Cesar Martinez profile picture
Cesar Martinez profile picture

Cesar Martinez

General Manager at Not Soccer F.C

How Was Your First Sales Experience?

Hi everyone! I'm new to the community as I'm going to be looking for Sales roles upon my graduation from UBC in December 2023 (or May 2024 depending on certain class requirements).


Would like to know a bit about your first experience in sales, any tips for where to apply that's interesting and if anyone had their experience in Toronto I would like to connect as my plan is to be moving to Toronto after graduation.


Thanks everyone!

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14 comments

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poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
6
☕️
Welcome, Cesar. Be sure to use the search bar to find relevant articles.

My first sales experience was hell. I got in at 8 am, got 30 minutes for lunch, and could not leave unless I made 150 dials at minimum. What's more, is that I did all of the work for deal qualification and funding (sold financial services products) for my AE and all they had to do was make sure the promissory notes were signed.

Did that for 6 months before I had to leave before I committed a crime.
FinanceEngineer
Politicker
2
Sr Director, sales and partnerships
I got forced into it from capital markets. It wasn’t hard as I know the product, but the process pissed me off a little. I find that people think you are much more full of shit compared to finance
punishedlad
Tycoon
2
🧙‍♂️
First sales experience was pretty dismal, and I think you'll hear this from a lot of folks. You kind of have to start in the trenches to prove your salt.

As far as what you should be looking for, it depends on what your goals are. If you want a smoother transition with solid training/built out onboarding, try for a more established company (Series C or later). If you want to get thrown to the wolves and see if you can make it, try for an early stage start up.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
Damn dude I'm 92. My brain can't remember that far back in time.
RandyLahey
Politicker
1
Account Manager
Like others here, mine was a completely shit show. I had a KPI of 500 activities a day, 100 dials, 100 linkedin connections and 300 emails.

This was before many of our automated tools.

I quit after two weeks.
HVACexpert
Politicker
0
sales engineer
Ouch
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
My first experience was pretty good, but it was a very long time ago, so I’m not sure how relevant it will be to today’s experiences. I fell into a sales role when our only field AE wouldn’t deal with small deals, so I just set them up and learned as I went along. There were no BDRs and we had a lot of interest, so inbound leads were abundant. No tools for prospecting or cadences existed yet outside of your own spreadsheet and Outlook. I really liked my team, the company was full of interesting smart people, and we had an office on the waterfront that I could bicycle to.

It was really sweet. Hard work paid off, though a couple colleagues of mine did ok by coasting.

Before you think that I have always had it good, this was immediately followed by the dotcom crash, a year of working outside the tech industry, and then the worst situation I’ve ever had. Honestly, I think everyone has had at least one suboptimal experience. Definitely helps you know when you’ve got it good!
Maximas
Tycoon
1
Senior Sales Executive
Welcome to the WR.
Not bad,just said hello then customers liked me and started selling some couple of radios:)
HVACexpert
Politicker
1
sales engineer
Mine wasn’t bad. I was inside sales after college. My outside sales team member was a great mentor and my sales manager was very supportive. Honestly it went really well and I enjoyed it.
detectivegibbles
Politicker
1
Sales Director
Welcome!!!

Tons of sales vets in here so don't hesitate with questions. High encouragement to check the search bar for specific topics first before posting.

First experience in sales, mortgage originator. Frankly, I hated it. But it taught me a ton about building a network.
Diablo
Politicker
0
Sr. AE
It was exciting but overwhelming or may be I find it too much as it was just a start. But enjoying the phase where I am now. All the best !
Gyro25
Notorious Answer
0
Account Executive
I was a street canvasser and had a daily quota, then a shitty construction management job with an impossible KPI. They were both terrible, but they taught me a lot about how to deal with people and not to put up with shit(unless it pays super well).
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
Terrible first sales experience and let go 5 months in. learned from it, got better, don't suck as bad now
FranchiseSalesQB
Politicker
0
Franchise Sales QB
I think it was good, it was a while back. I'm just down the QEW in Buffalo so not too far from the T dot.

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