ReadTheScript

Sales Manager

Industry specific experience?

Drank way too much caffeine this morning so decided to try and stir the pot. before a bunch of you jump down my throat about your industry being different, it most likely isn't.

Most of the best sales people I've worked with come from outside of the industry of the company we are currently in.

Also, buyers essentially have the same reasons to purchase across all industries.

so what is the point?

when companies require specific industry experience is it:

Attached poll

hiring managers who dont want to/dont know how to train lazy recruiting both something else, ill comment

*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.

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40 comments

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Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

I would say what actually matters is similar sales cycle and process. If you are used to one call closes, then starting a role with a 6 month sales cycle, where you are mostly "quarterbacking" the deal. That is an understandable why a manager might pass

Getting rejected for solely not having industry experience, I feel like means you are a great candidate, but we only have 1 role and another candidate checks every box.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

I agree that matters much more. I should’ve added a lack of patience as an option too

IndianaShep

Politicker

Director of Sales and Marketing

This is the answer.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Mixture of both. Industry can always be taught.

SADNES5

Politicker

down voters are marketing spies

I am in a niche business. You can come in knowing how to sell - sure - but not knowing the root causes of the why behind some of the client behavior will end you unemployed quickly. This is like @LordOfWar not understanding actual impacts to the end users of his wares. His company is lucky he was one of those end users. People can, but should they?

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

Can’t that be taught?

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

It can be taught, but most companies are looking for quick fill and not wanting to school someone.

If the person is proven to have sales success in other industries the company might take a shot at them if they can't find anyone with prior industry experience at the level they are trying to fill.

I'm in this situation now, looking to hire a rep and can't find anyone in my industry to fill it so I'm looking outside. I can teach how to sell in our industry, but I don't want to have to teach how to sell in general.

It also applies to the type of sales. Someone who is experienced in B2C might take more time to get used to B2B or B2G sales.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

I understand the preference for within the industry. I guess what I really don’t get is the recruiter (especially internal) pushing people out of process who are qualified just because of industry. Just seems dumb

Last part depends on the level for me, but I see your point.

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

Recruiters 9/10 times don't know what they are looking for, they just spam and check boxes.

I've had horrible results with them when I'm looking to hire and horrible results when I was looking for jobs. I got turned down for roles and approached a year later for even more senior roles then turned down again because I'm not "old enough". One even told me "check back in a few years when you've got more grey hair, they want someone older but your experience is perfect".

Don't let those robots masquerading as humans get you down.

If you see a role you like reach out to the company directly with a clear case of why you think you are a good fit.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

I’m not down about it. Just gives me a list of companies and people to never work with.

Having bad recruiters is the same as having shitty sales out reach. Fuck it up enough and no one will work with you.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Definitely both. Domain knowledge is easily taught - it's everything else they need to bring to the table.

@Kosta_Konfuciussums it up pretty well.

LordOfWar

Tycoon

Blow it up

Not everyone can learn and not everyone can teach, so most try to find a lazy medium of past performance to cover holes in their recruitment strategy.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

Such a shame. The state of recruiting is trash.

I had one not too long ago that I got rejected via a mass email where I was bcc’d.

Rejection doesn’t normally get to me but that level of shit almost got them called out publicly

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Sounds like they are in a position to be picky. As in, they have a number of qualified candidates who have industry experience, so they can pass on looking externally.

Not saying it's fair or even a great idea, but that could explain what's going on.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

I think it boils down to an inability to qualify.

Recruiters should have to go through sales training.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

You're making far too much sense. :)

IndianaShep

Politicker

Director of Sales and Marketing

In my interviewing process for potential new roles I feel like an absolute hot mess sometimes.

Let me explain.

