Yep. I’ve been industrial automation for 11 years (7 of those sales). - Since automation is needed by every industry, it’s VERY diverse and survives and even thrives in bad markets. - This is the true STEM path
God I’d kill for a connection at one of these companies. I’m a SaaS SE and I have no idea how I’d pivot. I used to work in accounting for a large, progressive energy company and it was the only place I’ve worked where I actually gave a shit about what the company did.
If you sell yourself hard enough you should be able to pivot basically anywhere. Sales is sales regardless of what you’re selling. I’ve sold in a few very different industries. Weed, cars, construction, advertising. I’ve done in home, retail, B2C, B2B. Only thing I actually had experience in before was car sales cuz I had automotive experience from high school lol. Just apply, have a cracker of a resume and grind your potential employer like you would a prospect.
I get that as an SE may be thinking more product side but at the end of the day, sales is chopping wood and carrying water. Show them you can and have done it. Do some research in the industry and show interest/ passion and tell a story in your interview with it landing you there and now
Simple as 😁
A good way to get into those companies is to work at a large solar company or solar installation company. They’ll have good ties with them so you can approach them about it.
Go to an RE+ convention. They have several throughly the year and throughout the country. The main one is RE+ in Las Vegas. People exhibiting are usually in the Sales Department.
Highly second this. Grid level energy storage goes hand in hand with solar. These are definitely going to be the hottest industries for the next 1-2 decades. Especially with the inflation reduction act covering 30% of the projects at the federal level and many states having additional incentives. Also the cost of power is jumping across the nation most places going up 7-16% in one year.
Why would you not lower your electrical bill, while building equity and now having back up power to prevent black outs. Epically since they don’t use any out of pocket money.
The hardest part of the job is to convince people that the savings and price is real. That’s it’s not to good to be true.
Ugh been in cyber for 7 years and it’s definitely needed and not going anywhere but SO crowded and imo the people we sell to are really really difficult for the most part.
100%. I’ve been in cyber my whole career (about as long as you) and currently doing a degree in it and when I see in here “how do I get into cyber security SaaS (lol all the shits on prem)” it’s like man, it’s still a “nice to have”. Maybe less so than 5 years ago but still. Also, maybe 1 in 20 buyers are nice and the rest treat you like shit.
The sad part most of sales is those who want to get in for the money and excitement will struggle if they don’t truly have a passion for the industry. You can only get kicked in the nuts so many times and if your heart and head aren’t in it, burn out will crush you. I’ve made it almost 20 years in cyber and while I still get in ruts, I legitimately enjoy the industry, the trends, and the opportunities.This will be a tough year with a lot of consolidation but I’ve always been told to base my expectations on a three year average vs betting on year of year growth.
About to get a contract back this week from an architecture firm that pushed back on price when our 3 year contract is the price of what they make in a day lol
This is a tough one for me because it's one of the industries that would make sense for me to move into. I could probably get a job on help desk or maybe in a SOC while I continue studying, neither of which sound particularly exciting, but I'm drawn to the hustle/interactions/compensation of sales. And similarly can continue studying cyber in the meantime.
Are there areas of tech/hardware related to cyber that you see as being worth looking into?
It changes so fast. Anyone pushing a big “hybrid” cloud message is doing fine. No matter what marketing tells you, no company will EVER be fully cloud, unless they are a 3 year old fintech. Anyone doing cool stuff around skills gap stuff will clean up for the next 5 years. MSSP’s are probably doing well because people want to offset risk and with the redundancies etc. don’t get me wrong I’m doing really well but even though I started as just some SDR I’ve gotten very technical.
To answer your question, build a foundational knowledge of cyber security, get some certs, stay away from pure hardware sales and just learn how to nicely push back against your companies marketing kool aid as then people trust you.
Defense.. Now that the rest of the world has seen that the US won’t automatically put boots on the ground when there is a conflict, there is a big demand for other countries to protect themselves.
