ahhh_yea

Director of Sales Operations

Sales Ops to Sales

So, I used to be an actual salesman (a successful one if I toot my own horn 😏) then "left" to pursue a path in sales/rev operations. I've been able to climb the ranks from entry level Sales Ops Specialist to Director of Rev/Sales Ops in ~3 years but am missing being in the action. I want to move back into being a seller. Any advice on this switch back to land interviews?

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19 comments

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poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Don’t fucking do it. I’m there right now. Was VP of RevOps and now I’m selling. I FUCKING HATE IT.

ahhh_yea

Contributor

Director of Sales Operations

Why do you hate it?

I’m over managing a team and feel like I miss the action. I sit in excel, salesforce and Visio all day. I feel like I’m going insane ha

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Get yourself closer to the pipeline, but don’t make the switch thinking it’s going to change your life.

Being managed to follow a process that makes little sense…and you can’t change a damn thing. You don’t have a team and unless your ego is non-existent, reporting to a dweeb sales manage is excruciating.

Your team should own the QBR process. If you don’t, take it on. If you do, start getting more prescriptive with data insights and collaborate with the sales team.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Your background would make you a shoe-in in a small org. You gotta target the search. List the orgs you wanna work for. Attack it like a funnel op. You’ll get heard.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Sounds like you speak from experience 😉

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Was not a wild guess

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Might have been wild, though.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

I still have scars where the jockey was hitting me

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Knew it!

Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

After reading all the comments, it seems like you've already made a decision. haha. If actual Sales floats your boat then why not?
Hustlers find a way to rise to the top time and again in all situations. So keep at it.
Moreover, Since you're the Director of Rev/Sales ops. I think having fruitful conversations on LinkedIn will be the best way to go. It's unlikely that given your title people won't accept you as their connection.
Once you're in, talk about your interests and what could be suitable for you.
"Easy apply" may not work for you as recruiters may see you as "not the best fit/over qualified/unrelated".
It's time to revamp your LinkedIn, I'd say.

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

What type of vertical do you want to sell to, what company size within that vertical. As much as a I make fun of Gong you could probably have a pretty decent chance of landing an interview there considering ops usually has to be a part of their eval and you get their selling points

ahhh_yea

Contributor

Director of Sales Operations

I’d feel comfortable in any size org. I’ve successfully done enterprise level SaaS sales before and also factory automation equipment to small manufacturing companies.

I think my background of sales and sales ops would set me apart but seems like every posting has 4629461 applicants.

I’m open to connecting with folks looking for my experience.

I’ll likely poke around more and send out some DMs on LinkedIn if I don’t get hits from my applications.

Goomba

Opinionated

Director

Sales OPs has actual job security. I also made the switch and have heard the siren call of sales but I know I’m not $300k+ a year salesperson material.

I also hate the repetition of cold calls. So no idea why you’d give up $150-200k a year to maybe roll the dice on slightly more $ for triple the pressure and 1000% less security.

ahhh_yea

Contributor

Director of Sales Operations

I hear ya

For me I’m interested in being an individual contributor again. To be one and make decent money (though not the major driver) I see sales as an option.

I have lots of thinking to still do.

Thanks y’all!

SalesBeast

Politicker

Sales Leader

Just change your current title slightly and say you are in sales or give it a sales type spin to your title and go interview saying you are currently selling. You want to be in sales you need to stretch the truth and be aggressive. Good luck soldier.

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

Stay in a position to HELP sellers, you'll find some joy there.

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

Account executive

prospect your way into orgs you like or leverage referrals anything short of that is going to be a very low return activity

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

I would focus on small businesses that can capitalize on your experience without threat -- and hearing the "over qualified BS"

Hoopnip

Politicker

Commercial AE

What does that role pay if you don’t mind me asking ?

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ahhh_yea

Sales Ops to Sales

19 comments

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