Am I ex sales at this point?

Went from selling things for 5 years in call center jobs to tech sales as BDR manager for 2 then operations management for 2. 
Now I've taken a job as a founding CSM where the goal is to build a team around me by the end of the year.

Oh also salary went from $50k > $80k > $120k > $200k and is now at $90k in the last four years. 

I took the pay cut as I'm an IC now but expecting growth with the company. 

Overall, I'm a little lost in where I want my career to go versus where others will let me take it. Given the numbers it's not like I've completely failed at achievement here (had to do a lot for the $) but I'm tired. My last job search took me 5 months and drained the shit out of my savings. 

So going into this job I'm reflecting at how high the stakes are that it works out but also at where my career is in general. 

It used to be that I woke up and saw this hungry sales guy in the mirror. Now I don't know who the fuck this older, fatter, fucking dude is. 


🚀 Career Goals
👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Customer Care
👐 Emotional Regulation
11
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
4
☕️
Are you still closing business? If it’s not an auto-renewal then you’re still sales. Exceed NRR targets and grow that business.
Goomba
Opinionated
0
Director of Shitposts
Yeah renewals and onboarding. So similar to CS/AM fused together. Small company so that tracks.

Seed stage so after having seen a seed to series A I’m ready to ride the shit show once again.
oldcloser
Arsonist
3
💀
Do not let your job define you, friend. Work is the crabgrass of life. It’s a means to an end. Find a way to be happy wherever the fuck your feet are. The rest is external noise.
Goomba
Opinionated
3
Director of Shitposts
It’s why I think I stepped away from outbound focused sourcing sales. Everything in my life including my own self worth was determined by $. I still think like that a lot of the time.

Actually told myself if I got under $300 I’d just end it.

Luckily I didn’t but associating my life with $ isn’t healthy. I’m getting help for it.
oldcloser
Arsonist
2
💀
Wise... You gonna be ok.
Pachacuti
Politicker
3
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
You have a good story. You can easily make it back into Sales if you tell it right. Although it may not be the sales job you want.

Your best chance may be with the company you're with. But maybe not since people a often categorized in certain ways when they have been there for a bit. So you may need to make a break of it and go somewhere else.
BigShrimpin
Politicker
1
Account executive
exactly this, if you haven't lost the ability to sell you can always sell your way back in
Sunbunny31
Arsonist
2
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Nothing like draining a bank account to prompt some (negative) self-reflection. Go after this job, get success. I’m sure that mirror will get rosier once this is behind you. You’ve got this.
Goomba
Opinionated
1
Director of Shitposts
Thanks for the encouragement. Hoping that’s the case. It got dark AF these last few months. I’m in my 30s now and not nearly as open to losing it all as I once was.
Sunbunny31
Arsonist
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Hang in there. I experienced the aftermath of 9/11 and the dotcom crash while in my 30s, followed by 2008. There were some belt tightening sobering moments in there. It’s ok to be shaken and introspective, but know that better things are ahead. This will make those better things sweeter.
SalesBeast
Politicker
1
Sales Leader
Sales can wear on you. Especially if you had shitty management or rough patches in selling. I too use to love selling, but after 16+ yrs of doing it, it gets old at times. Especially in this economy when sales are a lot harder. I’ve debated dropping sales many times but those 70-115k commission checks make it worth the busting ass.
Goomba
Opinionated
2
Director of Shitposts
That’s insane man. I think I cut before I ended up getting there. OPs leadership paid me the most.

I had to quit a direct outbound focused sales role because of what you mentioned and I had no more mental health to give sales while staying alive.

The reality is many companies make selling suck harder than they need to. And most companies are shit to sell for. Working for the wrong companies can make or break you 100%.
Chep
WR Officer
1
Bitcoin Adoption Specialist
CS is sales in my book
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
sales, ex-sales, who cares? Are you happier in the role, do your ends justify the means and can you make the payments you need to make? Call me a janitor for all you want just pay me.
pirate
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
Sometimes I guess success is not a straight line. You've still come far from 50k and 80k. And I'm sure if you'll keep grinding it would be 300k. And don't compare yourself to others
11
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Do you think a sales person can be considered overpaid?

Question
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Can a sales person be over compensated
35% Yes
55% No
10% Indifferent
169 people voted
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Ok Tech sales peeps - tell me what my client needs

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How relatable is your sales manager?

Question
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Can you relate with your sales manager when things change for the worse?
53% We shoot the shit and just work on things under our control
35% To a certain extent yes, but they are still "company material'
12% Talking to my boss is like talking to marketing
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