Accidental_Sales_Guy

Account Executive

Top Performer turned struggling rep -> advice for career growth?

Friends,

I shit the bed in Q1. Ended at 68.7% to quota after over-attaining in 2020 (138.2%, +exceeded every Q) and being labeled a top-performer. I'm a relatively new in my sales career (started Q1 2020) and did not apply for promotions because of my lack of tenure at the company. Typically reps promote after 1-2 years in seat, but I'm afraid I'm back to square one after a disastrous quarter.

Is it worth interviewing for promotions given my success in the past? Or will I be immediately passed up based on metrics alone?

Is this just the typical high/lows of sales? Anyone else have an experience like this?

Thanks comrades!

🎈 Mentorship

👥 Hiring

12 comments

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Captain_Q

Arsonist

Sr. Account Executive

Coming from someone that was focused on advancement way too early in my sales career. You need to settle in and grind, day in and day out.

1. Take a moment to celebrate the wins, reflect on what you did well, and then move on. Same with the loss, reflect on what you could have potentially done better, make note, and then...move the fuck on.

2. It is ALWAYS worth interviewing. Unless you are extremely underqualified for a role(in which case you most likely won't get the interview anyway). Even if you know you won't get the role it still has so many benefits; exposure to management, experience interviewing, a better understanding of what hiring managers are looking for, feedback on what it will take to obtain said role, the list goes on.

3. Stay positive and keep grinding. "Smile and dial" is a saying for a reason. If you get down on yourself and frustrated, it WILL show through on your calls, team meetings, whatever.

4. Work hard, be a good teammate, ask questions, work hard, don't be a dick, be open to feedback, make corrections based on the feedback, work hard! The rest will follow.

5. If sales were easy, no one would want to go into marketing.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Capt_Q

Accidental_Sales_Guy

Politicker

Account Executive

Thank you, Capt_Q! This is really helpful

ARRisLife

Politicker

Account Executive

Do you have an annual number or just quarterly?

Nobody like having a shitty quarter but that's sales. Any salesperson who claims to have never missed ever is either full of shit or been graced with a gravy patch with great inbound from the Oppy Gods.

Follow up question; how's the outlook for pipleline and deals for this quarter and the rest of the year? It's so early you have plenty of time to make it up.

I'd say the bigger test is not what you do when you hit quota but what do you do when you miss? Do you let it eat you up and spit you out and make you want to run at the first sign of challenge or do you rise to the equation and get some coaching and fix it so you can come back? I had a bad year in 2019- which was right when we got a bunch of new leadership so I thought I was on the chopping block, last year I turned up the heat and was in the top 5 of the company. Nobody remembers 2019 or who hit or who missed. Sales is humbling. You learn more when you lose a deal or miss your number. Grit is what you find to come back and crush it to redeem yourself.

Accidental_Sales_Guy

Politicker

Account Executive

We're paid quarterly, but annual is the criteria for whether you qualify for an interview. Even with the garbage quarter, I still qualify on annual attainment.

That's a good point on the long game, we got a long year with (hopefully) the economy bouncing back, solid pipe, and definitely the potential to crush 100%+ annually. Thanks for the perspective!

RandomPaperclip

Valued Contributor

Sr. AE

Commenting more on the promotional track, one thing you had mentioned above was that you fear that you will be overlooked for a promotion soley based off of 1 bad quarter... I truly hope that is not the culture over there and it's mainly just a concern?

1). Sales is and will always be a roller coaster. Embrace the suck down low, it will make the high so much better.

2). It's early, you have time to hit 115% in Q2 and start to close the gap on an annual number.

3). If you want to be promoted, now is the time eyes will be on you. How do you handle the loss in Q1? Do you play the blame game or did you own it? Did you still help others when you could and coach up new hires etc. Was your voice heard even though you were struggling.

4). If you come out swinging in Q2, the Q1 loss will be a thing of the past in no time

Accidental_Sales_Guy

Politicker

Account Executive

*I do think it's more my concern. Healthy culture, great company- but since our company has opted remote, it's hard to compare to others or know where you stand in leadership's eyes.

Thanks for all the encouragement- coming back hard from a loss is the best story I can tell in an interview.

softwarebro

Politicker

Sales Director

You are still new to sales. You should absolutely be putting your name in the hat for promotions. Most *good* managers will look past a bad quarter. If the promotion is for management or team lead realize that your superiors are looking for more than quota attainment for leadership roles.

Accidental_Sales_Guy

Politicker

Account Executive

I appreciate your perspective from a Director seat! Thanks for the encouragement here

CaneWolf

Politicker

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

I've had more of both bad quarters and amazing quarters than you've been in sales. 68.7% isn't even that bad of a quarter. You'll have worse and you'll have quarters in your career in which you fly past 200%. Interview for the promotion.

Accidental_Sales_Guy

Politicker

Account Executive

Thanks CaneWolf!

StickToTheProcess

WR Officer

1 great year > 1 bad quarter.

CastleIsland

Tycoon

Associate Account Director

That's not a struggle, this can be made up with your compounding efforts

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Accidental_Sales_Guy

Top Performer turned struggling rep -> advice for career growth?

12 comments

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