Pros and Cons of Sales
Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is - Vince Lombardi
A good friend of mine recently asked if I had posted about the pros and cons of sales or BD. Here goes.
Initially, I thought the only way I could get into tech was policy or trust & safety. Those two areas had plenty of former feds, particularly with my government pedigree. They were paid well. Their skills seemed transferable. The future was bright. This was where I was meant to be.
And then I started to learn about cost centers. Pretty self explanatory. At best, this is the part of a business that helps it lose less money. It will never drive profits.
Consequently, this is an easy area to cut. Taken one step further, roles can be more competitive in nature because it’s hard to tie action to outcomes. In the wake of layoffs, these teams shrink at all the big players. The market turns toward the employer. Suddenly, you’re regretting your decision to break free from USG.
When changing careers, moving into an industry where you’ve never worked before, do you really want to tie yourself to a vertical with limited upside and maximum downside?
So what makes sales and BD better? Compensation, creativity and mobility.
The total comp will always have bonus factor tied to a quota. This could be an individual or a team quota. Essentially, you eat what you kill. Close more businesses and earn more money. Daunting at first? Possibly. Selling is critical to every business, big or small. Once you figure it out, and learn how to do it your own way, the upside is massive.
While a sales motion has repeatable and recognizable steps, the application can take many forms. No two sales will be alike. There will be constant change. The variety is invigorating. The hustle takes stamina, but it’s never boring.
The need for revenue is not unique to any one industry. If you can sell in tech, you can do it anywhere. Build up a reputation backed by data, and the story will tell itself. Moving to a new employer will be seemless. You’ll likely be able to get more than one offer, meaning negotiations that increase your value.
Navigating towards BD and sales out of government takes work. There will be doubters thinking you can’t hack it, don’t understand a P&L and won’t be able to handle deadlines. Accept this challenge. You want to be on the revenue-producing side. This is the most critical part of any business. Being part of it, in turn, means you are critical too.
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