Nikhil Chhabra

Research Manager at Dig Insights

Has anyone else transitioned into tech sales from another industry and liked it? What were some challenges?

Hey everyone,

I'm currently looking to transition into tech sales and wanted to get the opinions of those who have done so already in the past. Was it challenging? Rewarding? Worth it? Or a disaster?

Do you have regrets on going into tech sales and if you do, why?

I've talked to some people in Sales and they say things about how it's difficult and how they're worried about job security which I don't have to worry about that much. I just feel sometimes I don't get paid enough for the work I put in right now in my market research job.

🎈 Mentorship

☁️ Software Tech

🤝 Networking

22 comments

Sort by:

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Bless you for calling it tech sales and not SaaS sales. You already have a better understanding of the vertical than 95% of others considering breaking in.

Research Manager

I mean I am interested in working in a company that has a SaaS product

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Yes, but you didn’t call it “SaaS sales” which really isn’t a thing in and of itself.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

🧿🦡

Maximas

Tycoon

Senior Sales Executive

Friends of mine see it promising and not that risky, give it a shot and you won't regret, if it didn't go well feel free to get out, much of luck!

cloudsecops

Member

Account Executive

Yup! Got into tech sales 8 years ago from Real Estate and never looked back. Even now in the current real estate climate I have zero regrets. Tech changed my life financially and I have a better work life balance.

Maybe I’ve just been at good companies from the WL balance perspective but I wouldn’t have what I have in real estate.

FoodForSales

Politicker

High risk = high reward.

Sales is the only profession where you earn what you deserve.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Moved from recruiting to sales 12 years ago. Never looked back.

Research Manager

Is it the pay, worklife balance?

What specifically makes you not want to look back?

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Earnings, growth, opportunity.

ZVRK

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

I’m in tech sales (enterprise SaaS) 3 years now, came in from selling executive training for 7 years before that, here’s what i found most challenging at first (most of it still a challenge):

- Competition. There’s a ton of it in my space, there are like 80-90 vendors we compete against globally, god knows how many not on the map.

- Decision making committees. I was used to selling to one person in a company, tops to them and their boss. I know have to go through a champion, the LOB managers, it security, procurement, legal and sometimes C-Level as well (CHRO, CIO, even CEO)

- Fewer qualifies leads, longer cycles. I was also used to going through a large number of leads with my pipeline always full, i now have a hand-full of them on sales cycles that last up to 12 months!

On the upside, transitioning into tech sales has pushed me in becoming a more competent seller.

I’m constantly learning about other solutions out there and as I’m constantly dealing with some od the largest enterprises in the world i have to have my a-game at all times.

It’s been hard, especially the first year, but the advancement i’m seeing both in my personal development and in my earnings have been well worth it.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

I made the switch during covid, i am really happy about it.

If you have not read this, I highly recommend it

https://bravado.co/academy/breaking-into-tech-sales

Research Manager

Thanks for sharing the link!

detectivegibbles

Politicker

Sales Director

Yep, left tech for healthcare sales. Have loved every second of it.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Haz you ever made any salez?

Research Manager

I've done sales at the retail level in terms of selling mobility plans, and residential services (TV, Internet,etc.) For Bell Canada. And that was a pretty good experience - got nice commission checks and had a quota of new activations and upgrades

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Imagine that exact process only add this:
You have to find the people you want to sell. And when you find them they don’t want to talk to you.

Then you need a group of them because one isn’t enough to get a deal done. None in that group want to talk to you.

Then add at least 5 figures to the price and a procurement department, where the payment comes from, who doesn’t want to talk to you even after you make the deal.

Then add competitors and channel people who will undercut you for sport. Then add a 6 month sales cycle with an infinite number of ways to blow up your deal.

Then put a quota gun to your head that will PiP your ass when you miss your first target.

So, other than that, it’s about the same as what you’ve done.

Research Manager

Have you had experience with PIPs and did you make it out alive?

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Nobody beats one

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

And if they do, they leave after having the distrust bubble burst.

startupminion

Executive

BDM

This comment deserves an award

startupminion

Executive

BDM

I transitioned from professional service sales into tech sales 3 mths ago. Undecided if I like it better. Some observations:
- very high scrutiny on activity levels
- competition is way higher
- a lot of song and dance in the sales team
- way longer sales cycles
- overall comp might not be better

Not sure if those are tech sales specific or if it’s just the particular company that I work for.

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

Press Careers

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.

Nikhil Chhabra

Has anyone else transitioned into tech sales from another industry and liked it? What were some challenges?

22 comments

Related posts

Looking at leaving an AM role at a public company, for a Sales Director role at a start up. Anyone else made this leap?

Anyone else at a startup with a good product no one understands?

I’ve been selling for 5+ years. Have been in selling SAAS for the last year or so. Looking for a individual sales coach to help with the transition. I see a lot of sales academy that I can buy but I’m looking for 1:1 sales coaching. Anyone have any recommendations?