Thinking about every unfavourable trait in a resume and adding them all together, how would you go about the uphill battle of landing your dream role in tech?
To spice things up some more, add in a dash of recession and massive layoffs.
A lot of layoffs translate to a lot of more qualified sales reps competing for the same positions as the less qualified. Thus, David v. Goliath( Sorry if you pictured a tech startup slinging computer hardware at Mark Zuckerberg or something.) Where's the metaphorical rock we Davids can use to sling at the competition?
Hey Brandon,
Breaking into tech sales is one of the hardest things to do, and definitely not impossible.
Typically you'd start out as an SDR (Sales Development Rep.), responsible for generating a pipeline for the company whether it's a product, service, and/or both. Given the current circumstance with all the layoffs, there's definitely a surplus of talent and the only way to break through is the find the right opportunity, at the right time.
In case it helps, here are three things I'd focus on if I were in your shoes today:
Step 1: Find a Mentor
The first thing you should do is find a mentor. Somebody who'd be willing to take you in and give you a shot. Somebody who can look at you and say "I think he's got what it takes".
Needless to say, this individual is someone who's been there and done that.
CAUTION:
Be aware of boot camps and/or training consultants, there are some out there who are just after you for your money. Although this doesn't apply to everyone, it's something to keep top of mind.
The everyday frontline practitioners are who we're looking for here.
Step 2: Master the Basics
Learn the basics and start with a foundation. Sales Development is an organization that sits in between Sales and Marketing, responsible for generating pipelines via outbound activities and inbound conversions.
Pick up a Sales Engagement platform such as Apollo.io and master the platform. Just about every SaaS company out there uses a similar tool when it comes to prospecting.
Learn to build a lead list, create a sequence and begin your outreach from scratch regardless if you're working for a company or not. Honestly, I'd create a "meet and greet" outreach just to test the waters.
Not only will you get familiar with reaching out at scale but you'll pick up what exactly a day-by-day for an SDR is.
A few acronyms to keep top of mind are:
-SQL: (Sales Qualified Lead) when a prospect is slightly qualified prior to entering a sales cycle
-SAL: (Sales Accepted Lead) when a prospect is highly qualified and enters a sales cycle. This typically happens after the first discovery and/or "disco" from a Sales Executive, Account Executive, or whoever happens to be taking them down the sales journey
-MQL: (Marketing Qualified Leads) is a marketing initiative campaign run by the marketing team geared towards their target audience who received some sort of touch point (paid ads, blogs, events, etc.) and took action submitting their information (white page, landing page, email inputs, etc.) to learn more.
-KPIs: (Key Performance Indicators) amount of emails, dials, leads enrolled and etc. expected from you each and every day
-Pipeline: Total contract value generated via outbound, inbound, referral, partnerships, etc.
-Active Pipeline: X amount of opportunities (revenue) that's yet to be closed/won or closed/lost that's currently in a sales cycle
-Lost Pipeline: Opportunities lost for whatever reason (not a fit, lost to a competitor, budget, etc.)
-Quota: Expected X amount of meetings, dials, emails, and/or pipeline generated in a given month, quarter, year, etc.
Step 3: Get to Work
Success doesn't come overnight, nor should it. Given you're currently early in your journey, you're officially in the learning phase. Reach out to as many individuals on LinkedIn as you can, engage in their posts, and ask for feedback (if applicable).
These are real-life people with real-life business problems, and it's our job to help make their life easier.
One of the best ways to do so is to become a person of value. Before asking others, ask yourself "what can I do today to help this person become better at what they do?".
Don't have the answer? Questions are the answer, ask and you shall receive.
You're going to run into a lot of failure and, failure is the best way to learn.
Best of luck, shot you a video proposal in the general, and let us know what your thoughts are.
p.s. love the headline as it already shows creativity, something that's definitely needed when it comes to breaking through the noise ☺️
Best,
Jax
Love these thoughts! A few things come to mind.
1. We are in control of our output
In sales and job hunting being consistent pays off. Make sure you set daily tasks and document your progress.
2. Be prepared
When interviewing make sure you have a deep understanding of the company's product, value prop and ICP.
3. Tie your job history into why you will be successful in the role
Connect the dots between your past experience and why it is applicable to the position you are interviewing for.
Hope this is helpful!