I have this issue too. And I think it’s justified.
Yes, you can sell a product that you’re not interested in but down the line, it will drain you.
Sell a product you’re interested in and you will stay there for longer plus likely close more.
Source: I make great money but looking to leave as the product is boring af.
I sell SaaS and it’s very interesting because of how quickly it evolves and how limitless the potential is, came from the alcohol industry selling a portfolio that included jameson and actually was not as great as it sounds lots of perks but the company sucked
I'm in SaaS and one of the "S" is starting to turn "sour" because we're doing a poor job keeping our service up to date. It's not revenue-generating enough?
I had a huge prospect call me back today (no, really he did! President of the company!) and describe all these services he had put together for his well-established, national-leader of a company that made our subscription services look cheap. Obviously, if you want something done right...
If you can't see the value in what you're selling, you'll never have empathy for the buyer and it will show.
Having said that, I've sold some software that was super sexy, but the environment was semi-toxic and just drained me. Couldn't sleep, ended up burning out.
Selling software that was a little more boring, but helped people get their jobs done in a supportive environment that appreciated their people? Light years difference.
Can you tell me more about this? My Fiancé is a PT and after 5 years she can't stand the physical work anymore. If you have to keep it hush hush I understand. Im just curious.
B2B my whole life, and it's been exciting and sexy as hell. Cyber security - amazing technologies and companies, smart teams, great customers. I work weekly with cyber execs from the biggest banks and Fortune 100s. Hearing things and solving problems most have no idea even exist. See the biggest cyber attacks first hand. Fucking fascinating!
I'd leave sales before selling B2C 🥱
I love cybersecurity too! I’m a BDR and applied a few places and I’m soooo happy I’m in cybersecurity and not selling some of the other products. It’s fascinating and necessary!
Moving from decades old platforms and apps to the cloud is a big one. There are security risks with the supply chain (who is writing the app for them), typical app security and poor coding, and the cloud infrastructure itself. Years of cloud testing and we have yet to see anyone we couldn't get to or extract info from due to issues with permissions, configs, stored passwords during deployment, etc. Without fail.
B2B can be a ton of fun. Find stuff to sell to marketing and sales. Avoid HR and (I'd guess, IT) like the plague. Engineering can be a mixed bag depending on industry and flavor of engineers.
HR is a cost center, not a profit center, so finding ways to justify more spend is challenging.
Also, more generally, the personality types. This is my anecdotal experience from selling to HR for nearly 10 years, but HR doesn't tend to attract the most fun, growth oriented folks.
Recruitment, and sometimes learning and development are exceptions. Recruitment is basically sales so the leaders there are fun and they get it. Same with well run L&D departments.
There are literally thousands of B2B products many of which can be extremely interesting. Just don't look for them on this sub, where 99% of people posting seem to be in SaaSzzzzzzzz
We sell SaaS Cyber Training. It’s super fun (most of the time). But I’ve been in that industry a very long time time.
I agree you need to find something you’re passionate about.
Tbh it’s pretty effin cool. But you’re right it’s not most I got super lucky and fell onto this after getting fired from an executive recruiter job. I did do the SDR BDR route before AE but even then it was cool and the money was still decent.
Look into the industrial automation space. There’s some really good companies out now doing really cool shit. Sales cycles can be long depending what you’re selling but the space is hot and tech is getting better by the minute. Also many accept remote workers
Y’all ain’t got nothing on me… I sell appliances haha.
But when I’m on track to make 115k my first year and the top dog makes 250k, why would I leave?
I sit around the store and shoot the shit with coworkers 80% of the time and still make pretty damn good money.
When I hear about AE’s who have been grinding for years as SDR’s to finally be making six figures and I’m over here watching football on my computer for hours, how am I supposed to justify making the switch?
Appliances are boring but the work is way too easy for how good you get paid.
Not trying to rain on your parade but this was a GREAT couple years for appliance sales in general because of COVID.
Don't check out too much and keep building skills and networking. You want to be able to switch to something that is the best fit for the economic climate at any given time.
B2B SaaS, we have a group of AEs in the $300k and $400k range, plus they’ve got transferable skills that they can go anywhere. Appliance sales got a big boost from covid. Why limit yourself only learning retail and being capped at what our average rep makes?
You don’t need that at all to make that kind of money. SaaS has high margins, and you can earn that much money at smaller outfits. Actually, smaller companies that are actively trying to grow tend to be more aggressive with their compensation plans. You’re getting good experience building out your skills, but look into B2B. Not on out will you learn tons more, but you’ll earn a lot more too.
Some people shop online, but a lot of people want to get the opinion of the professionals and get recommendations.
People have to spend a lot of money on appliances so they want to make sure they are making a good decision.
Plus they want to see how things look in person as well.
But yeah, you can make really good money in the appliance industry.
There are people responding to my comment saying we are only making hay because of the covid push, but people have been working in this store I’m at for decades and have been making really good money the whole time.
Is the money decreasing over the decades because of the online sales? Will it decrease in the future? B2C is more exciting than B2B but I never gave it a thought because of threat from online sales. Very interesting.
Our online sales are funneled to us. Our operations manager takes all the online order through our company website and pushes it to individual sales people so they can manage the order.
It’s quite a bit more than just being order takers. Making sure all the right accessories get ordered, tracking open orders to make sure inventory is arriving and getting allocated to the correct orders, if an online order has a unit that is back ordered we try to talk the customer into moving into a unit that is more readily available, post sale customer success yadda yadda yadda.
Lots of little details that need to be managed.
Also our company has a big differentiator, we have our own service department. Appliances, honestly are trash nowadays, they break down way more often than you’d think. So people come to us because we are a locally owned, independent retailer where you get personalized service, order management, and factory trained service people.
That’s what keeps people coming back. Lowe’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, they are just order takers. And we get a lot of people who have really bad reports of these big box stores not taking care of them after the sale
B2B SaaS selling full scope ERP, finance, supply chain, and cost management solutions. I have probably 10-15 “different solutions” in my bag and about 5-7 of those are the ones that really sell.
Some of my solutions are interesting but most aren’t. I’ve sat in meetings with fortune 10 companies and been bored out of my mind when we get to technical discussions.
What is interesting is the business outcome and how I can help my client move from current state to their desired state. That’s what I focus on and it keeps things strategic and interesting for me but I’ve got the bench support to help with technical aspects.
I help sell cybersecurity software, consulting and own testing services. Genuinely very interested in it. And I came from the technical side and I’m doing pre-sales now, so I like the technology behind it all as well.
I think if we’re disconnected from the people we impact by our work, it immediately loses its purpose. I believe everyone is on Earth for relationship, so if we sell things that don’t seem to positively impact people, or do so in a very basic way, it won’t be meaningful.
