As a sales professional, did you think through and design your career path, or were you thrown in and now you're just winging it?

I'm fortunate that I was thrown into sales, and luckily ended up in SaaS, which is exactly where I'd want to be. I know others aren't in the same boat and hate their sales job but are struggling with transitioning into another market from where they are.


Did you plan out your future, next steps or roles, and how to get there in your sales career?

๐Ÿฑ Off-Topic
๐Ÿš€ Career Goals
โœŒ๏ธ Growing Pains
9
Rallier
Politicker
5
SDR Manager and Consultant
I've never met anybody that planned on getting into sales. Is it just me or are we all just winging it?
paddy
WR Officer
2
Director of Business Development
Can confirm.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
๐ŸฆŠ
100% winging it playa. I didn't want to do this shit!
LordOfWar
Tycoon
2
Blow it up
Wing and prayer man!

No one plans to get into sales, at least no one I've met who is being honest with themselves. Once in I figure it is common to plan your career.

I'm running sales now for our org, my future plan is to grow a team to takeover the direct sales jobs and transition to more management/biz dev roles.
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
2
โ˜•๏ธ
Graduating in 2010 left me with no options. Can't say I regret the path, but it wasn't truly my choice. I wanted to work for the events department of a major Vermont ski resort--but due to a down economy, the job I was slated for post-internship was cut.
Tres
Politicker
1
Account Executive
I had a mentor who told me to get to senior leadership you have to come from either finance or sales, so that inspired me to get into sales.ย 
Salespreuner
Big Shot
0
Regional Sales Director
Mentor /coach : helps big time ๐Ÿ’ฏ. Good to know yours
Salespreuner
Big Shot
0
Regional Sales Director
I moved from engineering to retail sales to corporate sales to tech sales
Planned moves each . I plan 2 years while I move in every role. To make sure trajectory and goals are intact and maintained
I look for learning, deal closures and out of jobs works which require passionate mindset in order to have a good yearly appraisal and push for some hikes
Beans
Big Shot
0
Enterprise Account Executive
It was a career restart following a degree that doesn't really fit this field.

So it's definitely been a seat of the pants type thing. Sold travel, then med devices/biotechnology services, now SaaS.
Goomba
Opinionated
0
Director
I don't have good enough luck or nepotism skills to get a designated career path.

Pretty much it's going with the flow, making the best decisions I can with the info I have, and hoping it works out.

Less disappointment that way.
8

Is sales a cop-out career?

Question
30
How do you take sales
38% I give 110%.... 100% of the time
29% I give 100% for as little as possible
33% I do what I want when I want
128 people voted
7

Most YOLO moment of your sales career

Question
7
11

If you could start your sales career again how would you do it differently?

Question
10