tierra

Director of Revenue Operations

Looking for Advice

I would like some advice or pointers on what to consider / keep in mind when shifting industries. At times it feels like a straight start over but know this new opportunity takes me down a path I've been trying to break into for the better half of the last 4 years. Would love to hear from individuals who have gone through similar transitions.

Past - Territory Manager and Director of Sales Operations (health care - Hardware and SaaS)

Possible Next - Business Development Manager (climate and energy - GIS and AI)

🧠 Advice

😋 Job Searching

🤓 Sales Tech

11 comments

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HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

Just do whatever research you can on the company and industry. if you know people who work there hit them up for coffee so you can bounce questions or concerns off them. To be honest I would ask more about culture than anything. Every company or industry will do business different but culture will always be hardest to get use to.

Good news is sales will always be relationships based so if you’re good at that, that will be the easy part!

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

BDM doesn’t necessarily mean you’re at the bottom. Titles can be deceiving.

I’d focus on soft skills - territory organization, relationship building, business acumen, etc. and how those skills have helped you succeed in the past.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Yes. Every company has different meanings to the same titles. Especially when you jump industries.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

If I’m reading your post right, you have an opportunity to move into the BDM role?

Can you connect with people at the company to get direct advice on what is the most valuable info to learn now, then what would be next?

tierra

Contributor

Director of Revenue Operations

Yea and yes.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I’d definitely tap those resources and learn from the expertise of those who know.

punishedlad

Tycoon

Business Development Team Lead

By no means does it have to be a hard reset. The only backtracking should be a training program on the products/industry as well as training on what their typical sales structure looks like and what to expect/what is expected of you.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

i did this a few times: financial services -> Martech Saas - > life sciences saas.

1. make sure you understand how the product works and what problems it solves super well.2. then make sure you understand how the product fits into the whole industry. (what other tech does your buyer use, what other tech would they want to integrate into it ect.

once you can understand those two things i think it makes you much more confident and much more helpful to your prospects.

I did this buy watching as many recorded demos as possible as well as spending time with CS to hear what questions THEY get asked and doing a bunch of research on my own.

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

What kind of sale are you looking to do? Large and complex? Short and transactional?
Start there, and consider long-term potential.

RandyLahey

Politicker

Account Executive

Can you clarify if BDM entails a few steps down the latter or am I misreading the title?

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

Understanding where clients are now and where they desire to be AND then determining if you can help them accomplish that goal... that is sales. Regardless of the industry or product, you have to love the client.

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tierra

Looking for Advice

11 comments

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