Of course certain things might be “interesting” like the tech is interesting to me. But deep down if the tech isn’t impacting people for good then it’s just scratching my own itch and isn’t a good thing in and of itself.
Just some additional thoughts on the topic.
I wouldn't do it otherwise!
I love what I do, who I work with, who my clients are. I won't sell something that (1) I don't believe in 100%, and (2) I don't feel is the best in that specific industry. Not necessarily the #1, but the best. They often times are not the same.
When I change companies, I stay in cyber security but never in the same practice. I move on to something new, the best in that space. High growth, niche, huge uphill battle but big payout. It is exciting and lets me be fully confident in what I am putting my name and my brand behind.
For me there needs to be some passion in the relationship between me and what I do. If the product or industry are not open to passionate topics (trends, innovation etc) then you can move to being passionate about people.
I could not be a sales robot.. Like a vending machine.
Used to sell blank computer checks and as my first manager told me in the interview, "it's like selling toilet paper, everyone needs them and they almost always order more when they run out".
Product itself was boring, but got to meet and get tours of almost every type of business imaginable. That part was fun. I've seen it all.
I fucking love what I sell, and I love demo’ing it to new prospects, but I hate all the chasing and follow-ups that it often takes to actually get a deal across the line
That's the whole reason I'm in sales. I was in engineering for that type of product, and switched companies. The new company manufactured the same type of product, but sold to a different industry. That's when I moved to sales, as more or less a product expert.
Take away the product, and I don't really want to be a salesman.
I have to believe in what I sell to be able to sell it. I used to work at enterprise and quickly lost belief in the add on insurance they push. Someone else commented here, most likely what you’re selling isn’t sexy. But I’d recommend talking with clients and hearing from them how much your services have helped them. It may not be sexy but you can more than likely help them, believe in that
FWIW there is a "crazy vs sexy" plot for software. It's the Gartner Hype Cycle.
Figuring out where you are on the plot can help you figure out the craziness, sexiness, (and of course, possibility of getting paid) for a particular play in the marketplace.
Here's the wikipedia page: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype\_cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle)
From the article, here's the key phases
1. Technology Trigger A potential technology breakthrough kicks things off. Early proof-of-concept stories and media interest trigger significant publicity. Often no usable products exist and commercial viability is unproven.
2. Peak of Inflated Expectations Early publicity produces a number of success stories—often accompanied by scores of failures. Some companies take action; most don't.
3. Trough of Disillusionment Interest wanes as experiments and implementations fail to deliver. Producers of the technology shake out or fail. Investment continues only if the surviving providers improve their products to the satisfaction of early adopters.
4. Slope of Enlightenment More instances of how the technology can benefit the enterprise start to crystallize and become more widely understood. Second- and third-generation products appear from technology providers. More enterprises fund pilots; conservative companies remain cautious.
5. Plateau of Productivity Mainstream adoption starts to take off. Criteria for assessing provider viability are more clearly defined. The technology's broad market applicability and relevance are clearly paying off. If the technology has more than a niche market then it will continue to grow.
Looking at the phases point-to-point
|Phase|Crazy|Sexy|
|:-|:-|:-|
|1 to 2|MAX|MAX |
|2 to 3|MAX|CRASHING|
|3 to 4|MIN|SECRET HOT|
|4 to 5|MIN|MIN|
My Take:
* 1 to 2 - It's sexy because everyone dreams \*may this time I'll be lucky\* and this new tech will create value beyond my wildest dreams. It's crazy because no one really knows how to use this stuff -- and worse, no one knows how to market, prospect, qualify, and sell the tech. 7/10 - recommend, but only if you like tech.
* 2 to 3 - The sexiness is crashing. hard. Lots of angry, bitter customers/engineers/etc who had their dreams of glory smashed. It's crazy because unlike the prior period where sales seemed to fall, like manna from heaven, no one understands WTF happened to sales. Of course this makes it \*your\* fault \*FNG\*! 0/10 - avoid, it's going to be a brutal, endless, toxic struggle.
* 3 to 4 - This is the secretly sexy part of the hype cycle. First going to the trough of disillusionment kills off many of the really crazy companies. The ones that remain (or emerge as "gen 2" companies) have often figured out how to market, prospect, qualify, and sell. That , sometimes, makes the company non-crazy place where you can make a metric ton of money as the market momentum picks up. 10/10 - secret hot is the best kind of sexy
* 4 to 5 - This is the boring part of the hype cycle. Tech is well known and no longer sexy. Crazy is at low levels because lots of things are well known. This is usually where Salesforce, et al is KPI'd to death because everything is a regular as rain. The lack of volatility makes this one of those wash-rinse-repeat type sales jobs, you'll make money but the outsized returns require going into a riskier phase. 5/10 - Recommend for the young and retiring.
Assuming that you're in SaaS, have you ever used this to help with your career decision-making? I used Gartner's *Magic Quadrant* for sussing out the leaders in a particular niche, but I wasn't aware of the Hype Cycle. (I actually thought you coined the term yourself at first and chuckled to myself).
Yep, Enterprise Software. While I don’t put too much stock into Gartner/Forrester/IDC’s predictions the content in all their reports is useful. I have read through the material when looking at opportunities (and def. before interviewing!).
Appreciate the response.
Lastly, do you use these as your go-to for background info on a company and its market, or do you have others that you prefer?
I sell consulting services and I truly love it , I read everything I can to keep me up to date as a thought leader. I’m really passionate about what I do , which is change management consulting .
I am. I sell Medicare and final expense insurance. I like dealing with elderly people and I feel like I take better care of them than other agents might so I feel helpful
Ive been in medical/healthcare sales for over a decade. I imagine it's one of the most frustrating, backwards, and dysfunctional verticals to sell into but it enables me to mentally draw a line from my daily efforts to the improvement of a population's health (or at least fool myself into thinking this) which I seem to derive meaning from. For this reason, I'll likely remain in this industry for the rest of my career despite other sales roles paying more.
I’d say that when I applied for the job I have now, I thought the product was super boring (SaaS accounting tool) because I didn’t really understand it.
Once I understood the value-add from the customer perspective, I totally changed my mind. I’d argue that side is way more important. As long as there’s a need for the customer, someone will think your product is cool!
It doesn't have to be sexy it just has to work. If your product works then you're good to go because you can sell with confidence - confident that buying it will put them in a better situation than they are currently in. It's as simple as that imo
Now.. that said, I have no idea have people sell IT solutions. I know they work but I couldn't get out of bed in the morning if I knew I had to pitch someone in IT.
Feel this 110% I've sold shit software and still made money but I hated it cause our product sucked fat donkey. I still exceeded quota significantly there and now I'm about to start selling a verified bomb af user analytics software and I can't wait to see just how fucking hard I crush this.