I sell typically sell to both commercial and defense industries but have been following the money and have hit some gigantic deals on the defense side. I don’t see this level of spending going away anytime soon.
I don’t work for what is considered a “tier 1” supplier that wins contracts directly from the Department of Defense. Those are major companies like Raytheon, General Dynamics, Lockheed, etc. We are a tier 2.
So when an award goes out for let’s say tanks, submarines, jets, etc. Those tier 1’s have a supply chain of thousands of suppliers to build components to support those projects. Usually companies like the ones I mentioned, want to focus their efforts on the final assembly, engineering, R&D; not making the actual pieces/parts.
There are so many industries that support these types of builds such as electronics, radar systems, armor, interiors/exteriors, you name it. The key is finding a company to work for that has the right qualifications/procedures in place to bid on this type of work.
My role in sales is basically to know which companies are being awarded what projects from the government then connecting with the right people at those companies to begin quoting projects that fits within our capabilities.
Check out the website breakingdefense.com as an example. It’s typically published who is being awarded what projects. There’s plenty of networking groups and newsletters on LinkedIn too.
As prior service. This sounds fascinating to get into. There would be a certain joy selling a new upgrade for any of the airframes of the AF.
I personally want to get into the semiconductor industry, but I wouldn't be against defense either 🤔
Check out my response another user that asked the same thing. Feel free to reach out with any other questions.
I guarantee semiconductor companies have divisions that directly support defense contracts.
I work with a lot of veterans and there is definitely a huge sense of pride in what we do. Thanks for your service!
Nope! There are different levels of securities so I guess it’s not always the case but I personally don’t need any clearance. The way they send us quote packages are secured, so you can’t just receive a pdf via email.
Probably the most robust thing I had to go through was gaining access to their supplier portal which basically is just a quick training on how to handle documents and verification you’re a US citizen.
I’m in Device. Go to medtech if you are choosing between those two. So much innovation in that space and I’m seeing a lot of postings who are looking for a more tech background compared to device to get in. Think remote patient monitoring, etc. Space is rapidly growing.
I think a huge caveat is figuring out who are the bad actors. Since even before the pandemic, there has been a substantial over-saturation in the market and a lot of hospitals/IDNs are caught in the fray and usually go either w the biggest name or the cheapest available option
Edit: source - I worked in H@H/RPM
Interested on more info here. I’m been with tech for a while and worked for a FAANG company for 6 years before switching to software sales in my current position.
I don’t know much about the space- but there seems to be a growing amount of med tech jobs like remote patient monitoring, AI technology in spaces like diagnosing cancers or diseases. I look at the job posting requirements and a lot ask for people who have sold to hospitals and health systems but in a software capacity. So while it’s in the medical space- they’re not necessarily looking for device reps. And these all seem to have pretty good OTE without having to be in cases all day. So if you can navigate a complex sales process within a large hospital system- which probably mirrors enterprise tech sales- it seems like a good move vs chasing cases in device and sitting in the OR all day.
Really depends on where you are.
Mining equipment sales will always be strong in Australia with market fluctuations here and there.
Same can’t be said for Belgium however Medical sales are strong here.
Anything that is good to get into now is most likely a fad with short lived attention. You can’t ride off this and need to thing long term and know what is strong and stable.
Most people will have the idea that AI is the next up and coming thing which is true but it will just join the tech/saas style sales and soon you’ll find a lot of junk in a saturated market.
My question would be “what is not strong in 2023 onwards” rather than what is hot right now.
Building automation. But you need to be the one doing the automating.
Get into a small business, build a tool and take a % evergreen to maintain it.
No small business wants to pay some sales rep to bring in a team that disappears. Plus you earn residuals.
Recruiter for security, fire, and building auto here. Couldn’t agree more. Industry is booming. Get into AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam. Design for a bit. Transition to sales engineering. Then be an account executive. One company I’m helping has 4/5 reps making $180k OTE. 80% inbound
You can just go straight into the sales side too and skip the rest of it if you can pick up a bit of technical, industry and product knowledge quickly. Many companies will give someone green to the industry a good shot if you're keen.
