Tech/SaaS Sales - How to get in?

Hey everyone...a bit of a vent, but I’m also looking for some real advice.

I am a career sales professional who has closed multi-million dollar deals, exceeded quotas, and consistently proves that “we’ll never land that account” is just another challenge to overcome. Early in my career, I was recruited into a global development program that exposed me to how business works on an international scale—from manufacturing and supply chains to sales and operations. That foundation has fueled and developed me into a very effective individual contributor as well as a strong sales leader. (Hope this gives context for the rest of this post)

I’ve built outbound teams from the ground up, turned “order takers” into quota-beaters, and landed clients others thought were out of reach.

But here’s the issue I am facing: I’ve made it to final interviews at several tech and SaaS companies—both as an individual contributor and sales leader and I keep getting passed over. I get it. I don’t have a “traditional” SaaS background. But at what point does the ability to sell outweigh a resume that doesn’t say Salesforce, Snowflake, or *insert whatever hot tech company here*? (Some of which I was heavily recruited for in the past)

As someone who's hired and led sales teams, I don’t care if you sold pens, plumbing parts or SaaS...if you can sell and prove it, you’re on my team. I’ve only been wrong once in my entire career when it comes to hiring a rep I believed in. That’s a track record I stand by.

So here’s where I’d love your input:

• How have you broken into tech/SaaS without the “right” background?
• If you’ve hired from outside the industry, what gave you confidence in that person?
• And to any sales leaders in SaaS: What do you look for that trumps resume keywords?

Appreciate any advice, and if you’re building a team that values grit, results, and actual sales acumen, I’d love to connect.