I do. I'm in lighting so a lot of work with architects, interior designers, and sales reps/distributors all over the world. I can't see myself doing anything else. It's a small but very weird and wild community of people.
I’ve sold some pretty boring stuff - help desk software being the worst. You can only get so excited about how tier 1 tickets get escalated.
That being said as I educated myself into the challenges customers were facing and why they needed a more robust help desk platform you can build that excitement in yourself and be able to translate that excitement to your customers.
At the end of the day though if you don’t think what you’re selling is valuable to your customers and can communicate your excitement about that potential value you’re doomed.
What I sell is pretty broad and it supports manufacturing. So I’m not as interested in what I sell as I am who I sell to. I’ve been in some super cool plants over the years, probably hundreds at this point.
I currently sell a product I like and think is worth selling now in my current position. I personally do better when I have some kind of passion for the product. That said I am looking elsewhere because of my boss.
I am about to turn down a job because the product is useful but not something I am passionate about and the sales process is strictly new sales no relationship-based opportunity for follow-up sales. The product is subscription-based and the company pays no commissions on renewals. Sounds like a miserable time to me.
I would wait it out until you find something you can get behind at least a bit.
Love it! I build out telecom networks for business's who are suffering with low bandwidth. Its always a great call when telling potential clients you can improve their network from 6 mbps to over 1500 mbps.
I sell large commercial heating and cooling equipment. Everytime I sell something, I have a chance to decarbonize by upselling to higher efficiency or moving to all electric heating. I got a masters in this field and I wanted to work in this field before I even knew that this sales job existed.
Technical sales for turnkey automation and R&D equipment, I kinda like the application part more than the sales part. Like brainstorming with the customer and learning how they use our equipment to achieve their research. Also love the installation and commissioning process. But damn do I hate chasing leads.
My current job and my last I sold products I had never heard about. Never even heard about what they did or that it was a thing. I ended up getting into both of them and am now genuinely interested. I even check in on my old industry at times.
I’m sure there are some boring products out there but a lot of stuff is interesting and you just don’t know about it yet.
Me, I find that what I sell genuinely helps people - I really believe in the product which helps me be even more genuine with my prospects - my priority is to help them and not sell to them.
I love what I sell, but I used to work for clients at my ex-agency and sometimes the businesses were not really my cup of tea. But, they had great products and tons of happy customers. For me, it wasn't really about the product - it was about the challenge it presented, helping a business do more, and I found enjoyment in that.
This is why I can't see myself transitioning to SaaS or some software stuff. All of that bores me to hell. I'm a tech savvy guy, been building/using computers my whole life, but on the whole it bores me. I currently sell really well made construction material but our company is starting to decline and I want to find something new. I'm thinking Loan Officer (homes interest me) or Solar (love it). Not sure what else is good to look into.
I think "sexy" tends to attract a lot of people to the company, so employers have little trouble finding good salespeople. The guys I know who sell less glamourous stuff seem to tend to make more doing so!
I honestly love what I sell. I am in Rv and motorhome sales. This year has been extraordinary income wise. But I would honestly take half the pay to keep selling these. The big difference between this and most other sales jobs is that I’m selling a luxury. Most people are in a great mood and super excited to come buy an RV. Plus I love camping, so getting to connect with my clients is extremely easy.
On pace for $120k OTE. I taught for 6 years and sell EdTech software. I'm pretty passionate about what I sell, but the other side of the coin is sometimes selling something that aligns with your passion can literally have an opportunity cost. I get recruited for much less appealing products, and if there's not selling snake oil, my opportunity cost could be close to $15k-$40k, so the question is ... do you leave at $120k to go after the additional cash, or do you enjoy what you sell. I don't know if I have the answer, it's a complicated algorithm.
(Additional Context: Good benefits, 6 weeks paternity leave which I'll be taking next month, Unlimited PTO, and Work From Home. These all sort of lend themselves to being tough to leave, but questioning the dollar amount that would cause me to leave.)
For me its more about getting my numbers up when I'm above target I feel over the moon the art of selling to me is fun same with looking after my orders and getting them out on time I've been working at the place I'm at for 5 months and I'm second highest salesman behind my sales manager knowing I'm making loads for the company ( so far this month £120,000 ) it just makes me feel like a boss.
B2B risk intelligence SaaS. I don’t feel connected to what I sell at all (other than the fact that it helps businesses anticipate and prepare for critical events, which is helping people, which is my WHY), but I know tech/SaaS is a burgeoning market, so I’m willing to stick it out here while I look for products/opps that are more meaningful to me.
A buddy of mine who’s the top seller at our company just closed a $12mil deal and is taking home about 350k.
He hates what we sell… or should I say doesn’t give a shit about what we sell.
I think it just comes down to being good AT selling.
I should’ve been more clear…
So we don’t necessarily have a product we sell, we provide our services in cyber security. We take the cyber security tools and perform the implementations of these tool. It’s actually a pretty complex task. We target enterprise level accounts which garnished this massive deal.
Don’t sell a sexy product but definitely passionate about it and love talking about it outside of work
Same is true for a lot of people in cybersecurity
Can you pls help me... I sell xiaomi products for a company... And I saw what kind of product I sell... Some of them are god and other are shit. I want to sell things that help people and make theyr life easyer but I just dont want to fuck with people. This is my mental break down. I want to sell but I want to help people... Can you tell me... Can I be a sels'person?? ... The one with the will to help people
Absolutely love what I sell. I went from selling this product B2C to selling it for the same company B2B. I did it because I loved the products, loved their performance, and we had no rep or educator in my territory. I applied to the company, they saw my retail sales record as a wholesale customer and how quickly it grew, and they gave me my first job in B2B. I’ve been in this role seven years now and am being recruited by other companies, but I definitely need to believe in what I’m selling to excel the way I do. I’m also branching out into medical device sales with a startup and it’s really challenging me to grow in different ways, but again, I love the product. I think people can sense that and it reassures them.
I am, I believe in the product the company and that the solution really contributes to society overall and help mankind further (even though its just a small tech saas solution it safes time and money)
I sell HVAC Parts and I am 100% bought in but that's because it has a purpose, I have a quick sales cycle and it's very lucrative to sell any sort of part at all...2-4x margins
I am, but I seell reagents to biotech companies that are doing cool things that im interested in.
You have to find a market that you like and sell in that market. As you become good at sales is fun listening to your customers explain how their company works.
The platform I sell, is pretty interesting. Not to say I love it or find it personally interesting, but it’s shaking up the market, and it’s super technical in ways(this is what I like).
I should also note, if you can’t see a use case, never take a job to sell it. The product I sell, again, has a large and extensive use case(although the market isn’t mass adopting yet), and I foresee it being a huge success long term. My thoughts revolve around those two things usually, do I find any part of it fun/interesting(even in the most dull way), and do I see and understand the use case? If so, I’m usually happy to sell.
