Cocaine to software sales. Any advice?

Let's pretend the following scenario is true: I was formerly slinging cocaine, but have decided that the commission structure just wasn't panning out (thanks economic sanctions) and the lack of a company funded 401k account really made retirement look bleak. I have decided to transition to something a little more mundane, yet stable. So naturally I did what anyone with half a personality and a body temperature in the mid-high 90's is capable of succeeding at; SaaS sales.


What are some key takeaways from my prior job that would enable success in the new role? Any stark differences in the clientele, sales cycles, forecast management, etc?


This isn't real but let's have some fun since Monday fuckin blows and we need some creative synergy in here.


-paddy

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11
CoorsKing
WR Officer
5
Retired King of the Coors Knights
1) you have a solid supply for those days you need to be a little more like Mark Hanna and coffee isn't cutting it.

2) You don't take "no budget" for an answer

3) You have lots of experience negotiating price and maintaining your price point despite the objections of the prospect

4) Missing your quota now won't get you "disappeared"
ilovemondays
Executive
0
Senior Account Executive
Yeah this is amazing advice actually, specially number 2
funcoupons
WR Officer
3
๐Ÿ‘‘
El Chapo, is that you?
paddy
WR Officer
5
Director of Business Development
Word on the street is that El Chapo is a big fan of the Challenger sales method.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
๐ŸฆŠ
I just choked on my rosรฉ ๐Ÿคฃ
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
Ooohhh I like it. Slinging software does relate since you are dealing with supply and demand along with annoying buyers and constant pressure from internal and external forces. In this case though instead of worrying about being shot or arrested youโ€™re just worried about being fired.ย 
paddy
WR Officer
1
Director of Business Development
Valid point -- job security has a higher safety net than life security
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
Yeah that whole thing
SADNES5
Politicker
1
down voters are marketing spies
Give out free samples socially at parties. Then increase the free samples until they are calling you asking what party youre going to. EZ repeat customers after that.
countingmyinterest
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Initially, it's a very transactional sale to establish proof of concept and quality standards. Eventually, it becomes more of a relational sale and enable your customers to be channel partners/affiliates.ย 

You're dealing mostly with inbound leads and referrals, so you know how to establish rapport and qualify quickly.ย 

Direct feedback on quality standards and being able to relay that to your product team are imperative and able to have agile changes to product.ย 
Prizrak
Politicker
0
Disruptor of worlds
It depends what level the original role was. But I'll assume mid range. I was always told weed is done with a handshake and coke with a gun. So SaaS clientele don't have guns.ย 
You don't have borders to worry about. Cutting. Picking weird stuff out of your packages. Then there's the rivals... SaaS sales reps don't tend to go after other reps because they are too successful or flashy.ย 
Management is almost non existent in midrange illegitimate businesses. Or theyre in another country. As long as you pay your bills they usually leave you alone.ย 

The biggest issues I've seen with this transition is the addiction. Guys in that line of work are addicted to it. And life moves pretty slow when you aren't getting shot at all the time. The other is that the real world doesn't operate on the same rules. So when someone is a total douchebag in the real world, you wonder how that guy made it here alive. He would been sorted out years ago in the other industry.ย 
SaaSguy
Tycoon
0
Account Executive
Use old product to energize yourself to sell new (SaaS) product.
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