Let's stop promoting SaaS sales as a job for everyone and their grandma.

I am going to get a lot of hate for this unpopular opinion but I'll say it. SaaS sales for me was a savior as my major would have required me to go to grad school (which I had the grades for but would have to go into debt) for a good pay or any real career prospects. I came across the field after doing aggressive research online and joining internet communities where the idea was floated years ago. For anyone that is putting in that effort to figure out their future, I applaud you and this post is not aimed towards you.


What has been frustrating me as of late with "sales trainers" and other idiots is how they are shoving Software Sales down everyone's throats as the career to be, including trying to promote sales as college major. From what I have seen out there, there are tons of people in sales who just do not need to be in sales and are a bad fit for the profession. It's not because they are incompetent, it's just that their competence could be used in another career which may also have promising prospects.


All too often, I see former college party animals with no drive entering SDR roles just to collect a base. They get in because their fraternity brother or sorority sister was in at the company. I've seen countless people go into being an SDR and the vast majority just burned out of the role when they could have found a better career fit elsewhere.


It is to the point right now where telling someone to get into SaaS sales is the equivalent of all of life's issues.


"Wife left you? Get into SaaS sales!"


"Partied too hard in college and ended with bad grades and no career prospects? Get into SaaS sales!"


"Dog died? Get into SaaS sales!"


"Aspirations of being a famous actor not working out? Get into SaaS sales!"


"In out of rehab for drug addiction? Get into SaaS sales!"


"Depressed? Angry? Get into SaaS sales!"


At some point SaaS companies are going to be loaded with people who don't have drive but are looking to make a quick buck in a role, further blanking out the truly driven people that want to transform sales into an enjoyable profession. Even worse, some of these people will establish themselves at a negligent company where nepotism rules and hire their bros who can collect a quick paycheck rather than actually get any good at sales itself.


Yeah I am gonna get roasted, I don't care anymore.

☁️ Software Tech
👥 Hiring
32
CuriousFox
WR Officer
16
🦊
Vent boo boo. Let it all out. 
TheQueenofDiamonds
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Underrated response 
Sunbunny31
Politicker
11
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
No roasting here.   Slow clap.   Vent away.
1nbatopshotfan
Politicker
11
Sales
My grandmother did SaaS. Spaghetti as a service. Homemade food for 10 kids. 
HonestlyAbe
Personal Narrative
1
Consultant
My heart skipped a beat, this was too funny
BmajoR
Arsonist
7
Account Executive
I fully agree with this. 
SaaSam
Politicker
6
Account Executive
Nail on the head man. I accidentally fell into B2B sales when I was offered an SDR position and simply just needed a job. Didn't even know what the fuck an SDR was. 

Most of the companies I was reaching out to and later selling to when I got promoted were SaaS companies and I started to realize that's where I wanted to be.

I rarely tell someone that they should join this industry because tbh I don't have enough faith in most people to be a reference for them when they start trying to get in.

There is a reason that SDR attrition rates are so high. You only put up with that shit if you are really good at it or have enough fire in you to keep pushing because you love the space.
JuiceBox
Opinionated
5
Director
I honestly agree, no roasting coming from this side of the room
DungeonsNDemos
Big Shot
3
Rolling 20's all day
Too early to dentist? Saas.
Too late to dentist? Also SaaS.
Believe it or not, it all leads to SaaS.
BmajoR
Arsonist
1
Account Executive
Straight to SaaS
CaneWolf
Politicker
2
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
Corporate Bro's videos of sales life being awful are a hit for a reason....
jefe
Arsonist
1
🍁
It's definitely pushed FAR too often as the new, trendy thing/only way to move forward regardless of background.

A lot of people should just NOT be in sales, or at least not selling anything with a hint of complexity.
Filth
Politicker
1
Live Filthy or Die Clean
"Partied too hard in college and ended with bad grades and no career prospects? Get into SaaS sales!