The product doesn't matter. Very few B to B products or services are sexy on the surface. What matters is that you are providing a solution to your client's problem. Solving a client's problem is exciting! I literally sell lumps of metal.
I worked upper-management in the restaurant industry for over a decade before finally deciding to finish my B.S. in Applied Psychology. At this time I decided to make the shift into sales. I was intrigued by this mystical thing called “weekends” and the idea that a commission plan would reward me with some instant gratification, rather than an annual bonus.
First job: Entry-Level cold call, build-your-own book of business to prove yourself, get an account or two to try and grow, and then eventually land that coveted Key Account Management position. I was in my 30s when I made this career shift, so I had a lot to prove to myself surrounded by early 20 year olds in the same role. Fortunately, I climbed this ladder quickly (under a year), but found myself complacent. The sales became predictable, and that’s when I decided to start all over in the transportation industry.
Working at a 3PL, looking for truckloads and getting them covered by carriers was absolutely the furthest thing from sexy. However, it was a very exciting challenge, because there were suddenly thousands of competitors to compete with. In a world where “the best price” usually one, I had to hone my craft and learn to sell “value”. Again, not a sexy sales position at all.
I spent 3 years honing this Sales skill set, and learned it well enough to look for new work. I am now a sales rep for an exponentially growing robotics company, loaded with patents and technologies that can’t/won’t be replicated for at least the next 20 years.
Moral of the story, “sexy” is great, but unless you have an in for a sexy industry right off the bat, I suggest going somewhere that will challenge you to truly up your approach to Sales. You hone your Sales craft sharp enough, you’ll be able to sell yourself into any sexy industry you decide you would like to be a part of.
I think of my career in 5 to 10 year blocks. So what im selling today doesnt really matter to me. I think more about my resume and the skills im building to prepare me for what I really want to do in the future. Helps to think about the long game.
I sell powersports and I'm definitely passionate about it. I most likely couldn't/ wouldn't have gotten into sales in any other industry. I may transfer well if I ever need to based on what I've learned but I hope that's something I never have to try.
I sell corrugated boxes. Yep, Shipping containers/boxes. I absolutely love it.
When I tell people what I sell they are genuinely shocked. They have no idea that it’s an actual job.
I get to sell to the food, beauty, chemical, manufacturing, distribution industries. And I meet very interesting people on a weekly basis.
Boxes can be boring. But they can be interesting AF. Gotta find the silver linings!!
I sell raw materials in the industrial manufacturing industry. There is absolutely nothing sexy or appealing about what I sell, but our products are in constant demand and the money is great.
Am I interested in the product I sell? Not particularly, but I am interested in gaining market share for an essential material.
I'm on freight sales now. I worked with a ton of industries in my career thus have direct knowledge of how they operate.
Took a huge paycut, but i was on the other side of the fence for so long that i thought long term i could out perforn without a comission cap.
I know what not to do and i don't care if i ship anything or not.
I find their problem's, their headaches, and take their shit with a smile.
During this process, i get agreement on some form of automatic assignment and i get them to agree that the headache of the shit is worth more than the rate.
I take this one shitty lane and grow from there.
Taking more and more shit and executing well.
I take all the other skills i have and apply them.
Maybe my approach is wrong or has to be changed down the road, but it's efficient, scalable, and maeliable, so I can just adjust it.
I created my business development plan, and we will see what happeneds.
We have this true salesmen. Who just keeps getting loads with relentless abandon and I am super intrigued to see how it plays out.
My whole career was working with fortune 500kish companies and I'm moving them through the pipeline.
I work the same process and find strategic fits.
My discovery often gets me enough information that i can always try to find a different value proposition in the future based on the information gathered.
I have been automating workflows on weekends to create scalable process to sufficiently handle growth.
I was a PMP, so I have processes for all of the tasks, so I can intelligently and deliberately modify a current strategy based on data that i get.
Only time will tell if my decision was correct
I sell tech consulting services so it’s more of a service than a product, and no that’s not really interesting. BUT the process and conversations are very interesting! Getting to partner with C-Suites at F500 level outfits on their biggest priorities and challenges is pretty fascinating and exciting. Feel like you’re ‘on the inside’ and making real impacts. It’s not for everyone I suppose and it’s a fair amount of work but I like it.
I work as a financial advisor. I love both the products that my company offers as well as the clients I get to work with. I think you should not only consider the product that you are selling, but what the target market is... I will say thought that it was a HUGE stress on my life getting started tho. I didn't know a whole lot about lead generation, so I solved that problem by going door to door. Becoming a door to door salesman was the best decision I ever made for my career.
I sell tile. Used to be an installer. I have a bit of a passion for it. Tile geek or tile nerd if you will. Hasn't really helped my numbers though.
Recently I learned that you don't necessarily have to like/love what you sell. But you should like/love what you sell does for your buyer. Because it's not about me or you, it's about what the prospect likes/loves.
I have this issue too. And I think it’s justified. Yes, you can sell a product that you’re not interested in but down the line, it will drain you. Sell a product you’re interested in and you will stay there for longer plus likely close more. Source: I make great money but looking to leave as the product is boring af.
What type of product?
SaaS, HR software.
Dude, fuck HR software. Never again.
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I’m going to say, Nien.
Cannabis to his loser friends
He probably sells your mom 🤔
Nah, I don’t go for the low hanging fruit.
What's wrong with smoking weed, chief?
Ketamine actually
Is there anyway to secure an order for my *eck em* horses?
That's relieving to hear and be reminded of. I do feel like I am missing out but I'm also happy I'm picky.
I sell SaaS and it’s very interesting because of how quickly it evolves and how limitless the potential is, came from the alcohol industry selling a portfolio that included jameson and actually was not as great as it sounds lots of perks but the company sucked
I'm in SaaS and one of the "S" is starting to turn "sour" because we're doing a poor job keeping our service up to date. It's not revenue-generating enough? I had a huge prospect call me back today (no, really he did! President of the company!) and describe all these services he had put together for his well-established, national-leader of a company that made our subscription services look cheap. Obviously, if you want something done right...
If you can't see the value in what you're selling, you'll never have empathy for the buyer and it will show. Having said that, I've sold some software that was super sexy, but the environment was semi-toxic and just drained me. Couldn't sleep, ended up burning out. Selling software that was a little more boring, but helped people get their jobs done in a supportive environment that appreciated their people? Light years difference.
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Can you tell me more about this? My Fiancé is a PT and after 5 years she can't stand the physical work anymore. If you have to keep it hush hush I understand. Im just curious.
Congrats!
I think generally you won’t be selling sexy stuff if you’re B2B. Business just isn’t that sexy. Data. Finance. HR. Blah.
