Why I left Sales for.........Marketing

Before anyone starts - this will be my last post in the War Room and I will be leaving to give you sales savages your space of undiluted peers.


I recently left my sales role for a marketing position at a new organization. However, what I have learned in the past few years of my career will probably be the most impactful. A few of my takeaways:


  • The grind is REAL - and it's not for everyone.
  • Sales people are the hardest working, most motivated, and passionate people in the workforce. PERIOD.
  • Bad management in sales can break a lot of incredibly talented people.
  • A role in sales will set you up for success wherever your career takes you.


So why marketing? It's pretty simple: Sales people will always be effective marketers.


I have accomplished twice what my predecessor ever did in less than a month. Why? Because the trick to being a great marketer is understanding that my role is just sales enablement. My only objective is to position my brand in the market so that our sales team doesn't have fight for every sale.


Marketers nowadays are so caught up in "What do we stand for?" and "What colors look best on our linkedin?" That they forget that those things do not make the company money. What makes the company money is asking, "how can we get more traction, a larger SOV, and credibility in the market to help our sales team?"


Easiest job I've ever done in my life. I work 5 hours a day. I'm making 6 figures still. I take a smoothie break at 2 just because I can. My stress levels have never been lower.


Sales taught me everything I know to be successful at this and for that reason as a new DM: I will take every sales meeting. I'll never hang up on a cold call, and I'll listen to your pitches. Every single one. Clearly, I have time.


So, thanks for building such a great community here Sahil and Corp, I'm glad I had a chance to be a part of it. Best of luck to all of you sales savages - hopefully I'll have a call with some of you!

๐Ÿค Networking
๐Ÿค˜ Personal Growth
๐Ÿ“จ Marketing
78
CuriousFox
WR Officer
27
๐ŸฆŠ
Congratulations! Thank you for your honesty. How about instead of leaving us you stay on as our Marketing guide ๐Ÿฅ‚๐ŸฆŠ
Selichimorpha
Celebrated Contributor
11
Growth Executive
I would love nothing more lol
CuriousFox
WR Officer
11
๐ŸฆŠ
Change approved! Decision is final.ย 
UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
6
SaaS Eater
She's a born closer
CuriousFox
WR Officer
6
๐ŸฆŠ
No take backsies.
Selichimorpha
Celebrated Contributor
4
Growth Executive
Send over the contract
dwightyouignorantsale
Politicker
13
Account Executive
Such bravery admitting to the WR that you are leaving sales for ๐Ÿ˜ฑmarketing๐Ÿ˜ฑ It is comforting to know that somewhere, at some company out there, a marketer actually understands sales and wonโ€™t be a piece of flaming garbage at their job. Props to you for making the marketing world a little bit better.
UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
9
SaaS Eater
First off congrats on finding a role you get and can excel at (even if its for the dark side lol)

Second, marketing gets a ton of shit from sales people for all of the reasons you laid out, but a great marketer can be an incredible asset to a growing org and it sounds like you will be just that. We need more of you in the world.

Good luck!ย 
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
8
โ˜•๏ธ
"I take a smoothie break at 2 just because I can."


Soooo...whatcha putting in that smoothie?
Selichimorpha
Celebrated Contributor
10
Growth Executive
Kale for sure because it's legally required as a marketer that your smoothies are green (I don't make the rules)

and sometimes tequila but who's to say
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
12
โ˜•๏ธ
Kalequila smoothies get you through a tough day, I get it.
mitts2
Politicker
5
Account Executive
*hat tip*
goose
Politicker
4
Sales Executive
Marketing done the right way is critical to sales success. Welcome back to the War Roomโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ˜œ
RedLightning
Politicker
4
Mid-Market AE
Congrats! @Selichimorpha. Honestly you may want to stay in here to keep up with what's going on at the sales level of things.

As much as we make fun of marketing, we're working towards the same goal and are essentially doing the same thing but at different scope and funnel stages.ย 
InQ5WeTrust
Arsonist
2
No marketing, mayo isn't an MQL
May you continue to be a guiding light to those who are not in the firing lines.ย 
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
Congrats man !
FormerStartupJobHopper
Tycoon
1
AE
you fucking bi - jk go get em brother
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
#success
ColdCallHotCoffee
Politicker
1
TSR
Best of luck to you. Your attitude makes it seem like you will kill it. Help enable those sales people! And honestly, if you consider yourself sales-enablement, thats still sales in my book. Why leave WR? Help us understand how to work with marketing and we can help you.
E_Money
Big Shot
1
๐Ÿ’ฐ
Thank you for your service.

Now... GETOUTTAHEERRREEE
TheRealPezDog
Notable Contributor
1
Account Manager
We obviously want you to stay here.ย  We need Marketing's perspective... Plus I want to know more about how you made the switch because I'd like to eventually do the same. CONGRATS!
Selichimorpha
Celebrated Contributor
3
Growth Executive
I took a slight indirect approach (one of the clients in my portfolio asked me if I wanted the job), but honestly companies want data-driven marketers. If you can show you understand the market and you adjust your resume to reflect that the transition is really easy! Would love to see more sales people make the switch so I'm not the only sane one out here lol
justatopproducer
Politicker
1
VP OF SALES -US
Once a savage always a savage! Congrats to you, and agreed about the bad management unfortunately.
sellmethispen
1
Account Director
Awesome. I wish more marketers would embrace this practical (real) approach to marketing.ย ย 
WomenWantMeFishFearMe
Politicker
0
AM
Fair winds and following seas
cw95
Politicker
0
Sales Development Lead
Well, good luck.
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
Good luck!
BlueJays2591
Politicker
0
Federal Business Dev Director
Hopefully you make marketing a better place and provide much needed value to the sales teams! Glad to see good salespeople make this move.ย 
AnchorPoint
Politicker
0
Business Coach
If it works for you, then that is what matters.

ClosedWonKenobi
0
Account Manager
I WAS SAID YOU WOULD DESTROY THE SMOOTHIE LOVERS NOT JOIN THEM! BRING BALANCE TO THE SALE NOT LEAVE IT IN DARKNESS!ย 

Just kidding bro, congrats! A fellow salesperson at my job just made the same move, I wonder if you are him... anyway , good luck, you're gonna rock.
Jewcan_Sam81
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Ride that wave, Bodie, ride that wave
Vissilio
0
Sales rep
Being new to the game, i think I'm way too deep... fk it... ima swim with yall sharks anyway
DatSaaS
Executive
0
Sales Executive
Can you become a famous LinkedIn influencer and share this with all the self proclaimed marketing gurus out there?
jefe
Arsonist
0
๐Ÿ
Congrats!! Sounds like you have a sweet gig that hits everything you need.

Also love the support here, despite some of the views of it being the 'dark side'.

Cheers to your continued success!
GrindingSales
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Beautiful post!ย  Best of luck and hope to see more from you on this platform as CuriousFox suggested!
Njanack
Good Citizen
0
SDR
Congrats!

Flippinghubs
Opinionated
0
Account Executive
I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of. If I have hurt anyone out there, I can't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart I'm so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith, as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a home run. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame. I don't know if I'm going to be putting on this headset again. I don't know if it's going to be for the Reds.
PhlipOut
Politicker
0
Account Executive
congrats and enjoy "retirement'!
3

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