BANTer

Head of Tech Sales

New role not all its cracked up to be… WWYD?

Having a slight existential crisis and could use some advice/input from the fam!

I recently turned down a VP role at a larger org for an Exec Director/Vertical Lead in a smaller company. While typically seen as a step down from VP, both roles had the same quota and jurisdictions at the time of the offer.

My current role pays more (by about 100k+) and I left because my last org was trying to pay me less than my older white male counterparts to bring in more than them (life of an Asian woman in tech sales am I right?) BUT I do miss the old gig, the team was fun, I was leading teams 4 times the size of my current one, building new processes, and I was doing good and mentoring young professionals and having fun closing sales.

Anyway now I'm in my new role for ~3 months and it's not what they had painted it out to be. Aka Absentee boss, no resources, issues with business model, no agency to decide on the makeup of my team, etc. I'm pretty unjazzed / uncertain if this is the org for me but I'm also earning 300k/year with more work life balance than ever. I feel like I'm being a selfish brat and won't ever get an offer that good at the age of 30 and with only 3 years of experience in tech sales.... but I really joined this company to enable and give back to the sales team I was supposed to be building and hiring when they first extended the offer.

I enjoy sales still but just want to find deeper meaning in it as a career hence the focus on management... so my question for the gang is: what would you do? the market is hot right now so I could look for another job but realistically how much less than $200k base + $100k OTE should I accept/anticipate? Do I give this more time and stfu for a bit until

I find more footing to advocate for the team and vertical I want to build? What's the appropriate amount of time to give yourself before you just say it's not the right fit?

appreciate everyone's input in advance!

🎯 Career Development

🚀 Career Goals

16

24 comments

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Kinonez

Celebrated Contributor

8

War Room Enthusiast

Leaving an old gig isn't always easy, I know that feeling, you just have to trust your gut and give it your all!

NoSuperhero

Politicker

5

BDR LEAD

I really don't have any personal examples where something like this happened in my life, but I can see how you feel right now, and I'd feel the same way you do TBH. With that being said I would truly try to see what it's in my power to change my current reality, work on that and reach out to those who can help make that happen, you know?

BANTer

Contributor

1

Head of Tech Sales

Appreciate the empathy! Sometimes just hearing from someone that I’m not just being a whiny child helps quell part of the internal battle. Thank you!!

NoSuperhero

Politicker

0

BDR LEAD

You have the right to complain, we all do, it's what we do to change the pain that defines us. Keep it up BANTer!

Diablo

Politicker

4

Sr. AE

Just wandering - are you communicating all the observations with your bosses (I understand they are not regular)? I would look at how will I make this place exactly like how the last org was (if I feel that can help company scale) and see it as an opportunity to implement those pointers.

BANTer

Contributor

0

Head of Tech Sales

I’m just beginning to but he’s very disorganised and often find the conversation is one-sided with no action thereafter. He’s also the first CRO for this org so gotta be fair that he is quite overwhelmed and under water with so many new things going. Candidly I haven’t found a way to tell him exactly what I want for my team yet because I’m setting up the least developed vertical in the whole org. I feel like I need to start proving the naysayers wrong by bringing in more revenue so that I can firmly stand my ground on what my team will need and should look like. Do you think that’s a counterintuitive approach?

hh456

Celebrated Contributor

4

sales

I'd lick a fucking sweaty dick after a good game of 5-5 (first one to 11, win by 2) for $300,000. But it has to be paid up front, in full, and we're on a timer. You have to finish or I get to leave. Also the $300,000 has to be under the table. I'm not paying taxes.

I don't know if that helps provide perspective. It just depends on what is important to you. If money doesn't make you happy, find something that does.

Fenderbaum

Politicker

1

Retired Choirboy🪕

Yikes!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It kind of sounds like the role is not quite gelled yet, which must be unsettling. I also know how hard it is to leave a long-time gig and take a risk, and it must be doubly hard when it's not what you expected.

Honestly it sounds like you're beginning to get a grasp on what should happen next; it's going to take some work, but it sounds like you might be in a position to make that happen. And how cool to be able to effect change and make a department exactly what you want!

On another note, feel free to mourn the loss of your old, comfortable, happy team. I have a lot of things I truly miss about my former job...and then I remind myself why I left, realize that the "good old days" weren't there anymore anyway, and I carry on!

cw95

Politicker

1

Sales Development Lead

At a mental level - what do you want? Weigh up the pros and cons.