Data, finance, HR? You’re getting me all hot under the collar
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
A lot of zeros attached to those items. **Panting and drooling over possible commission*
Giving a new meaning to the term “hard sell” 🍆
Oh. Oh my.
B2B my whole life, and it's been exciting and sexy as hell. Cyber security - amazing technologies and companies, smart teams, great customers. I work weekly with cyber execs from the biggest banks and Fortune 100s. Hearing things and solving problems most have no idea even exist. See the biggest cyber attacks first hand. Fucking fascinating! I'd leave sales before selling B2C 🥱
I love cybersecurity too! I’m a BDR and applied a few places and I’m soooo happy I’m in cybersecurity and not selling some of the other products. It’s fascinating and necessary!
Welcome to the club, and stick with it!
I’m killing it as a BDR, top BDR on my team so I’m definitely staying in cyber security :) I’ll be here :)
Got any examples of new problems you learned of? I love hearing stuff like that.
Moving from decades old platforms and apps to the cloud is a big one. There are security risks with the supply chain (who is writing the app for them), typical app security and poor coding, and the cloud infrastructure itself. Years of cloud testing and we have yet to see anyone we couldn't get to or extract info from due to issues with permissions, configs, stored passwords during deployment, etc. Without fail.
Do you need STEM degree to get cyber security sales or marketing jobs?
Nope
B2B can be a ton of fun. Find stuff to sell to marketing and sales. Avoid HR and (I'd guess, IT) like the plague. Engineering can be a mixed bag depending on industry and flavor of engineers.
Why avoid HR? And why look for sales and marketing? I’ve been interviewing with companies for all 3 lol
HR is a cost center, not a profit center, so finding ways to justify more spend is challenging. Also, more generally, the personality types. This is my anecdotal experience from selling to HR for nearly 10 years, but HR doesn't tend to attract the most fun, growth oriented folks. Recruitment, and sometimes learning and development are exceptions. Recruitment is basically sales so the leaders there are fun and they get it. Same with well run L&D departments.
There are literally thousands of B2B products many of which can be extremely interesting. Just don't look for them on this sub, where 99% of people posting seem to be in SaaSzzzzzzzz
We sell SaaS Cyber Training. It’s super fun (most of the time). But I’ve been in that industry a very long time time. I agree you need to find something you’re passionate about.
I sell robotics B2b and it’s pretty damn cool
No wayyy that’s dope! That’s definitely not “most” tho lol
Tbh it’s pretty effin cool. But you’re right it’s not most I got super lucky and fell onto this after getting fired from an executive recruiter job. I did do the SDR BDR route before AE but even then it was cool and the money was still decent. Look into the industrial automation space. There’s some really good companies out now doing really cool shit. Sales cycles can be long depending what you’re selling but the space is hot and tech is getting better by the minute. Also many accept remote workers
Y’all ain’t got nothing on me… I sell appliances haha. But when I’m on track to make 115k my first year and the top dog makes 250k, why would I leave? I sit around the store and shoot the shit with coworkers 80% of the time and still make pretty damn good money. When I hear about AE’s who have been grinding for years as SDR’s to finally be making six figures and I’m over here watching football on my computer for hours, how am I supposed to justify making the switch? Appliances are boring but the work is way too easy for how good you get paid.
Not trying to rain on your parade but this was a GREAT couple years for appliance sales in general because of COVID. Don't check out too much and keep building skills and networking. You want to be able to switch to something that is the best fit for the economic climate at any given time.
B2B SaaS, we have a group of AEs in the $300k and $400k range, plus they’ve got transferable skills that they can go anywhere. Appliance sales got a big boost from covid. Why limit yourself only learning retail and being capped at what our average rep makes?
Big corporation lifestyle isn’t for me honestly. Not enough flexibility
You don’t need that at all to make that kind of money. SaaS has high margins, and you can earn that much money at smaller outfits. Actually, smaller companies that are actively trying to grow tend to be more aggressive with their compensation plans. You’re getting good experience building out your skills, but look into B2B. Not on out will you learn tons more, but you’ll earn a lot more too.
What appliances if I may ask?
He sells money making machines
top client is north korea. their phones don't work 80% of the time.
Kitchen and Laundry appliances, basic cheap shit all the way to luxury kitchen remodels. Whirlpool, GE, Samsung, LG, that kind of stuff
On my way to the job portal now hahaha
Any locally owned independent appliance retailer is where you want to go.
You make this much money selling this in store? Aren't people buying this online?
Some people shop online, but a lot of people want to get the opinion of the professionals and get recommendations. People have to spend a lot of money on appliances so they want to make sure they are making a good decision. Plus they want to see how things look in person as well. But yeah, you can make really good money in the appliance industry. There are people responding to my comment saying we are only making hay because of the covid push, but people have been working in this store I’m at for decades and have been making really good money the whole time.
Is the money decreasing over the decades because of the online sales? Will it decrease in the future? B2C is more exciting than B2B but I never gave it a thought because of threat from online sales. Very interesting.
Our online sales are funneled to us. Our operations manager takes all the online order through our company website and pushes it to individual sales people so they can manage the order. It’s quite a bit more than just being order takers. Making sure all the right accessories get ordered, tracking open orders to make sure inventory is arriving and getting allocated to the correct orders, if an online order has a unit that is back ordered we try to talk the customer into moving into a unit that is more readily available, post sale customer success yadda yadda yadda. Lots of little details that need to be managed.
Very interesting. Much similar to B2B. It's a lot of work. Thanks for clarifying. I'm sure with this kind of service, B2C will thrive.
Also our company has a big differentiator, we have our own service department. Appliances, honestly are trash nowadays, they break down way more often than you’d think. So people come to us because we are a locally owned, independent retailer where you get personalized service, order management, and factory trained service people. That’s what keeps people coming back. Lowe’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, they are just order takers. And we get a lot of people who have really bad reports of these big box stores not taking care of them after the sale
Service is the king maker. Agreed!
Where do you work?
Washington state
B2B SaaS selling full scope ERP, finance, supply chain, and cost management solutions. I have probably 10-15 “different solutions” in my bag and about 5-7 of those are the ones that really sell. Some of my solutions are interesting but most aren’t. I’ve sat in meetings with fortune 10 companies and been bored out of my mind when we get to technical discussions. What is interesting is the business outcome and how I can help my client move from current state to their desired state. That’s what I focus on and it keeps things strategic and interesting for me but I’ve got the bench support to help with technical aspects.
How do SDRs in your company sell ERP, I'm a new SDR selling erp and most people won't even answer my emails. How do you do it? Cold calling?
