02:29
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Isnt a PO what a company gives you to confirm the deal? Why wouldn't you use it? Im still new in sales so I don't know what else there is.
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Nov 6, 2015 14:42
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Kraftwerk posted:Isnt a PO what a company gives you to confirm the deal? Why wouldn't you use it? Im still new in sales so I don't know what else there is. I'm selling a service to tech companies, no physical product, so that might have something to do with it. But a signed contract from someone is all legal needs to take them to court  We also play a little faster and looser than other companies our size. My largest client is a 240k yearly, and they always print it, scan it, send it back. No PO. e: In a sales cycle, I generally ask "Is legal or procurement involved? Who else is involved in this decision? Can anyone else veto this?" after I price-qualify. I generally get a variation of "oh it has to go through legal" or "our lawyer has to look at it" and that's about it. But, the answers you get for the other two are wildly different. Is there anyone else involved in this decision we need to bring in for our next conversation? No, just me. Can anyone else veto this? Yeah, my board. Thanks, mr ceo. yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan lazercunt fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Nov 7, 2015 |
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Nov 7, 2015 02:05
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Kraftwerk posted:Isnt a PO what a company gives you to confirm the deal? Why wouldn't you use it? Im still new in sales so I don't know what else there is. POs are pretty common, basically just gives your finance department the correct information to bill the customer. My issue is our quote is a legally binding document so why do we need the official PO after the quote is signed and returned, figure that poo poo out after. To me it is one or the other up front not both and it causes me no end of headaches. We can't process an order with just the signed legal quote or with just the PO and it is super annoying. Got another very small order in today for two more licenses from an existing customer, I may actually hit quota this year which would be cool.
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Nov 7, 2015 05:48
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I've always wanted to move from Engineering to a more Sales Engineering or customer facing role. What books can you guys recommend? I have already picked up Spin Selling and Solution Selling.
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Nov 7, 2015 17:13
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lord1234 posted:I've always wanted to move from Engineering to a more Sales Engineering or customer facing role. What books can you guys recommend? I have already picked up Spin Selling and Solution Selling. Our sales force uses the stuff covered in this book - http://www.amazon.com/The-Challenger-Sale-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355 I moved from tech roles over to sales engineering, happy to answer questions if I can.
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Nov 8, 2015 02:22
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I also moved from Engineering to Sales Engineering. However, structurally we are a little different. We have a full staff of RSM's and reps on the road full time. Our job is to be the review the application, recommend a product line, technical review, quote, confirm orders etc. If your role is anything like this I'd be happy to answer any questions.
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Nov 8, 2015 18:54
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lord1234 posted:I've always wanted to move from Engineering to a more Sales Engineering or customer facing role. What books can you guys recommend? I have already picked up Spin Selling and Solution Selling. ValueSelling for sure. Essentially uses the SPIN framework when getting through Problem and Solution on your VisionMatch, and using a Value Prompter is a great way to stay organized. yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan
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Nov 9, 2015 01:10
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My role has slowly shifted into a Sales & Marketing/quasi-Projct Manager position. Can anyone recommend some high-level texts on being an effective salesperson? I'm a fairly competent public speaker and presenter, but I know next to nothing about selling/closing, and operating in a sales environment. Essentially we have a new product, and I am handling everything from initial inquiry, through the various design stages, to when the order is placed. Once the product enters production an actual PM is assigned, but I still follow the order through to fulfillment. EDIT: Just saw "The Challenger Sale"-- I'll definitely check that out. Grouco fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Nov 9, 2015 |
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Nov 9, 2015 03:06
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Sock The Great posted:I also moved from Engineering to Sales Engineering. However, structurally we are a little different. Probably worth me contextualizing as Sock has done. We have loose mappings to account executives. Once they've performed basic discovery/qualification of a lead that's been prospected and submitted to them, they'll get us engaged. Review the initial notes and understanding of the opportunity, go in for more technical discovery and obligatory demo tailored to the details we've surfaced in discovery. Next step is generally guiding them through a POC, serving as overwatch for any support interactions they need to kick off, monitoring their data and progress through the POC. Work through to a sale (usually within the 1-2 month timeline) and continue to guide their full implementation. Maintain contact to ensure full utilization and as they mature, introduce them to additional products that may not have worked in the initial land. A bunch more activity goes into it, but that's the core. The selling I do is to generally a technical audience or business stakeholders who appreciate technical value, so there's a lot of problem discovery, reframing, ROI workthrough and building a rapport and trust that I'm not just there to sell them a boatload of software.
