Im sick, so i thought i would do an AMA?

So i feel like garbage today so ill be taking the morning off just laying i bed.


I thought it could be fun to do an AMA.


Not sure if I have enough clout for ppl to care but hey, we will give it a shot.


Topics id love to answer:


  • stock options
  • career progression
  • running discovery calls
  • Tennis
  • Navigating the start of a sales career.
  • And tennis.

lets see how this goes?

๐Ÿ” Discovery
๐Ÿ“‰ Equity
๐Ÿคด AMA
22
maromillion
Politicker
5
Mid-Market AE
Hope you get well soon! I'm prepping to start my job search in January while also in the middle of getting promoted upstream to Mid-Market AE.

Any thoughts on the job market early 2023? I know the best method is to reach out to managers & directors directly, but it has been hard just finding companies that fit my situation best (great training, structured processes, and hands-on leaders). I haven't chosen an industry yet either; just looking for full cycle roles where I can build a foundation of sales skills. Any advice?

Also, any advice for getting comfortable with giving presentations? I'm going from SMB where I sold purely on the phone to giving presentations in Mid-Market. Any advice on making this switch?

Thanks!
TennisandSales
Politicker
4
Head Of Sales
Curious on why you are looking to leave if you are being promoted? Thats an interesting situation to be in!

idk if I have any real insight into the overall job market. BUT the RIGHT companies are still hiring. but its for sure hard to find them. I would take some time to better define what "great training, structured process and hand on leaders" means to you. IMO, the larger the company the more training and structure you will find.

Also congrats on getting a shot at MM. running demos/presentations is a core sales skill that you NEED to have. glad you have the chance to develop it. here are my tips:

1. take what leadership gives you in terms of a deck or talk track and run it over and over until you have it down.
2. tweak it a bit to make it sounds like YOU are saying it. you want this to sound as NATURAL as possible. the goal should be to sound like your talking to a friend. not giving a speech you know?
3. Record your self doing it and watch it back and you will quickly see what parts your doing well at and what parts you need to fix.

if you do that over and over you will be heading in the right direction in my mind.
maromillion
Politicker
3
Mid-Market AE
It's more so we have eliminated our SMB market so they are going to move me upstream to MM and increase my base/OTE.

Why I want to leave is due to a mix of quota attainability, lack of a hands on leader, and little training.

At this moment in my career, I want a place where I can develop my skills. Where I'm at now, my skills don't matter, how I sell doesn't matter. As long as I hit quota, nothing else matters. If I decide to jump ship, I won't have the sales foundation I need.

If I were to study outside of work/learn sales myself, there isn't much information on my industry that I can find widely available. My industry is a bit older and we are a startup trying to turn the industry digital.

I'm barely 2 years into my career and I really want a hands on leader.... whether I have to become an SDR again at a large org like Salesforce or Hubspot wouldn't matter to me. Really want a leader to shape my raw skills and mold me into what they need on their team. My CRO is hands-off and I'm not fully confident in hitting quota consistently.

I know 100% that demoing will be an essential skill down the line, so I'm going to learn as much as I can while I'm in my current role. But right now I want to learn the best sales practices at some great sales orgs; once I have that foundation, then I'd be comfortable no matter what role I get down the line.
Gasty
Notable Contributor
5
War Room Community Manager
Awesome initiative ! Hope you feel a tad better with every question you answer here ;)
Mobi85
Politicker
4
Regional Sales Manager
What drove you to the market/industry that you are in and what have you learned from this industry that keeps you wanting to come back each day?
TennisandSales
Politicker
4
Head Of Sales
great questions. i totally stumbled across the industry I am in. My first Saas AE roles was in this industry and i didnt know anything about it, i just knew i wanted to be an AE.

What keeps me wanting to stay in the industry and come back each day is that its a very niche market, pretty small TAM, BUT ive become pretty specialized and that has really paid off for me.

Also its clear to see the work im doing being a benefit to the customers which is always nice for me.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
4
Sr Sales Executive ๐Ÿฐ
Sorry you don't feel well, but would love to hear about your career progression - how you got started (what got you into sales in the first place) and how you got to where you are.

I'm also interested in finding out how far you got in tennis. I never played, but my husband was a D1 player (a long time ago) so stories are cool! He also loves Federer, and who doesn't love a good Rafa OCD moment?
TennisandSales
Politicker
3
Head Of Sales
good questions! so i started in financial services selling insurance and investments. this was insane. i was full commission for 4 of the 5 years I was there. it was the hardest job ive ever had and SOOO stressful. but I learned a TON about sales.

i was promoted to manager and ran a small team for a bit before leaving the industry and making my way to Saas.

I took a step back and became an SDR, but as Soon as I could i left and took the first AE job i could get. I knew this was the way i needed to go.

- I was in Mid market at first ACV around $20K
- I was only there for 8 months and left for a new gig. the ACV here was - TINY, like $2k a year. it SUCKED.
- Then with a bit of luck, my former coworker became a sales manager at the publicly traded company i mentioned in a previous question. AS soon as he was able to hire an AE he called me and I got my shot in ENT sales. closed my largest deal of $400k.
- i left there for a few different reason for the company I am at now, still in ENT and have been lucky to work on some BIG contracts and got to close my first $1MM deal.