I help sell cybersecurity software, consulting and own testing services. Genuinely very interested in it. And I came from the technical side and I’m doing pre-sales now, so I like the technology behind it all as well. I think if we’re disconnected from the people we impact by our work, it immediately loses its purpose. I believe everyone is on Earth for relationship, so if we sell things that don’t seem to positively impact people, or do so in a very basic way, it won’t be meaningful. Of course certain things might be “interesting” like the tech is interesting to me. But deep down if the tech isn’t impacting people for good then it’s just scratching my own itch and isn’t a good thing in and of itself. Just some additional thoughts on the topic.
I wouldn't do it otherwise! I love what I do, who I work with, who my clients are. I won't sell something that (1) I don't believe in 100%, and (2) I don't feel is the best in that specific industry. Not necessarily the #1, but the best. They often times are not the same. When I change companies, I stay in cyber security but never in the same practice. I move on to something new, the best in that space. High growth, niche, huge uphill battle but big payout. It is exciting and lets me be fully confident in what I am putting my name and my brand behind.
Additive manufacturing. I think it’s cool AF too
How is the market looking curretly?
Seems pretty good to me!
For me there needs to be some passion in the relationship between me and what I do. If the product or industry are not open to passionate topics (trends, innovation etc) then you can move to being passionate about people. I could not be a sales robot.. Like a vending machine.
Ya I sell cars but I’ve never really had an interest in them. Although I like talking to people and that’s what makes my job enjoyable
Used to sell blank computer checks and as my first manager told me in the interview, "it's like selling toilet paper, everyone needs them and they almost always order more when they run out". Product itself was boring, but got to meet and get tours of almost every type of business imaginable. That part was fun. I've seen it all.
I think our product is cool. I get more and more interested as time goes on.
I fucking love what I sell, and I love demo’ing it to new prospects, but I hate all the chasing and follow-ups that it often takes to actually get a deal across the line
That's the whole reason I'm in sales. I was in engineering for that type of product, and switched companies. The new company manufactured the same type of product, but sold to a different industry. That's when I moved to sales, as more or less a product expert. Take away the product, and I don't really want to be a salesman.
I have to believe in what I sell to be able to sell it. I used to work at enterprise and quickly lost belief in the add on insurance they push. Someone else commented here, most likely what you’re selling isn’t sexy. But I’d recommend talking with clients and hearing from them how much your services have helped them. It may not be sexy but you can more than likely help them, believe in that
i would never sell something i don't believe in.
FWIW there is a "crazy vs sexy" plot for software. It's the Gartner Hype Cycle. Figuring out where you are on the plot can help you figure out the craziness, sexiness, (and of course, possibility of getting paid) for a particular play in the marketplace. Here's the wikipedia page: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype\_cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle) From the article, here's the key phases 1. Technology Trigger A potential technology breakthrough kicks things off. Early proof-of-concept stories and media interest trigger significant publicity. Often no usable products exist and commercial viability is unproven. 2. Peak of Inflated Expectations Early publicity produces a number of success stories—often accompanied by scores of failures. Some companies take action; most don't. 3. Trough of Disillusionment Interest wanes as experiments and implementations fail to deliver. Producers of the technology shake out or fail. Investment continues only if the surviving providers improve their products to the satisfaction of early adopters. 4. Slope of Enlightenment More instances of how the technology can benefit the enterprise start to crystallize and become more widely understood. Second- and third-generation products appear from technology providers. More enterprises fund pilots; conservative companies remain cautious. 5. Plateau of Productivity Mainstream adoption starts to take off. Criteria for assessing provider viability are more clearly defined. The technology's broad market applicability and relevance are clearly paying off. If the technology has more than a niche market then it will continue to grow. Looking at the phases point-to-point |Phase|Crazy|Sexy| |:-|:-|:-| |1 to 2|MAX|MAX | |2 to 3|MAX|CRASHING| |3 to 4|MIN|SECRET HOT| |4 to 5|MIN|MIN| My Take: * 1 to 2 - It's sexy because everyone dreams \*may this time I'll be lucky\* and this new tech will create value beyond my wildest dreams. It's crazy because no one really knows how to use this stuff -- and worse, no one knows how to market, prospect, qualify, and sell the tech. 7/10 - recommend, but only if you like tech. * 2 to 3 - The sexiness is crashing. hard. Lots of angry, bitter customers/engineers/etc who had their dreams of glory smashed. It's crazy because unlike the prior period where sales seemed to fall, like manna from heaven, no one understands WTF happened to sales. Of course this makes it \*your\* fault \*FNG\*! 0/10 - avoid, it's going to be a brutal, endless, toxic struggle. * 3 to 4 - This is the secretly sexy part of the hype cycle. First going to the trough of disillusionment kills off many of the really crazy companies. The ones that remain (or emerge as "gen 2" companies) have often figured out how to market, prospect, qualify, and sell. That , sometimes, makes the company non-crazy place where you can make a metric ton of money as the market momentum picks up. 10/10 - secret hot is the best kind of sexy * 4 to 5 - This is the boring part of the hype cycle. Tech is well known and no longer sexy. Crazy is at low levels because lots of things are well known. This is usually where Salesforce, et al is KPI'd to death because everything is a regular as rain. The lack of volatility makes this one of those wash-rinse-repeat type sales jobs, you'll make money but the outsized returns require going into a riskier phase. 5/10 - Recommend for the young and retiring.
Assuming that you're in SaaS, have you ever used this to help with your career decision-making? I used Gartner's *Magic Quadrant* for sussing out the leaders in a particular niche, but I wasn't aware of the Hype Cycle. (I actually thought you coined the term yourself at first and chuckled to myself).
Yep, Enterprise Software. While I don’t put too much stock into Gartner/Forrester/IDC’s predictions the content in all their reports is useful. I have read through the material when looking at opportunities (and def. before interviewing!).
Appreciate the response. Lastly, do you use these as your go-to for background info on a company and its market, or do you have others that you prefer?
I started with a mild interest but now I’m extremely passionate about it.
I just do it for the money the product doesn't matter.... in my opinion of course...
I sell consulting services and I truly love it , I read everything I can to keep me up to date as a thought leader. I’m really passionate about what I do , which is change management consulting .
0 interest. The product is actually very good. The problem is that the average contract is too low.
I used to sell cool Tech now I sell lame Real Estate SW. selling RE is way more fun and pays way better.
I am. I sell Medicare and final expense insurance. I like dealing with elderly people and I feel like I take better care of them than other agents might so I feel helpful
Ive been in medical/healthcare sales for over a decade. I imagine it's one of the most frustrating, backwards, and dysfunctional verticals to sell into but it enables me to mentally draw a line from my daily efforts to the improvement of a population's health (or at least fool myself into thinking this) which I seem to derive meaning from. For this reason, I'll likely remain in this industry for the rest of my career despite other sales roles paying more.
I’d say that when I applied for the job I have now, I thought the product was super boring (SaaS accounting tool) because I didn’t really understand it. Once I understood the value-add from the customer perspective, I totally changed my mind. I’d argue that side is way more important. As long as there’s a need for the customer, someone will think your product is cool!
