WopWopWop

Client Executive

Valued Contributor

I attained less than 15% of my quota for 2 years due to factors outside of my control. Is my sales career over? Should I lie on my resume?

Hello all. I'm in a very tough situation. While I've had success throughout most of my career, I made the worst decision joining a failing division of a larger company. Many of my peers with successful track records had their worst years in this department.

There are always factors outside of our control in sales, but in this case, it was on another level.

This job is not indicative of my ability as a salesperson, but if I'm anywhere near honest about performance, my career may be over.

Friends have said I'd be an idiot to not completely lie on my resume. I agree with them..but I value dignity and would hate to start a job based on a lie.

There are other metrics to show off, but <15% attainment in two years is literally career-ending. No one cares what you have to say regardless of how many outside factors impacted you.

How would you go about this?

Option 1 - Be honest and possibly never get a job again?

Option 2 - Say I attained 80-90% of my quota - shows integrity but still a massive lie

Option 3- Say I attained 100%+ of my quota

I know several people with poor performance that did not think twice before lying on their resume.

I've succeeded in the past and I can do it again, but I think lying is the only way to save my career.

How would you go about this?

Attached poll

Be honest and possibly never get a job again? Say I attained 80-90% of my quota - shows integrity but still a massive lie Say I attained 100%+ of my quota

*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.

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47 comments

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BigShrimpin

Catalyst

14

Account executive

just lie nobody actually checks and if they do just get the cool manager to be your reference

ExtremeVibeChecker44

Arsonist

6

Inside Sales

They can't really check. All a former employer can do is verify your dates of employment and job title. They can't say much else.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

2

🦊

This 🤩

Avon

Politicker

2

Senior Account Executive

Yeah my NDA specifically says I cant show anything from our CRM..soo

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

0

Client Executive

I heard Google Cloud, Cisco, and some startups ask for W2

Avon

Politicker

1

Senior Account Executive

Interesting, fortunately in my state thats extremely illegal as its found to contribute to wage gaps between men and women.

ExtremeVibeChecker44

Arsonist

0

Inside Sales

That seems questionable legally - also most orgs pay you as if you're fully ramped anyway for a while

Sunbunny31

Politicker

10

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

"Most recently, I was working in x department at my long term employer. During our ramp, I came in at the top of the reps, but due to company decisions to EOL the department, the entire team had to close out the term on a difficult note. It was one of the most challenging times in my career. Here's what I learned...."

Natsochist

Good Citizen

4

Director of Product Sales

This is the way. Especially “here’s what I learned.” Everyone has an absolutely shit patch on their resume eventually. The question is whether all the blame for it goes on everyone else, or if you find something to take away from it - even if that something is just, “Man, I now know to look out for these red flags,” or, “I never knew how much I valued PMF” or similar.

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

0

Client Executive

I agree but I don't think recruiters or most hiring managers would give me a chance to explain this. Even if they do, they'll go with another candidate lying about their 130% attainment

Justatitle

Big Shot

9

Account Executive

you had a ramping quota, you met the ramping quota expectations.

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

6

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

There was expectant quota and actual. “I was at my target” could be right. Just get out and set yourself up for success.

jefe

Arsonist

6

🍁

^^

It may take a little longer than you want to find the new gig but you'll be fine.

SalesBeast

Politicker

5

Sales Leader

Don’t mention ramping. Don’t mention anything negative. Do yourself a solid. Pump those numbers up on your resume and fire that puppy off.
As others said, nobody will know how bad you shit the bed. Almost nobody asks for prior w2 or other proof. Just be ready to lie (write the lies down on paper so you know it inside and out and don’t fumble or change the lies up) and go get a new fucking job.
Ya lying sucks, but sales is sometimes stretching the truth, or we wouldn’t be in a sales role.
I haven’t been in this role but have helped MANY other sales reps that were way under quota fabricate a story to land a new job.
This sales job market is hard. Bluntly if you don’t lie, I am not so sure you will find a generous person who is a sale manager that says ‘oh you shit the bed at your last company, you’re exactly what we want here’.

ExtremeVibeChecker44

Arsonist

2

Inside Sales

Dude's got a point. In this economy, nobody is taking on a fixer-upper.
A lot of sales is right time, right place - if you have the talent and you're confident you can DO the job, then do what it takes to get it?

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

0

Client Executive

Yeah. Sucks it has to be this way. I heard Google Cloud, Cisco, and some startups ask for W2s. I also can't lie if they have backdoor connections with my current employer. And what do I say when they ask for logos I closed?

ExtremeVibeChecker44

Arsonist

1

Inside Sales

I’ve never been asked for a W-2 but I guess it’s possible.