TONS more i could share but those are the highlights haha.

I played DII tennis in college and im currently a 5.0 USTA / 8.5 UTR is that means anything to you haha.

The roger Rafa rivalry has been such a cool thing to experience!
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive ๐Ÿฐ
Thank you - very solid and interesting answers. Best of luck to you on your career path.

RE tennis - glad you are still playing! My husband has had horrible back issues and had to stop playing many years ago. Years of catching and a fall when he was a kid and that cascaded. I know he misses it like crazy. On the flip side, my FIL played (well at the end "showed up at the court with a racket in hand and swung it occasionally" is more appropriate) into his 90s. Hope you're able to continue as long as you want!
alonzoharris
Politicker
3
Partner Manager
Whoโ€™s your tennis GOAT, mens and womens tours
TennisandSales
Politicker
6
Head Of Sales
haha!!! the REAL question. on the womens side its EASILY Serena. She changed the game with her level of talent, commitment and power she brought.

on the mens side I think Novak has the best chance to be the true GOAT. but Roger Federer will always be #1 in my mind. his style was SO effortless it was really mind blowing to watch.
alonzoharris
Politicker
2
Partner Manager
100% agreed - Iโ€™d upvote you 100 times for this if I could haha
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ
SaaSsy
Politicker
3
AE
Aw, hope you feel better! Hate to say it but I almost wish I was sick because this quarter sucks so here I am, lol. I want to know about your stock option experiences! First time you received anything worth writing home about, did the company get purchased/go under, what did you do with them and when? As much detail as you're willing to share as I'll be having to deal with this sometime next year.
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
the first two tech companies i worked at gave me "stock options" which really were nothing more than monopoly money.

The first publicly traded company that I worked for gave RSU's(restricted stock units) and ISOs (incentive stock options).

IMO if you can ever pick, choose RSUs. They are really like cash. i was given a certain number of RSU's (lets say 100) and a vesting schedule. (every 3 months). So at the end of every quarter, the latest stock price was established, and then multiplies by the number of shares i had vested. So if I had 25 vested shares and the stock was at $200 per share, I would earn $5000 (pre tax). This was my favorite since I didnt have to do anything.

ISO's were when on my start date, they looked at the stock price, and then that was locked in. so then I would have the ability to purchase stock at that price at some point in the future.
this is a nice benefit but not SUPER helpful since I had to spend my OWN money to get the benefit.

If you are ever interviewing and they bring up stock, always ask what kind of stock option it is. I am VERY hesitant to take large stock options instead of a higher base salary.
SaaSsy
Politicker
2
AE
Monopoly money, I know that's right! Yep, makes sense, I've had RSUs before and that was great and somehow, easier to understand? Now that I have some downtime, I'm researching ISO stuff more. Follow up question - when you asked for raises at regular intervals, did you also negotiate add'l ISOs in addition to base/OTE?
TennisandSales
Politicker
0
Head Of Sales
i did not negotiate additional ISO's but i did get re upped every year. When i got a raise, they included additional RSU's and ISO's in the raise. this was nice.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
3
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
Navigating the start of sales career - how important is smashing quota in the very initial stage? Does learning take the spotlight, or does the mad race of closing deals take the spotlight - in the ideal world?
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
i think in MOST companies, closing deals and hitting quota early is the BEST way to succeed. At least at first.

If you come out the gates crushing it you will catch alot of eyes and get alot of attention. which is good. but if you dont also do the work to become really knowledgable in what you are doing you run the risk of being just a flame.

But hitting quota and closing a ton of deals will never hurt you in our world.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
Hmmmm, this makes sense! Thanks Tennis !
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
3
Bravado's Resident Asshole
How big is your..racket?
alonzoharris
Politicker
2
Partner Manager
asking the real q's
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
hahah i have a pretty small racket๐Ÿ˜‚....93 square inches to be exact! but its all about how you use it of COURSE!
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
2
Bravado's Resident Asshole
Well, I wanted to serve a pun for you here, figured it would have been out of play after reviewing it further. Love.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive ๐Ÿฐ
FAULT.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
3
Sales Rep
My tennis questions is, What USTA level are you in tennis? Judge free zone, I am 3.5 and have a 2.5 Trophy on the mantel.

On the sales side, what are the short term goals you set for yourself to make sure you continue progressing your career?
TennisandSales
Politicker
3
Head Of Sales
nice! I am a 5.0 USTA and i doubt ill get higher than that haha.

the short term goals question is a good one. up to this point, i have been trying to get to a place where im closing ENT deals that give me the chance to make the most money.

but really going into 2023 im really tying to figure out WHAT path is going to bring me the most happiness, staying an IC in ENT sales or moving down market and potentially getting into leadership. so thats a big thing im thinking about right now.

