CadenceCombat profile picture
CadenceCombat profile picture

CadenceCombat

Account Executive

Tycoon
Arsonist
Politicker
+12

What is your best advice for navigating office politics in sales?

Question is in the title:


What is your best advice for navigating office politics in sales?


Talk about how to handle a manager that gives bad advice, how to rub elbows with c-level or how you navigate working with a department that is dropping the ball on your deal, etc…

🤝 Networking
🧠 Advice
💼 Office Life
14

14 comments

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Pachacuti
Politicker
6
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Honestly - work remote.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
2
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
Nah ! I am in a remote work, and there's stinking office politics anyway.
GDO
Politicker
3
BDM
Don’t get involved
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
Man man - this is coming everything. I just keep myself out and focus on what I have do.
boredAnti
Tycoon
2
That One Guy
Avoid them and stay on target
braintank
Politicker
2
Enterprise Account Executive
Don't. Put up good numbers and keep your head down.
punishedlad
Tycoon
2
Regional Partnership Manager
The less involved I get with this stuff, the better.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
2
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
What I will suggest is -

- Do not indulge in gossips. Nothing at all. Nope nada. Some would be skilful to pull you in gossips, but try to avoid.

- Speak politely with everyone, but mostly just really mind your business and logout and sleep peacefully.

- Not every advice is supposed to be taken.

Now. If someone is dropping a ball on your deal - that is a battle you need to fight, not the others.
You can navigate by first being calm yourself. I used to get really agitated when someone interjected, and that always worsen my deal status.
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
when a manager is giving me bad advice i will do 2 things. 1. do what they say the first time and see how it goes. I will voice my concerns of course, and then when it doesn't go well I will double down on my concerns. Then next time i will use that experience as reasoning to be more skeptical.

2. just ask alot of questions on how they expect the advice to play out. questions like "ok so if we do what you are saying I could see X happening. How would you handle that then?" after a bit I would make a suggestion of my own and see if they will take it.

Also trying to get the person to think your idea is their idea is a good way to get things going. now they still wont see they are wrong but at least you will get a positive outcome.

How to rub elbows with C- level is tricky. it depends on alot of factors but I would try to first get them to see you and know who you are. then i have tried to just ask them specific questions around topics they are in charge of or care about. when you do that, they start to associate YOU with the things they like, and as someone who thinks they are smart.

Ppl love to talk about them selfs and feel important. If you have the opportunity to challenge something they say in a respectful way that can also leave a (hopefully) positive image in their mind.

really depends on what your goal is though.
sketchysales
Politicker
1
Sales Manager
Walk above it, we dont need friends in sales, keep them outside, its the best way to stay out of the politics
activity
Politicker
1
VP, Business Development
Stay out of the politics as much as possible but when given the opportunity to interact with the c-suite, figure out how to communicate the value you've brought to the company and where you want to take your career.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
🦊
Keep your head down, mind your own, and focus on your work.
SalesPharaoh
Big Shot
1
Senior Account Executive
Ah my favorite thing…learned it the hard way.<br><br>Well Cadence there are two ways to go about it the dirty brown nose way and the other way…<br><br>Since you are in the war room you should know the better…<br><br>Having missed opportunities in my previous employment even though I hit the numbers and exceeded I had the resolution of changing how I engage the workplace and it looks like it is paying dividends.<br><br>Like sale’s it’s all about mental real estate how can you do that? Well become an over sharer…<br><br>Yes with the good and especially the bad. Make everything you work on headlines…tell everyone about it over slack and especially the manager and CEO if they are working with you…they are not? GET them and use their leverage internally to get things done for you…the goal here is that when you do your weekly meetings you want your manager to say hey Cadence I know everything you are up to just share it with the rest of the team…<br><br>Benefits: your colleagues won’t think you are a kiss ass…you depending on your sales success put yourself in a leadership position because guess what you are constantly engaging with leaders and you will know over time how they get things done…<br>You position yourself as a successor<br><br>Cons: leaders will automatically think of you 1st and you will have to set boundaries or else you risk of being their bitch…you want to be independent with your own agenda and putting yourself in a position of most success.

Note I work remotely in the past 3 years now…so how do I engage?

I screenshot convos of progress closed or lost…it shows that you build rapport offline and they see what you do…

The perception you are building is that you are a go getter…and a guy who gets things done which is the reality…but when you market yourself people will think you are doing more and science says thy they think that you work 30 to 40% more
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
Abstain as the default option. If it is affecting your work though bring it to managements attention and follow proper protocol so you can’t get in trouble.

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