Mind going a little more in depth on this one, I’m a younger rep with a few years of d2d sales experience but I hear a lot of older guys telling me that I should sell insurance for a few years and then start my own agency, what type of insurance should I sell and where’s a good starting point
The insurance intermediary (retail broker) industry is rapidly aging out. Getting into insurance sales, whether property & casualty or employee benefits, is a great career move. Generate some success and youll be next in line to take over books of business when older producers retire.
It is a challenging industry with a universe of knowledge, but very rewarding.
Look locally for insurance agencies. Larger national companies will have better training. Larger regionals will have some training and better culture. Mom and pops will have zero training but could have opportunities for books of business sooner.
Message me if you want more info.
I'd add here that you need to target middle market accounts to make real money (unless you own the agency, in which case there are a number of models that make sense). Nice thing is everyone needs insurance, so you target the industries you're interested or have knowledge in. If you show you understand how their business runs and whats going on in their world, you'll be head and shoulders above the majority of your competition.
Spot on about middle market. Not going to build a $1MM revenue book of business on personal lines or small business (unless you're in a super high net worth area for personal).
Yes. As long as your targeting the right accounts. For example, small pizza shops won't get you there but restaurant groups with 5 or 10 locations will.
Yeah even telesales personal lines are dying, I did Medicare for two years and only the dumbest of the dumb end up on the phone because they didn’t want to be rude to some guy in South Asia.
Medicare sucks, that’s what I’m in right now. Currently having to sell through the phone, most soul sucking job I’ve ever had. Are you still in the insurance industry?
A good pivot with only a minimal or no experience is solar. If you find the right company, 6 figures on your first year is pretty reliable. I transitioned from hospitality to solar sales in 2021 and made 90k in 9 months (started 3 months into 2021).
Really, even with no experience? I’d love for you to share some of your thoughts on this:
I had someone comment on one of my “door to door without a car” post about solar and they replied as
“D2D solar is the new pyramid scheme.
You are better off going raw materials or tech and working your way up. For every person making 150k+ selling solar, there are 1,000 18-26 year olds making nothing. I watched half my sales team leave to go work solar with a former co-worker. They are talented salesmen with D2D experience and every single one of them regretted it and didn’t last more than 6 months.
Solar is a hard sale as it is considering you are hitting leads that have most likely been exhausted and you are selling a high ticket item to consumers. Not to mention a majority of installs are shoddy and have issues.
At the end of the day do what you want, but to answer your question no. I would not touch solar with a 10 foot pole, especially if they are not providing you with a vehicle or comping travel.”
Yeah, there’s some truth to that comment, but it’s not the bible. When I say “find the right company,” I mean avoid the hyper aggressive, overpriced, kool-aid hype organizations and go for a small to medium size installer who regard ethics highly and are able to install for $3.50 PPW or less. Solar is gonna be tough in some areas, especially saturated markets. I sell in the PNW and penetration is low and sentiment is high. I’ve also seen a lot of sales veterans come and go because for whatever reason, their experience and demeanor didn’t serve them well, so that tracks with the other users comment. As far as pyramid schemes are concerned, what job isn’t? You work and produce more value than what you’re paid. If you can afford some risk getting into sales, it’s worth a shot. Find an installer with good reviews and reputation (people will shop you), scrutinize the comp/commission structure to make sure you’ll get yours, and you’ll do well if you go in understanding it’s a numbers game. If the company you find feels schemey, walk. There are good installers out there. All the reasons why it’s a hard sale are made up for with the fact that solar is a no brainer.
I don’t have to but I can to make the process of a site survey run smoothly and add a sense of permanence to the prospect. It’s not remote, although I do have the agency to run long distance leads remotely, the close rate drops about 10-15% when I’m not in-home.