BANTer

Contributor

0

Head of Tech Sales

💯 I’m struggling now because I think purpose and Corp culture are My top wants and I don’t feel that at this org. And I wouldn’t go back to My last org to be a mouth box to young women reporting into me and telling them they were worth less than men who couldn’t deliver as much. That being said… I was earning minimum wage at my first sales job selling sandwiches just 5 years ago when I moved to America so it’s hard for Me to want to step far down from $300k/year now when I’m finally out of debt and paying off a mortgage. Any tips or advice on orgs with great, meritocratic transparent cultures and good pay? (Or am I just dreaming?!)

jefe

Arsonist

1

🍁

Tough situation, and don't have too much to add other than take a personal inventory and determine what's most important to you.

Also you've seen some SERIOUS success, for 30, or even for 50. So congrats on that.

I wonder about your background but don't want to ask as we all have to stay anonymous round here!

BANTer

Contributor

0

Head of Tech Sales

Thanks Jefe! My background is all over the place for what it’s worth and hopefully a testament to anyone that you can make it happen without the perfect credentials! Theatre degree, no masters. I’ve sold matchmaking services, sandwiches, market research, the list goes on and on…. Most of my successes came from referrals and just hard work and a little bit of luck. 🤷🏻‍♀️

butwhy

Politicker

1

Solutions Engineer

Ok, I am going to the be contrary voice that tells you to surf the market and peace out. What would a mediocre dude do? They would absolutely be leveraging the title in a hot market to make even more at a company that is a better cultural fit. You owe nothing to the current company that was misrepresenting their team, and staying there just to give it your all is long term unproductive. Plus who knows when we will ever see this market ever again?

BANTer

Contributor

1

Head of Tech Sales

Always love and appreciate the contrary voice and this is advice I’ve given to some of the peeps I mentor so it resonates. Thank you!

UserNotFound

Politicker

1

Account Executive

I had a great leader tell me once "the grass isn't greener on the other side, it's just a different shade of brown"

I think our personalities always tend to lean toward the 'what ifs' because its the what if on the other side of that dial, email campaign, cold call, etc that keeps us going. However it's a double edged sword when it comes to where we work and what drives us. Only you can answer what is right for you.

My personal opinion is that 3m isn't enough time to accurately assess an organization's strengths and weaknesses or bring impactful change.

BANTer

Contributor

1

Head of Tech Sales

Thank you, really appreciate the insight and think you’ re likely right. Right now thinking I’m leaning toward EOY to give it a full 6 months.

UserNotFound

Politicker

0

Account Executive

I think 6m is a good timeline- the first 90 you're really still 'dating' a company. Good luck!

TheHypnotist

Executive

1

Sales Manager

"IF" I were you, I'd:
* bring these issues up with the boss
* agree next steps, including who does what & by when, and THEN ask "what am I supposed to do if that doesn't get done?" and don't accept "oh, don't worry it will get done" for an answer.

goose

Politicker

0

Sales Executive

I may be in the minority here but you should probably do what they are paying you a fairly significant sum of money to do. I can't tell if this was complaining or sort of a humble brag but it doesn't sound all that bad. I'm probably wrong.

BANTer

Contributor

1

Head of Tech Sales

I can’t tell if this was meant to be helpful or sort of a passive aggressive dig because I’ve already sold to cover my salary for the next 6 months so not sure what makes it seem like I’m here for the cushy ride/giggles. My questions are around If I don’t feel Like this is the right cultural fit to truly be effective at what they originally hired me to do, what would others do. Sounds like you and I probably take our work both very seriously so hopefully you can find some understanding into why I’m putting thought into this. this would be my third time launching a sales team from scratch so I’m not trying to do it the wrong way if the resources and transparency isn’t there in the org because it only perpetuates the same issues we’ve all been through as newer sales professionals with bad managers. Sorry if my post offended you or bothered you. I don’t see this as anything to brag about — lots of people are far more successful than me and we all have our own trajectories and lives that defines success for us.

goose

Politicker

0

Sales Executive

It was more of a "give this time and stfu" response.

AlecBaldwinsHairline

Valued Contributor

0

Head of Sales Development

Quit - go do what you want to do. There's a war for talent right now.

PleaseAdvise

Executive

0

Account Executive

3 months isn't that long. If you're still feeling this way in 3 more months, maybe you follow your gut.

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