Also, disclosing logos seems like a violation of some sort.

ri_ri

WR Officer

2

Account Executive

If they ask for W2, ask to see the sales dashboard of how many reps hit quota

thiccwoofer

Old School Bravo

0

Mid Market Account Executive

If you are already lying…
Just do your due diligence before applying and interviews. If there’s someone on their team that knows someone on your team, you are going to want to head that off at the pass. You can’t solve all the problems, but you can do a good enough job with the right prep to glide your way through most of them. Do the job. Sell yourself to them. If you close them, you get the job.

RandyLahey

Politicker

3

Account Executive

Be honest; you will get a job again. I didn't hit my quota for a full year as a first-time, full-cycle AE. You will find something.

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

5

Client Executive

What was your attainment? Hitting 90% is very different from less than 15%

RandyLahey

Politicker

3

Account Executive

I had one month where I got close, but it was the month I was laid off. The others were all below 40%. They quintupled the amount of AEs in my first 3 months, and doubled my quota.

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

3

Client Executive

You were honest about this and they were OK with it? Were you competing with anyone who had better attainment?

RandyLahey

Politicker

5

Account Executive

I understand why you are thinking these thoughts, but there is exactly zero way for you, or anyone, to ascertain whether or not another candidate has superior quota achievement.
Focus on yourself, keep the part about why you didn't achieve your quota, and the circumstances contributing to this, to an absolute, succinct minimum.
Focus on building excitement for the actual opportunity, the company. That will outshine the difficult moments you had in your career.

oldcloser

Arsonist

3

💀

👆

RandyLahey

Politicker

3

Account Executive

Hey I'm not sure how I did those italics, but I like 'em.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I read them in a more intense voice.

Revenue_Rambo

Politicker

3

Director, Revenue Enablement

The numbers are only part of the equation. I've interviewed people with multiple President Clubs, 125%+ to quota, and watched the shit the bed in the presentation phase because they lacked actual sales skills.

Sometimes success is simply a matter of right place right time. What you'll find for those giving you advice here in the War Room... Success is a grind. They worked their asses off, kept learning and refining their craft, and earned their success.

Keep grinding 👊

RandyLahey

Politicker

3

Account Executive

Italics GANG

RandyLahey

Politicker

2

Account Executive

Like the narrator from the Big Lebowksi

oldcloser

Arsonist

3

💀

This thread comes complete with implied sound effects and voiceovers. Someone make it scratch n sniff.

RandyLahey

Politicker

3

Account Executive

.

Revenue_Rambo

Politicker

2

Director, Revenue Enablement

Why does it smell like glitter and stale beer in here now???

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Oh hell no to smelling this place.

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

Horrible notion

FoodForSales

Politicker

1

AE

lying is never good. that said, how will they know?

medhardwaredr

Opinionated

1

Director of Sales NA

Say you attained they can’t and don’t check

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

0

Client Executive

Some ask for W2s. I've even seen it in a job description

TallR

1

Account Executivee

How did you do compared to your team? Maybe you were #2 on a 6 person team? Emphasize that. If you do lie, make sure you and your reference have your story straight.

Coffee_is_for_closers

Opinionated

1

Product & Solutions Specialist

Honesty wins. Don’t make excuses but also don’t fall on the sword. Every company needs sales reps so finding another sales role shouldn’t be too hard.

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

0

Client Executive

I wish you were right. Honesty unfortunately doesn't win.

jcoup

0

Client Manager

I work as a recruiter and a salesperson in recruitment. This is my moment.
Do what you have to do, but practice your answers.
Recruiters and hiring managers are going to ask you about what you write on your resume.

0

Retired Sales Professional

You state that you, "agree with them..but I value dignity and would hate to start a job based on a lie." So why ask the question? You already answered the question in your own words. What were the obstacles in your way? What was so uncontrollable that you could not achieve beyond 15% two years.

Trust me I have been able to gain some good insight on the tech industry since being on this platform and have some understanding of how incredibly unfair goals are in your industry so please don't take my questions as anything else but someone who want to gain even more insight.

WopWopWop

Valued Contributor

1

Client Executive

I wish hiring managers were as understanding as you assume. They'll believe someone else's lies if I'm honest

0

Head of Business Development

Did I miss these “mitigating” factors? My suggestion is to use the data intelligently. My question is “how did you perform in relation to your peers”. I’ll be honest I’ve worked side by side with folks who clearly lied on resumes and I’m not a fan. You either can or cannot sell.

LightingLeader

Politicker

0

Specification Sales

I'm very pro-lying to recruiters and hiring managers but I've never done it myself. I personally would just explain market factors or business practices that caused this, I think companies also like hiring people that are acutely aware of the market trends.

886GFl

Praised Answer

0

Account Executive

Focus on the positives. If the division is failing, talk about the % you closed of total revenue for that division. May make your number look better.

How did you compare to your peers in that position? Were you the top rep?

This is very similar to reps who work at startups that don’t have PMF. They get a bad look because their number doesn’t look good on paper. But in reality they may be better salespeople because they’ve been making up for a product that has no legs to stand on. Talk about how you’ve overcome that as well.

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