What do you sell and do you think it’s harder to sell than anything else?

🏰 War Stories
👑 Sales Strategy
💵 Finance
14
MitchandMurray
Politicker
3
Business Development Director
I sell financial advisory solutions and investment management to large corporations, a good year we sign 2-3 new logos and my selling cycles can be as long at 3-5 years. I think it’s a pretty tough solution to sell because the market is so saturated, but the same can be said for most industries out there.  I do always think about switching industries to biotech or saas with shorter sales cycles and quicker “wins”. 
Aaronlovessales
Opinionated
2
Financial advisor
Agreed. I sell same to individuals and I agree both saturated market. My good friend does same thing you do and it does seem very hard/long cycles
SADNES5
Politicker
2
down voters are marketing spies
I feel so similar. People laugh and don't believe the cycle length. But when you lock in a 10+ year deal, after putting in so much damn work. Worth it. ❤️
handysales
Politicker
1
Enterprise Sales Lead
Damn, what's the base + commissions like on deals like that? 
funcoupons
WR Officer
3
👑
Insurance. No it's not the hardest product to sell, it's not easy but there are tougher products out there for sure. The biggest problem in my industry are low ballers, competitors undercut each other like crazy. 
Aaronlovessales
Opinionated
0
Financial advisor
Life?
funcoupons
WR Officer
1
👑
Employee benefits
Patbate
Politicker
0
Product Advisor
I just started in employee benefits 3 months ago. From what I understand is that there is no wiggle room with price (as a broker) unless you’re dealing with a group that has 50+ employees. Do you work for a carrier? And if so are you referring to other carriers as competitors?
Feds_Watchin
Politicker
0
AE
It’s the game of which broker do we want to fuck over more. I opted for Virtualization data cloud nonsense I knew nothing about instead of being a broker. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
privateryan
Politicker
2
Director of Sales
I have super short sales cycles as I am in B2C - I sell home remodeling. I think it is very challenging for 2 reasons....1) DIY'ers from time to time just want expertise & ideas, then want to run with it themselves. Or if they're on the fence, they rarely (if ever) want to pay for a professional solution. 2) We happen to be the most expensive in our market. It isn't uncommon we're 2X that of similarly qualified competitors. So, there's that. 
Aaronlovessales
Opinionated
0
Financial advisor
Think the quality is worth 2x?
privateryan
Politicker
1
Director of Sales
I do, or I wouldn’t sell it. Contractors are the worst (not always of course but speaking generally) and we’re truly ethical. A job well done from us vs someone else isn’t the reason for the ticket, it’s the insurance on what can go wrong will go wrong, but what we can make right we will make right. 
Beans
Big Shot
0
Enterprise Account Executive
How has the lumber shortage impacted business overall?
privateryan
Politicker
0
Director of Sales
I don't handle a ton of new construction, which is the most sensitive to lumber's increase. We're experiencing incredibly long lead times (products made in 2 weeks historically are now taking 12+ weeks) 

It has for sure hit, as people feel it is just hyper inflation (and it may be...) and will go back down soon. I am not as optimistic. If people keep buying, why would supply change its pricing? Demand is as high as ever.
SADNES5
Politicker
2
down voters are marketing spies
I can't say what I sell, but it's pretty much a government mandated thing in transportation and logistics. It's rewarding. I get to travel, often. It's the hardest thing I've ever sold because of choice, and objections. 
I've worked in Finance, SaaS and Banking prior. It's unreal the skills and the mentors/managers who helped shape who I am. 

It's definitely the hardest sell when the competition has the exact same mandated product 40 minutes away. 

I love it.
Slangerofthangs
Valued Contributor
2
Relationship Manager | Co-founder & Prez
I sell Software Development Services (US-based).  100% the hardest thing I've ever sold.  

- Sales cycle is 6-12mo+.  
- 98% of the time projects aren't defined.  
- Customers have wildly uneducated expectations of costs and complexity of the solutions they want.
- Clients place 0% of value in any kind of discovery to validate their idea
- 0 indicators on when a prospect is going to be looking for a new firm so it's ALL relationship-based.
- Constantly going up against offshore/nearshore firms at 50% of our costs.

That said, I love what I do.  Often times I'm having conversations and building relationships on the bleeding edge of technology and it's fucking awesome.
Artemis
Politicker
1
Business Development Representative
Exactly what I do, but from a nearshore model. My biggest hang-up has been trying to secure new business with a very limited bench of engineers... Especially when the bulk of our engineers are always tied up with our whale accounts!
Slangerofthangs
Valued Contributor
1
Relationship Manager | Co-founder & Prez
SAME THING.  It's like, you want me to bring in business but when I bring in business we don't have enough capacity to handle that new business.... never thought I would have to sell to the clients AND my company. Lol
Chep
WR Officer
1
Bitcoin Adoption Specialist
I sell "partnerships" ;)
Lumbergh
Politicker
1
Sr Account Exec
Security software.  And it is pretty challenging--very technical and there is a lot of noise in the market that you need to cut through and properly educate the prospect on.  There's also a gulf between security and developer teams so you are selling 2 different outcomes to 2 different audiences
paddy
WR Officer
1
Director of Business Development
Lead gen software. It’s easy if u know everyone in the industry. 
Artemis
Politicker
1
Business Development Representative
I work for a software technology partner. So basically, we have no products, no solutions, just "endless possibilities". Not easy.
PayMeInSteak
Valued Contributor
1
AE
I sell cybersecurity solutions but I think the hardest sales job would be selling sales technology to sales professionals... seems like a battle of wits constantly - could be good training though to get you better at the game or a complete pain in the ass.
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
Implementation services. And there is soooooo much noise in the market and so many competitors. I honestly don't know how prospects don't get locked into analysis paralysis constantly.

There are some things out there that are easy to sell. But those jobs don't pay very well.
UserNotFound
Politicker
0
Account Executive
I come from selling IT Services and Office Equipment (less embarrassing way of saying copiers). It's more cut throat than used cars, you're paid on profit yet there's less and less profit by the year. The best in the industry (in my area) max out at $90k/yr yet every sales manager in the game will tell you 'you can make well over 6 figures if you just hit your number'. You can have relationships all over but if your competitor beats you by $5/mo on the lease you often lose the deal, and it's overrun with 50+yr old males who are disgusting and have a terrible attitude toward women. 

I'm so thankful I got out of that industry. 
TheFemaleWolf
Opinionated
0
Director of Sales
Logistics - it’s so easy because it’s all relationship based. If they like you and your company doesn’t have a bad rep, they’ll give you a shot. 

It can be difficult because market conditions impact the business significantly and you have no control. 

I don’t think it’s harder than other industries. You just have to be wired a certain way to enjoy the freight world.
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