C
C

Cstan

Account executive - SMB

Good Citizen

Moving into enterprise sales from SMB

What up savages-


Hoping to find out some ideas or thoughts to prepare myself as i want to move into enterprise sales. Been in SMB for about 9 months and tired of the make a quick buck process. Looking for that higher risk higher reward. Is this possible to even make that jump? Feels like MM is a bit of a later move to get there. I've had deals that required multiple stakeholders, and longer sale cycles of 3+ months.


I have product knowledge, buyer persona's, identifying buying process and vertical's all buttoned up. How to scale to need, than to fit for our products is how I transact some of the larger SMB deals.


Cant get experience without the role, cant get the role without the experience? Seems like that's a broad stroke for us. Performing RFP's, going through procurement, and along with on paper $ is where id assume I fall short.


Any suggestions to start working towards this goal is supremely appreciated.


Much Love

🎈 Mentorship
8

10 comments

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UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
4
SaaS Eater
Man I love your fire and desire to move quickly. Dont lose that. 

However as someone who started in SMB, the jump from SMB even to MM is significant. The complexity of deals, timelines, and entire process is very different than SMB and a precursor to enterprise. 

As a hiring manager and seeing only 9 months in a closing role I would have a hard time even considering a phone screen. Its hard to gain the experience needed to succeed in an enterprise AE role after just 9 months as an SMB AE. Talk to some enterprise AEs at your current company and learn about their career path and the differences in sales motions from one role to the next. 

Have conversations with hiring managers and what they look for in an enterprise AE, pull up job descriptions for roles that you want, understand where your skills are lacking and go perfect those in your current role. From there I wouldnt discount a MM role, itll be the stepping stone to get into enterprise in most companies, and unless you are going to a really small startup, companies rarely take fliers on someone without relevant experience for an enterprise role. 

I dont mean to be a wet blanket because your ambitions are pure and fantastic, but you need to put in the time to gain the experience for those types of roles. Embrace the grind. 
HindsightHarry
Praised Answer
2
Account Executive
Love the hustle but slow down my man. Enterprise is just a title. Be the SMB rep who hits 500% of quota and goes to club. Getting the job isn’t the hard part. Doing the job is. Keep smashing that smb life then when you’re making 250K a year you can start thinking about a promo
SaaSam
Politicker
1
Account Executive
While nothing is impossible you will have a hard time getting recruiters and hiring managers to do more than toss your resume to the side when they look at your experience.

Your best bet is to look at early stage startups that are aggressively hiring and climbing the ranks there. If you can keep up with the typical break neck pace of a startup it's probably the fastest way to advance your career.
LordBusiness
Politicker
1
Chief Revenue Officer
Be patient.....and when you are done with that.....BE PATIENT.  While I can understand your desire to want to grow, there is value in continuing to perfect your craft, truly master your skills.  In my now 17+ years of selling, I've never once asked for a promotion or new job.  I've been asked, dozens of times - but I've never approached anyone for growth.   I find myself throwing this quote out a lot on here, but it fits a lot.  "Be so good they can't ignore you" -- Steve Martin 
FeedTheKids
Politicker
0
Solutions Consultant
^ Great quote/advice. Gotta trust the process.... The more comfortable you get in your current role and having tough conversations will only help long term. 

Cstan
Good Citizen
1
Account executive - SMB
Thanks you guys/girls for the insight here. you rock. I recently interviewed and received the promotion up to the Mid-Market
MCP
Valued Contributor
0
Sales Director
Phone a friend with a connection at a startup selling to enterprise. Otherwise, kill it at SMB, document your successes and learnings with the more complex ones and have great stories to tell about how you navigated an entire org (multithreading), leveraged internal resources and got creative to land a deal. Honestly, the primary motions are the same, you just have to do more of them with enterprise and play the long game.
Cstan
Good Citizen
0
Account executive - SMB
Thank you all for the tips here! much appreciated. Interviewing for a MM currently to get some different experience
CuriousFox
WR Officer
0
🦊
How'd it go?
Armageddon
Opinionated
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Just asked a similar question as I'm hoping to make a similar transition. Great insight from everyone here as well!

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