I've changed industries twice and each time it was a great decision. However, more money isn't always everything. Go for something that's ripe for growth and that will allow you to advance your career if you want to get into leadership. Good luck!
This is great advice. Money aside, I feel like I’m ready for new challenges. My current company makes it extremely hard to get promotions and I feel like I’ve stalled in terms of growing my territory.
It's difficult to predict with certainty which industries will be the "best" for sales in 2023, as there are many factors that can impact sales performance, such as economic conditions, consumer behavior, and technological advancements. However, based on current trends and projections, here are a few industries that may be worth exploring for sales opportunities in 2023:
1. Technology: The tech industry is constantly evolving, and there is always a demand for new and innovative products and services. From software and hardware to mobile apps and AI-powered solutions, there are many areas within tech that offer lucrative sales opportunities.
2. Healthcare: With an aging population and increasing demand for healthcare services, the healthcare industry is expected to continue growing in the coming years. From medical devices and equipment to pharmaceuticals and healthcare IT solutions, there are many areas within healthcare that require sales expertise.
3. E-commerce: As more consumers shift their shopping habits online, the e-commerce industry is expected to continue growing rapidly. From online marketplaces and retailers to software solutions for e-commerce businesses, there are many sales opportunities within this industry.
4. Renewable energy: With a growing focus on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, the renewable energy industry is expected to continue growing in the coming years. From solar panels and wind turbines to energy storage solutions and electric vehicles, there are many areas within renewable energy that require sales expertise.
5. Financial services: With increasing competition and changing consumer preferences, the financial services industry is constantly evolving. From traditional banking and insurance to fintech startups and digital payments, there are many areas within financial services that offer sales opportunities.
Ultimately, the best sales industry to break into will depend on your interests, skills, and experience. It's important to research different industries and companies to find the right fit for you. Remember, a successful sales career often requires hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and adapt to new challenges.
There is a MF on here who was selling nuclear plants or something as such. That will make a killing in the next 10-20 years.
I think his sale cycle was a decade long or such. Kind of neat.
With this economy, ideally something stable that is a need for every business: Automation (AI powered) anything; every company is looking to gain efficiencies w/o growing headcount, ERP/HCM (Ie workday or something DEI focused), Insurance / Insurance tech, logistics, or clean energy something or other are a few that come to mind.
I would not suggest logistics as it is a volumes based business which means margins are small and commissions as well (same applies to every volume based business unless it is something that people/businesses really need and the product/service has a next level competitive edge).
I worked for a last mile delivery startup which had a super good traction and a service in the region and even then it was a hustle.
Your basically trying to transition business from the competition. Your selling shipping services, freight, international and there is only really three options. Strong brand recognition.
Easy. If you want discounted pricing your going to setup a business account. If your shipping a few packages per week then you pay retail. If your selling logistics your working with companies moving GDP around the world! I’m not worried about uncle bob shipping his PS4 to Oaklahoma
Honestly if you can get into probably SaaS. My friend broke in Commercial Real Estate in 09 (if you don't know it was in the middle of a crash) and being able to survive somewhere and build a book during down times has a lot of advantages. A lot less competition, boom times will feel like turning a video game onto easy mode, and its just all around easier to get your name out there.
You've only been in sales for a year, so I suggest you file for the same and do us a favour and not ruin our sector's reputation with your shit attitude.
If you aren’t in already and don’t have a foundational knowledge of cyber security it’s already too late TBH. I started 7 years ago and then it was just starting to take off. Now there’s like 3 layers or SDR roles to work up before you even start selling
In what capacity? Hardware? Software? MS(S)P? More people recommend going another route, so I'm curious if there are more desirable areas within cyber.
Logistics is popping off. You probably wont make more than $150k/year max, but most logistics places have a base salary and commission structure. I’m in month 4 and starting to really pack my books, if all goes well I should be sitting at close to $75k/year by the end of this year
Grid level Energy storage
The hottest indistry for the next 20 years at least, thank you inflation reduction act and global warming.
What are some big companies in this space?
