Looking at leaving an AM role at a public company, for a Sales Director role at a start up. Anyone else made this leap?

Used to sell sporting goods for about 6 years. Sold to major chains (think Walmart, Costco, etc.) and got into SaaS sales just over a year ago. This director role would be at another Saas Company, but it's a much smaller operation, like 50 people total. Would love to hear anyone's thoughts, or advice about this.


Side note - comp would be significantly better.

☁️ Software Tech
💰 Compensation
🧢 Sales Management
3
Ras_Rebuttles
Contributor
2
Sales Consultant
Received offer and turned it down
Totally possible if your prev exp was any kind of biz development you will probably do well if you can choose who is hired onto your team. 
Make sure you're in total control of who's hired to work for you! 
buythedream
Member
0
Account Manager
Friend of mine told me the same thing, to make sure I’d be in control of who is hired and works under me. That’s a really good point. 
Smithy
Politicker
1
Director of Sales
I would make sure that you do the due diligence on the company, funding stage, goals you will be expected to hit, customer growth v customer retention and the consequences of goals are not hit in the short-mid-long term.

Also, would this be your first management position or is SD still an IC role?

Reason I ask, is that If you are managing/growing a team, then that adds a massive variable to everything above and will take a massive amount of your time away from everything else. 
buythedream
Member
1
Account Manager
This would be my first management position, so it could be a big leap for me. I was planning on digging more into the questions you mentioned, but adding in the consequences of possibly not hitting short-mid-long term goals is a really good point. 
Smithy
Politicker
0
Director of Sales
Congrats on the first management role @buythedream that is brilliant!

In that case, I would defo ask about the unit economics, expectations, and how they have/will build the team. Most companies just increase headcount, but that is the most expensive and, normally, slowest way to increase growth, especially if it's done poorly.

Understand whether you will be selling initially too or pure management. If it's both, be clear on the time suck doing these together will be. 

Remember that change management will be a massive part of your initial 6-9 months in terms of you coming in, getting a team on your side, implementing your way of working, and the blowback on that. If there is an existing team, then that will make it a long adjustment period and they need to understand that.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
🦊
Did you make the leap?
7

Embarrassing to ask but how do you find a new AE sales job? I'm an AE (5 years exp)...

Question
9
18
Members only

Previous company is losing salespeople left and right, think I made a great decision leaving. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Discussion
24
33
Members only

I was hired at a really good start up about 4 months ago for a SDR role that I was told I wouldn’t be in for very long. They’re gonna go public in the next year, but Zoom Info reached out to me about an Account exec position. Now I’m wondering if I should take the guaranteed route to AE or let my shares vest and get to AE at the place that took me. Usually I wouldn’t consider jumping so quickly, but AE is AE.

Question
30
stay or go
53% yes, start closing
47% no, dont be impatient
310 people voted