Hey I feel very triggered right now...I'm going to smoke and drink and hope I hit quota - the exact same strat that worked  in college and the past 3 years has to keep working 😎

All seriousness my grades were fine but were eclipsed by my Olympic party conditioning - I just wasn't gonna pay for 4 years of law school after. Sales isn't for every asshole just the special assholes who love being an asshole and want to go pro. If you aren't in it for pissing people off here and there and the spite then why do it at all (other than the sex, money, and drugs of course)?
BitcoinAddict
Opinionated
1
AE
I don't think sales is for assholes at all.
Filth
Politicker
3
Live Filthy or Die Clean
Well I see the world through my own lens - I know I'm an asshole and my favorite colleagues are the same. For me it's a term of endearment.
RealPatrickBateman
Politicker
3
🔪Amateur Butcher🔪
Yeah, you lost me with this one doggie. Assholes make the world go round, you’re welcome.
BitcoinAddict
Opinionated
0
AE
Nah, not really. Only people who watch too many Martin Scorsese flicks think that
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
hahah vent vent vent! 

I do agree with you ppl do push saas as like the BEST for everyone. 

But you do make it sounds like ANYONE can get into saas sales. 

We see everyday on this platform of ppl trying to break in and cant. 

I had to start over to get into saas. I dont think anyone can get in, and the ones that suck will eventually quit or get fired. 

I also agree, in the future GOOD sales people will be highly sought after and it will be easier and easier for companies to tell if ppl will suck. 
HonestlyAbe
Personal Narrative
1
Consultant
I only recently got into SaaS sales because I realized I was naturally really good at it, had never worked remotely and didn't care for experiencing another near-death experience in-field. You know who wasn't good at selling in my company? 75% of our SDR's/AE's, most of whom were not provided with onboarding, nor methods for upskilling: that's the part I have beef with. If you don't want to onboard or upskill, that is totally ok, just don't tell candidates this is their chance at riding a unicorn. 
KingofGIF
Politicker
1
AE
I see the same with developers. Got out of jail, missed on the internet revolution and have no skills? take this bootcamp, do nothing else for 6 months and trust this obscure stat securing a job
BitcoinAddict
Opinionated
1
AE
this made me crack up 
Pachacuti
Politicker
0
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Without telecom hardware there would be no SaaS. Lots of $$ in that.
butwhy
Politicker
0
Solutions Engineer
Your last paragraph already happens today, especially in smaller startups. It's also not just young people, the good ol' boys club has been doing that for a very long time. 
FoodForSales
Politicker
0
AE
I agree - not everyone wants to sell SaaS
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
Oh man I fit the description of the people you do not want in SaaS sales 🤔
Trynblegendary
Executive
0
Enterprise Account Executive
I only promote the role because I know most won't do it anyway and if they do they won't last in an SDR role and if they do then I know they are serious. The great thing about this career path is if you're not money motivated (or have a love for tech) you won't last long unless you're EXTREMELY lucky and your product just sells itself, which we know most don't.
TheQueenofDiamonds
Politicker
0
Account Executive
You don't have to be good in sales to become a great SDR. Sales include closing the sale, SDR has to open it. Both are equally hard but unrelated to master. 
sahil
Notable Contributor
0
Deepak Chopra of Sales
Any high paying job is going to be difficult. Basic law of economics.

Sales is a hard job. Most struggle because it requires both technical and emotional intelligence to be excellent.

But there are both few barriers to entry and many opportunities in sales, which is unique among jobs where you can reasonably make $200K+.

That's why sales is such an amazing profession.
ventox35
Politicker
0
Sales Leader
"negligent company where nepotism rules"
Hi, welcome to my current organization! Where original ideas don't matter, and the new hires are just old buddies from a previous crappy endeavor! Let's take old ideas built for another company, and implement them into this new one. 

No roasting for you pal. keep spittin that supa hot fire
SADNESSLieutenant
Politicker
0
Officer of ♥️
'SaaS changed my life and it can change yours too' - Yeah ok.
ScopeCreep
Good Citizen
0
Regional Sales Manager
Big fan of this 🤣