But also, in the past to make sure im progressing in my career, i ask my slef what new skills do i NEED to learn and WHERE can i learn them? thats been really key for me.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
๐ŸฆŠ
You got the rona bb? Are you ok???
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
thankfully not the rona! a just a cold thats knocking me out today......dang kids!
yoni
Politicker
2
Chief Data Scientist
Would love to hear your thoughts on stocks
TennisandSales
Politicker
0
Head Of Sales
like in general? like what stocks ppl should buy?
idk if im your guy for that.

Im a big fan of low cost mutual funds and index funds specifically. i dont deal in individual stocks.

Im also curious about your title? How did a Chief data scientists find their way into a forum for sales ppl?
Gasty
Notable Contributor
3
War Room Community Manager
Heโ€™s the chief data scientist for bravado.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
oh shit! very nice.....can we do a mini AMA on what a chief data scientist does? the types of data and ppl that manage it that I sell to im assuming are VERY different than the type of data Bravado is concerned about haha
Blue_Turtle
Opinionated
2
sdr
I hope you feel better. At what point did you find yourself good enough at sales that you could achieve the same outcomes without racking up tons of overtime? What led to that tipping point?
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
hmm this is a FANTASTIC question. so when i was an SDR ill be honest, i NEVER got to this place. i was totally a middle of the pack to sub par SDR.

As an AE what has helped me is to REALLY understand the problems we are solving for. Not just the features the product has, and how they work, but what does that mean for the customer?

Once i really wrapped my arms around this then i looked for companies that had that problem. and my messaging was all around that. it helped me to focus on prospects that would REALLY see the value in the solution and not just if they were a BIG company or a cool logo or had the right buyer persona.

I think if i was able to do this as an SDR it would have helped a bit too. happy to talk more about this.
Blue_Turtle
Opinionated
1
sdr
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. Iโ€™ve been interviewing for AE so as I make that transition Iโ€™ll look for those companies more than just booking people that are the right contact at a good fit company. Iโ€™ve noticed that when I let people talk more or ask more questions on the initial call they offer up more pain points. Iโ€™d love to chat more if you donโ€™t mind.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
my DMs are always open! hit me up, or make a post and ill share my thoughts too.

ill say that giving space to listen to the prospect is a super important skill for an SDR
Blue_Turtle
Opinionated
1
sdr
Thatโ€™s what Iโ€™ve been told by a few AEs who said people hate awkward silences and will fill it by just giving up more info. So Iโ€™ve started listening more and have had a few sets where people talked themselves into booking a meeting.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
oh nice! crazy what silence can do
Fenderbaum
Politicker
2
Retired Choirboy๐Ÿช•
I had a question about hybrid bermuda grass, but it doesn't appear to be part of your agenda. Sigh...
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
ahaha Im always down to talk lawn car my friend! im in the cool season zone so im more focused on perennial rye grass. but Bermuda grass can still work where i am at as well.

What you do you mean by "hybrid" Bermuda? like a special culitvar? or a mix of Bermuda with other grass types?
Fenderbaum
Politicker
0
Retired Choirboy๐Ÿช•
It's a mix only available in sod, no seed. Most of the residential lawns in California are hybrid bermuda and we have the rye grass going right now too. I actually didn't have a question, just wanted to razz you. Feeling better? ๐Ÿ˜Ž
TennisandSales
Politicker
0
Head Of Sales
hahah well im here for it! thankfully YES much better but now my wife and 2 kids are sick haha
SADNESSLieutenant
Politicker
2
Officer of โ™ฅ๏ธ
TELL US ABOUT YOUR YEARLY EARNINGS
TennisandSales
Politicker
0
Head Of Sales
hahahah!!! ok.

for 2022:
Base: $130k
Sign on Bonus $25K
Commission/Bonus: $55K (i have another check coming but it wont hit until 2023 ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ)
SticksAreUnbelievable
Valued Contributor
1
ADR (Account Development Rep) Sales Representative
I have to get to work but feel better!
anothersalesgiy
Good Citizen
1
Enterprise Account Executive
If you had to choose between a start up series B that seems ok but not the best product market fit AE position and a better series C start up but downgrade to an SDR position early in career (1.5 years) what would you pick?
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
AE 100%. getting closing experience is the number one thing to start increasing your income. In the short term (1 - 3 years) you could make more as an SDR but what you will learn as an AE even in not a perfect environment will translate to more down the road.
anothersalesgiy
Good Citizen
0
Enterprise Account Executive
That makes sense. Thank u
saaskicker
Celebrated Contributor
0
Enterprise AE
thoughts on platform tennis (paddle)? been into it recently
TennisandSales
Politicker
0
Head Of Sales
i would 100% LOVE to try Paddle looks like an absolute blast. but I dont have access to it where i live. My parents were in spain recently and my dad got HOOKED he was a pro Squash player in his time and plays alot of pickleball now but Paddle looks SO fun.
Lambda
Tycoon
0
Sales Consultant
Did you host the AMA

Where was it?
27
Members only

Bravado Jobs: I'm impressed

Advice
19
16

Welp, I'm in trouble lol

Question
17