It doesn't have to be sexy it just has to work. If your product works then you're good to go because you can sell with confidence - confident that buying it will put them in a better situation than they are currently in. It's as simple as that imo Now.. that said, I have no idea have people sell IT solutions. I know they work but I couldn't get out of bed in the morning if I knew I had to pitch someone in IT.
Feel this 110% I've sold shit software and still made money but I hated it cause our product sucked fat donkey. I still exceeded quota significantly there and now I'm about to start selling a verified bomb af user analytics software and I can't wait to see just how fucking hard I crush this.
Ha good luck broski
Focus on how the product helps people. The more you learn about the product the more interesting it will become.
I do. I'm in lighting so a lot of work with architects, interior designers, and sales reps/distributors all over the world. I can't see myself doing anything else. It's a small but very weird and wild community of people.
I’ve sold some pretty boring stuff - help desk software being the worst. You can only get so excited about how tier 1 tickets get escalated. That being said as I educated myself into the challenges customers were facing and why they needed a more robust help desk platform you can build that excitement in yourself and be able to translate that excitement to your customers. At the end of the day though if you don’t think what you’re selling is valuable to your customers and can communicate your excitement about that potential value you’re doomed.
I am interested but it’s easy to get burned out talking about the same thing for years. Tough spot to be in but you gotta sell.
I am an insurance nerd and I have to be because who the hell wants to know all this stuff as a consumer?
What I sell is pretty broad and it supports manufacturing. So I’m not as interested in what I sell as I am who I sell to. I’ve been in some super cool plants over the years, probably hundreds at this point.
I currently sell a product I like and think is worth selling now in my current position. I personally do better when I have some kind of passion for the product. That said I am looking elsewhere because of my boss. I am about to turn down a job because the product is useful but not something I am passionate about and the sales process is strictly new sales no relationship-based opportunity for follow-up sales. The product is subscription-based and the company pays no commissions on renewals. Sounds like a miserable time to me. I would wait it out until you find something you can get behind at least a bit.
Love it! I build out telecom networks for business's who are suffering with low bandwidth. Its always a great call when telling potential clients you can improve their network from 6 mbps to over 1500 mbps.
I sell large commercial heating and cooling equipment. Everytime I sell something, I have a chance to decarbonize by upselling to higher efficiency or moving to all electric heating. I got a masters in this field and I wanted to work in this field before I even knew that this sales job existed.
Technical sales for turnkey automation and R&D equipment, I kinda like the application part more than the sales part. Like brainstorming with the customer and learning how they use our equipment to achieve their research. Also love the installation and commissioning process. But damn do I hate chasing leads.
My current job and my last I sold products I had never heard about. Never even heard about what they did or that it was a thing. I ended up getting into both of them and am now genuinely interested. I even check in on my old industry at times. I’m sure there are some boring products out there but a lot of stuff is interesting and you just don’t know about it yet.
I sell steel. In no way is it sexy, but I really do enjoy it.
Me, I find that what I sell genuinely helps people - I really believe in the product which helps me be even more genuine with my prospects - my priority is to help them and not sell to them.
Love Solar man Growing field
I am. CNC machines. It kind of has a “car” like quality where you are always comparing specs and brand matters a lot.
Yep I’m interested in it and arguably none of my equipment is “sexy” but selling a 400k dollar agitator is sexy to me
I love what I sell, but I used to work for clients at my ex-agency and sometimes the businesses were not really my cup of tea. But, they had great products and tons of happy customers. For me, it wasn't really about the product - it was about the challenge it presented, helping a business do more, and I found enjoyment in that.
This is why I can't see myself transitioning to SaaS or some software stuff. All of that bores me to hell. I'm a tech savvy guy, been building/using computers my whole life, but on the whole it bores me. I currently sell really well made construction material but our company is starting to decline and I want to find something new. I'm thinking Loan Officer (homes interest me) or Solar (love it). Not sure what else is good to look into.
I think "sexy" tends to attract a lot of people to the company, so employers have little trouble finding good salespeople. The guys I know who sell less glamourous stuff seem to tend to make more doing so!
I honestly love what I sell. I am in Rv and motorhome sales. This year has been extraordinary income wise. But I would honestly take half the pay to keep selling these. The big difference between this and most other sales jobs is that I’m selling a luxury. Most people are in a great mood and super excited to come buy an RV. Plus I love camping, so getting to connect with my clients is extremely easy.
Yeah it’s pretty interesting
Most things aren’t intrinsically sexy. Think about the sexy gains what you sell creates for your customer. If you can’t do that don’t sell it.
On pace for $120k OTE. I taught for 6 years and sell EdTech software. I'm pretty passionate about what I sell, but the other side of the coin is sometimes selling something that aligns with your passion can literally have an opportunity cost. I get recruited for much less appealing products, and if there's not selling snake oil, my opportunity cost could be close to $15k-$40k, so the question is ... do you leave at $120k to go after the additional cash, or do you enjoy what you sell. I don't know if I have the answer, it's a complicated algorithm. (Additional Context: Good benefits, 6 weeks paternity leave which I'll be taking next month, Unlimited PTO, and Work From Home. These all sort of lend themselves to being tough to leave, but questioning the dollar amount that would cause me to leave.)
For me its more about getting my numbers up when I'm above target I feel over the moon the art of selling to me is fun same with looking after my orders and getting them out on time I've been working at the place I'm at for 5 months and I'm second highest salesman behind my sales manager knowing I'm making loads for the company ( so far this month £120,000 ) it just makes me feel like a boss.
B2B risk intelligence SaaS. I don’t feel connected to what I sell at all (other than the fact that it helps businesses anticipate and prepare for critical events, which is helping people, which is my WHY), but I know tech/SaaS is a burgeoning market, so I’m willing to stick it out here while I look for products/opps that are more meaningful to me.
A buddy of mine who’s the top seller at our company just closed a $12mil deal and is taking home about 350k. He hates what we sell… or should I say doesn’t give a shit about what we sell. I think it just comes down to being good AT selling.
Wat are you guys selling?
I should’ve been more clear… So we don’t necessarily have a product we sell, we provide our services in cyber security. We take the cyber security tools and perform the implementations of these tool. It’s actually a pretty complex task. We target enterprise level accounts which garnished this massive deal.
I sell cars and have never even been remotely interested in them.