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Nov 9, 2015 19:01
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30 selling days left in the year, friends! Two new things I'm doing to try and revitalize some pipeline: 1. Reaching out to all the deals I've lost throughout the year, letting them know that I'll be leaving my business development role as of Jan 1, and that I really want to bring them on as a client and manage their account moving forward, rather than have someone else of questionable quality bring them on. Most of my TLs are the "not the right time" kind of losses, so this might get me back on one or two calendars. 2. Start closing right at the front of the proposal. I price check during discovery, but I'm going to start closing people right at the front of proposals. "This is how we are going to address your challenges. If I show you that we can, can you sign today?" Not that they'll say yes, but I want the objections out right up front. That way, I can address objections throughout the proposal, rather than at the end. Doing it on Tuesday with a tier 2 prospect, will post a trip report for this guy. yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan
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Nov 15, 2015 17:06
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What about pre-empting objections with SPIN selling?
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Nov 16, 2015 00:10
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Kraftwerk posted:What about pre-empting objections with SPIN selling? I'm not sure what objections he'll have, and I want to know what they might be before I show him anything. He probably/definitely isn't signing authority for this budget amount, but if he tells me they are willing to pay 150k for a solution like this, I'll charge them 120k, not 75k. If bandwidth is an issue, I'll show him how he's only using an hour a week to get the information he needs. yospos cru: Wit_sponge, relative_q, roguestar, Model M, Sir_Donkeypunch, tom collins, three, rufo, camh, homeless snail, sex offendin link, pik_d, graph, scaevolus, schultzi, mrbucket, the evan
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Nov 17, 2015 11:29
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I just started a job selling health insurance from an inbound call center and I think it's an easy way to ease into a sales job. It's something everyone in the country needs and they only have a 90 day window to enroll!
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Nov 17, 2015 13:50
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Is it possible to transition from one industry to another as a sales person? A lot of people at my work tell me that packaging is a black hole that sucks you in and you're stuck there. I'm not really looking at dedicating my life to the packaging industry. I was thinking I'd eventually move to Pharmaceuticals, software or some other product that isn't quite so niche. The maximum I could ever make per year is about 100k where I am now.
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Nov 30, 2015 23:50
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Kraftwerk posted:Is it possible to transition from one industry to another as a sales person? A lot of people at my work tell me that packaging is a black hole that sucks you in and you're stuck there. I'm not really looking at dedicating my life to the packaging industry. I was thinking I'd eventually move to Pharmaceuticals, software or some other product that isn't quite so niche. I work with someone who previously had experience selling networked commercial gas detection equipment and then had a personal items startup. They're now selling SaaS application monitoring. This person may not have domain knowledge, but has thrown themselves into acquiring it. I figure that the hiring manager probably saw the same good things I'm seeing now, which is why they were hired.
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Dec 1, 2015 01:47
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Yeah every job I've had since I got out of school wasn't in my "field". Prior to working here I was doing sales support for commercial aircraft and talking about them as if I was the expert. Now I'm slowly becoming the expert in packaging. If I had the opportunity I'd probably be able to do it with SaaS too.
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Dec 1, 2015 14:29
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So I'm more than likely going to end up taking a new sales job selling business services, risk management, benefits, insurance, etc to middle level c-level businesses. The executives of the companies in the industries that I'll be selling into will mainly be older 55-65+ biz owners who are more that good ole boy type. I can hold a conversation with them but it still seems forced on my end and in the past I've never felt like they get comfortable with me to really allow me to help work with them and help them out. My business attire might be a little too fashionable for them (aka tailored slacks w/out pleats, tailored patterned shirt, tie, and dress shoes, compared to them wearing dockers, loafers from 1995, and an otr yellow shirt w/ old tie). Any advice to help fit in with them better and develop a better relationship with them instead of coming across as a young(er) salesman just trying to take their money?
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Dec 10, 2015 14:34
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Alfalfa posted:Any advice to help fit in with them better and develop a better relationship with them instead of coming across as a young(er) salesman just trying to take their money? Have you considered casual racism and sexism? Maybe get one of those pens where the woman's clothes disappear when you tilt it.
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Dec 10, 2015 17:48
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How you are as a cool and relatable guy is less important than how you act as a professional in my experience. Just struggle through the sale and focus on the product and then do what you said you'd do in terms of follow up, and that will probably put you ahead of most sales guys. Depends on what you're selling obviously.
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Dec 10, 2015 19:11
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Jordan7hm posted:How you are as a cool and relatable guy is less important than how you act as a professional in my experience. Just struggle through the sale and focus on the product and then do what you said you'd do in terms of follow up, and that will probably put you ahead of most sales guys. A very good experienced sales person told me this. You can't be a total poo poo but what you can do for them and their business is what matters.
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Dec 11, 2015 00:06
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Alfalfa posted:So I'm more than likely going to end up taking a new sales job selling business services, risk management, benefits, insurance, etc to middle level c-level businesses. learn to play golf. Also product first.
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Dec 11, 2015 16:10
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