ZVRK

Enterprise Account Executive

Valued Contributor

Reverse job offer

Savages, I have an odd one.

As I shared with you all in a post I made some time ago, my wife also got into sales about 6 months.

She`s now looking to move and just had an informal kind of interview today with the co-founder of a software development company (in the AEC space - architecture, engineering, and construction).

They don`t have an open position right now, but can budget for one and are definitely interested to hire here as they don`t have a proper full-time sales rep at the moment for their AEC software (they have other products as well). The co-founder asked her to prepare a proposal with her expected day-to-day, expected comp, etc, and send it to them so they can consider her for a sales position and potentially hire her here in the following months.

My question to you guys and gals: have you done anything like this before? Write a proposal, sort of "selling" your profile. If yes, do you have any tips on how to write a "winning proposal"?

Bit of context: This company is a startup probably series A to B (don`t have as much info on client base, revenue, etc so far), and it seems a good fit as my wife worked as an architect for the past 7 years then as a full cycle sales rep in her current job for the past 6 months.

P.S This should have been my wife's posting but she still hasn`t gotten around to creating a profile here - something that will def change after I get all the great advice on this post I`m sure 😊

🤝 Interviewing/Offer

9

25 comments

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braintank

Politicker

6

Enterprise Account Executive

Someone with 6 months sales experience isn't going to enjoy working for people who don't know what they're doing

ZVRK

Politicker

2

Enterprise Account Executive

True that, on the upside is she`ll get a foot in the door of tech sales, so might be worth it.

braintank

Politicker

6

Enterprise Account Executive

I'd tell her to keep looking and consider firms that will be able to better support her with training and enablement.

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

3

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

Also looks like she is doing the work to set up a future hire. This will most likely be short term, unless she knocks it out of the park or the product just sells itself.

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

By setting up a future hire you mean building their JD for them with this exercise?

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

1

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

Yes

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

That`s a concern that came to my mind too, but hey, might be better to take a shot after all 😅

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

I would GPT the proposed JD, ask for twice as much as you think you can get and move on. If she’s new in the game and new in tech, it’s going to be a tough road. I wouldn’t wish that on my wife- or yours.

jefe

Arsonist

1

🍁

100%. She's gotta go somewhere with established process, somewhere she can learn.

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

It’s a super rare thing to find a company with an established sales process where we live but i agree, if she gets this job eventually it will not be a walk in the park. With that being said, i still think it’s worth it even for just breaking into tech sales and SaaS.

braintank

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Where do you live?

GDO

Politicker

0

BDM

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. With that tenure you need guidance

detectivegibbles

Politicker

3

Sales Director

It's probably a useful exercise to do regardless. Helps her identify what she wants in her next position and can use that when applying to other companies.

Agree with BrainTank - I don't typically recommend working for a start-up as your first sales gig. Bad habits can be learned quickly along with lack of development.
But, if she likes the leadership and feels like it's a good fit, go for it!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Based on experience, most of these are aspirational and never come to pass. Something always intervenes.
I'd keep looking.
And as braintank asked, why is she looking to move after 6 mos?

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

This doesn't sound very promising.

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Yeah, seems like "they`re just looking", however, it`s just such a crazy good fit for her that I think she`ll need to give it a go anyways.

braintank

Politicker

2

Enterprise Account Executive

Also, why are they looking to leave after 6 months?

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

She's unhappy because she now has to commute to the office 2-3 times per week with one hour drive each way, despite this being advertised as a fully remote position six months ago when she got the job..

This is just one of the reasons, there`s a lot of micromanagement too..

Pachacuti

Politicker

2

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

6 months sales experience? She needs a mentor, not a sales role where she's the only sales person in the company. Too much scrutiny and too little experience.
The proposal could be a good exercise for her though. I would encourage her to do it.

Justatitle

Big Shot

1

Account Executive

Day-to-day
- Start by looking in SFDC at my lack of pipeline- Cry - Gather myself and start making cold calls- Get told to go die- Get told to eat shit - Cry - Have someone say they might be open to meeting but not accept the calendar invite and show up 20 minutes late to a 30 minute call- Commit to 100% quota and only have 40% pipe coverage. - Go home.

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

LOL do we work at my previous company? :D Nice one!

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

0

Sales Rep

I have done this once recently where I was giving guidelines on my Comp and how it would affect my quota. Then present my experience and show what I want my base and quota to be

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Startups just sometimes use you for what you know and learn and don't actually proceed with hiring anyone... Plus they're a mess. So I wouldn't recommend it to your wife. Problem is that sometimes they sell it on dreams and being nice and the dream of it all is way more convincing than what the reality is.

LambyCorn

Arsonist

0

A mfkn E

If she gets it great, I think it might be a good shot; what if she makes it work, they hire a couple more sales reps? Could she get promoted and be the one who started the sales campaign? Worth a shot in my opinion

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

0

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

I am somebody whose modus operandi is being skeptical. So here are a few thoughts I first had:
- How are you sure they are not just going to use this information provided by your wife and a couple of others they might be speaking with. They don't have a sales function and they need all sorts of information to establish the engine. So.
- With 6 months of experience, my suggestion would be to be with people who know how to sell, what they are doing and are quite established. It's important to first be in that kind of environment and learn enough skills then to use it in a startup like this.
- It would have been a good opportunity if both the above pointers were considered. If your wife had more experience, she might have enjoyed setting the function up. Or if the company what they need to start the engine, she might have liked it.

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