Goomba

Director

Valued Contributor

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

10

14 comments

Sort by:

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

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

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

Catalyst

1

Account executive

exactly this, if you haven't lost the ability to sell you can always sell your way back in

Sunbunny31

Politicker

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

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

Politicker

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

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%.

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

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.