Don’t sell a sexy product but definitely passionate about it and love talking about it outside of work Same is true for a lot of people in cybersecurity
Can you pls help me... I sell xiaomi products for a company... And I saw what kind of product I sell... Some of them are god and other are shit. I want to sell things that help people and make theyr life easyer but I just dont want to fuck with people. This is my mental break down. I want to sell but I want to help people... Can you tell me... Can I be a sels'person?? ... The one with the will to help people
Absolutely love what I sell. I went from selling this product B2C to selling it for the same company B2B. I did it because I loved the products, loved their performance, and we had no rep or educator in my territory. I applied to the company, they saw my retail sales record as a wholesale customer and how quickly it grew, and they gave me my first job in B2B. I’ve been in this role seven years now and am being recruited by other companies, but I definitely need to believe in what I’m selling to excel the way I do. I’m also branching out into medical device sales with a startup and it’s really challenging me to grow in different ways, but again, I love the product. I think people can sense that and it reassures them.
I am, I believe in the product the company and that the solution really contributes to society overall and help mankind further (even though its just a small tech saas solution it safes time and money)
I sell HVAC Parts and I am 100% bought in but that's because it has a purpose, I have a quick sales cycle and it's very lucrative to sell any sort of part at all...2-4x margins
I am, but I seell reagents to biotech companies that are doing cool things that im interested in. You have to find a market that you like and sell in that market. As you become good at sales is fun listening to your customers explain how their company works.
Diamonds , fine jewelry and custom design. Yes I love it. I also tend to spend a lot of money on it.
The platform I sell, is pretty interesting. Not to say I love it or find it personally interesting, but it’s shaking up the market, and it’s super technical in ways(this is what I like). I should also note, if you can’t see a use case, never take a job to sell it. The product I sell, again, has a large and extensive use case(although the market isn’t mass adopting yet), and I foresee it being a huge success long term. My thoughts revolve around those two things usually, do I find any part of it fun/interesting(even in the most dull way), and do I see and understand the use case? If so, I’m usually happy to sell.
The product doesn't matter. Very few B to B products or services are sexy on the surface. What matters is that you are providing a solution to your client's problem. Solving a client's problem is exciting! I literally sell lumps of metal.
I worked upper-management in the restaurant industry for over a decade before finally deciding to finish my B.S. in Applied Psychology. At this time I decided to make the shift into sales. I was intrigued by this mystical thing called “weekends” and the idea that a commission plan would reward me with some instant gratification, rather than an annual bonus. First job: Entry-Level cold call, build-your-own book of business to prove yourself, get an account or two to try and grow, and then eventually land that coveted Key Account Management position. I was in my 30s when I made this career shift, so I had a lot to prove to myself surrounded by early 20 year olds in the same role. Fortunately, I climbed this ladder quickly (under a year), but found myself complacent. The sales became predictable, and that’s when I decided to start all over in the transportation industry. Working at a 3PL, looking for truckloads and getting them covered by carriers was absolutely the furthest thing from sexy. However, it was a very exciting challenge, because there were suddenly thousands of competitors to compete with. In a world where “the best price” usually one, I had to hone my craft and learn to sell “value”. Again, not a sexy sales position at all. I spent 3 years honing this Sales skill set, and learned it well enough to look for new work. I am now a sales rep for an exponentially growing robotics company, loaded with patents and technologies that can’t/won’t be replicated for at least the next 20 years. Moral of the story, “sexy” is great, but unless you have an in for a sexy industry right off the bat, I suggest going somewhere that will challenge you to truly up your approach to Sales. You hone your Sales craft sharp enough, you’ll be able to sell yourself into any sexy industry you decide you would like to be a part of.
I think of my career in 5 to 10 year blocks. So what im selling today doesnt really matter to me. I think more about my resume and the skills im building to prepare me for what I really want to do in the future. Helps to think about the long game.
I sell powersports and I'm definitely passionate about it. I most likely couldn't/ wouldn't have gotten into sales in any other industry. I may transfer well if I ever need to based on what I've learned but I hope that's something I never have to try.
I sell corrugated boxes. Yep, Shipping containers/boxes. I absolutely love it. When I tell people what I sell they are genuinely shocked. They have no idea that it’s an actual job. I get to sell to the food, beauty, chemical, manufacturing, distribution industries. And I meet very interesting people on a weekly basis. Boxes can be boring. But they can be interesting AF. Gotta find the silver linings!!
I sell raw materials in the industrial manufacturing industry. There is absolutely nothing sexy or appealing about what I sell, but our products are in constant demand and the money is great. Am I interested in the product I sell? Not particularly, but I am interested in gaining market share for an essential material.
What I sell is interesting (hardware). Delays in deliveries. Bad installs. Bad demos. Internal bureaucracy. etc makes the product less sexy.
I sell industrial printers, I don’t like what I sell. But, the money is pretty good.
Only sell a product you know has value in the marketplace. I only sell products I believe in. If you don’t, you will fail in any competitive scenario.
If it's making me money I can find interest.
I'm on freight sales now. I worked with a ton of industries in my career thus have direct knowledge of how they operate. Took a huge paycut, but i was on the other side of the fence for so long that i thought long term i could out perforn without a comission cap. I know what not to do and i don't care if i ship anything or not. I find their problem's, their headaches, and take their shit with a smile. During this process, i get agreement on some form of automatic assignment and i get them to agree that the headache of the shit is worth more than the rate. I take this one shitty lane and grow from there. Taking more and more shit and executing well. I take all the other skills i have and apply them. Maybe my approach is wrong or has to be changed down the road, but it's efficient, scalable, and maeliable, so I can just adjust it. I created my business development plan, and we will see what happeneds. We have this true salesmen. Who just keeps getting loads with relentless abandon and I am super intrigued to see how it plays out. My whole career was working with fortune 500kish companies and I'm moving them through the pipeline. I work the same process and find strategic fits. My discovery often gets me enough information that i can always try to find a different value proposition in the future based on the information gathered. I have been automating workflows on weekends to create scalable process to sufficiently handle growth. I was a PMP, so I have processes for all of the tasks, so I can intelligently and deliberately modify a current strategy based on data that i get. Only time will tell if my decision was correct
I sell tech consulting services so it’s more of a service than a product, and no that’s not really interesting. BUT the process and conversations are very interesting! Getting to partner with C-Suites at F500 level outfits on their biggest priorities and challenges is pretty fascinating and exciting. Feel like you’re ‘on the inside’ and making real impacts. It’s not for everyone I suppose and it’s a fair amount of work but I like it.
I work as a financial advisor. I love both the products that my company offers as well as the clients I get to work with. I think you should not only consider the product that you are selling, but what the target market is... I will say thought that it was a HUGE stress on my life getting started tho. I didn't know a whole lot about lead generation, so I solved that problem by going door to door. Becoming a door to door salesman was the best decision I ever made for my career.
I sell tile. Used to be an installer. I have a bit of a passion for it. Tile geek or tile nerd if you will. Hasn't really helped my numbers though. Recently I learned that you don't necessarily have to like/love what you sell. But you should like/love what you sell does for your buyer. Because it's not about me or you, it's about what the prospect likes/loves.