I have a decade+ experience in four very different types of organizations (not-for-profit, education, radio sales, b2b professional services) and have busted quoted on all of them. People are the same wherever they sit for eight hours a day. BUT (!) it is incredibly frustrating in talking to tech-focused people that cannot move beyond the shiny candy of "SaaS" sales being a secret code. I get it, I do not fault them, but it feels SO lazy as an interviewer.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

both

Douglo

Opinionated

Sr Account Executive

There are cases where it's justified. If you want to hire an EAE for SLED they really do need SLED experience

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

Do they though? Someone at some point had to figure out how to sell to sled so it should be teachable.

I’ve actually done a few deals in that space with zero experience in SLED

Douglo

Opinionated

Sr Account Executive

What was the size of the deal? I imagine small if you didn't run into any issues. Each state have deal size minimums that trigger a requirement to go to RFP, meet hyper specific legal requirements and sometimes be signed by the Attorney General. That's just scratching the surface

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

70k+ ARR. one of the largest school districts in the state and had to go through local Govt and get listed in the local paper before approval

Douglo

Opinionated

Sr Account Executive

School district comes to you and has a 50k RPF threshold. However, neighboring school district has a pre-done RFP contract through a partner with pre-negotiated terms.

Would you know to search for that to allow them to not go to RFP? That's why SLED experience is necessary

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

I helped craft the RFP so avoided that without knowing.

Also, not overly difficult to show someone how to search for something.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

its for sure the fact that they dont want to train on the industry. thats it.

ppl want reps who can come in and get going fast, it you have to be taught the industry, and how people talk/work then its a slower ramp in companies minds. Idk if they are right...but thats almost ALWAYS the thought process.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

Yeah you’re right. But it’s flawed logic on their end.

Now, I’m basing this on having a strong fundamental understanding of buyer psychology and sales skill (sort of a big leap) but the nuance of selling to different personas is so marginal it can get picked up in 2-3 deals

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

i do agree that there is alot of the same stuff. how to do discovery, how to move things forward, how to uncover need, these are all the same no matter the industry. the objections are all the same as well.

it is flawed logic. if they would spend just the first week or so or the equivalent of a week through out the first month working on industry specific stuff, you would be good to go.

It also helps if the AE has a Solutions engineer that they can lean on at the start.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

SE’s are a godsend if the product is technical enough

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

for sure!!! in the two companies ive worked for that have has SE's they both helped me ramp faster for sure.

sellingout

Valued Contributor

Director of Partnerships

Lazy = smart? If everything else is equal give me someone who knows what's what vs someone who has to learn an entire industry.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

It’s never all things equal

JDialz

Politicker

Chief Operating Officer

I wish some of you goons would leave the comfort of your SaaS womb to come work with me!

IYNFYL

Politicker

Enterprise SaaS AE

Let me know the deets

JDialz

Politicker

Chief Operating Officer

This one usually scares most away: commission only, stipend while training.

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

The 80s called and wants their comp plan back.

If you’re going to go commission only, might as well just start your own business. Way higher upside

JDialz

Politicker

Chief Operating Officer

I *am* a partner owner.

Commission only obviously isn’t for everyone, and is pretty uncommon in the broader sales universe. In financial services the upside is better than anything else in sales by a wide margin. It was a tough slog getting established for sure, but now new advisors can come aboard with us and have the benefit of being a role player with a very high powered established firm.

coletrain

Politicker

Account Executive

While those two points are definitely a part of the mix, what a lot of companies seem to aim for is scaling revenue quickly, especially in the startup realm.

The thought is (IMO): Find someone that can bring a book in quick to bring in revenue (because we don't know what we're doing)

ReadTheScript

Politicker

Sales Manager

Bringing in a book almost never scales. Seen it a million times..

Rep brings a book in, is complacent with said book, never does anything beyond that book

Cyberjarre

Politicker

BDR

It scared the shit out of everyone in there and he clearly didn't understand the product.

kelvin26

Fire Starter

administrative manager

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ReadTheScript

Industry specific experience?

when companies require specific industry experience is it:

40 comments

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