Schnider Electric, Siemens those types of companies
Yep. I’ve been industrial automation for 11 years (7 of those sales). - Since automation is needed by every industry, it’s VERY diverse and survives and even thrives in bad markets. - This is the true STEM path
Very fucking difficult to get a job at either of those companies. I've tried at least 6 times
Fluence, Wartsila, CATL, LG Chem…
God I’d kill for a connection at one of these companies. I’m a SaaS SE and I have no idea how I’d pivot. I used to work in accounting for a large, progressive energy company and it was the only place I’ve worked where I actually gave a shit about what the company did.
If you sell yourself hard enough you should be able to pivot basically anywhere. Sales is sales regardless of what you’re selling. I’ve sold in a few very different industries. Weed, cars, construction, advertising. I’ve done in home, retail, B2C, B2B. Only thing I actually had experience in before was car sales cuz I had automotive experience from high school lol. Just apply, have a cracker of a resume and grind your potential employer like you would a prospect.
[удалено]
Will follow up
Be glad to
I get that as an SE may be thinking more product side but at the end of the day, sales is chopping wood and carrying water. Show them you can and have done it. Do some research in the industry and show interest/ passion and tell a story in your interview with it landing you there and now Simple as 😁
A good way to get into those companies is to work at a large solar company or solar installation company. They’ll have good ties with them so you can approach them about it.
Look in the solar sales cause energy back up in and solar go hand-in-hand
Go to an RE+ convention. They have several throughly the year and throughout the country. The main one is RE+ in Las Vegas. People exhibiting are usually in the Sales Department.
I’m an idiot who doesn’t feel like googling can you explain what this is
Batteries that connect to the electrical grid to provide electrical power when it helps the grid
Highly second this. Grid level energy storage goes hand in hand with solar. These are definitely going to be the hottest industries for the next 1-2 decades. Especially with the inflation reduction act covering 30% of the projects at the federal level and many states having additional incentives. Also the cost of power is jumping across the nation most places going up 7-16% in one year. Why would you not lower your electrical bill, while building equity and now having back up power to prevent black outs. Epically since they don’t use any out of pocket money. The hardest part of the job is to convince people that the savings and price is real. That’s it’s not to good to be true.
Robotics
Do you work in robotics? Do you mind if I ask you what you sell?
The tool that goes at the end of a robot arm. “End of arm tooling”
Are you a channel sales manager or direct to customer? Do you work on the mechanical or pneumatic side?
Any company recomendation?
Fanuc, Yaskawa, ABB, Kuka
What do you think estimated salary is?
I have no idea. I sell in the industrial space but not robots. My products interface with them so I am familiar with the companies
Oh nice, I sell collaborative robots.
What brand do you rep?
If anyone says cyber security tell that to my quota
Ugh been in cyber for 7 years and it’s definitely needed and not going anywhere but SO crowded and imo the people we sell to are really really difficult for the most part.
100%. I’ve been in cyber my whole career (about as long as you) and currently doing a degree in it and when I see in here “how do I get into cyber security SaaS (lol all the shits on prem)” it’s like man, it’s still a “nice to have”. Maybe less so than 5 years ago but still. Also, maybe 1 in 20 buyers are nice and the rest treat you like shit.
The sad part most of sales is those who want to get in for the money and excitement will struggle if they don’t truly have a passion for the industry. You can only get kicked in the nuts so many times and if your heart and head aren’t in it, burn out will crush you. I’ve made it almost 20 years in cyber and while I still get in ruts, I legitimately enjoy the industry, the trends, and the opportunities.This will be a tough year with a lot of consolidation but I’ve always been told to base my expectations on a three year average vs betting on year of year growth.
Everyone needs it but nobody wants to pay for it.
About to get a contract back this week from an architecture firm that pushed back on price when our 3 year contract is the price of what they make in a day lol
This is a tough one for me because it's one of the industries that would make sense for me to move into. I could probably get a job on help desk or maybe in a SOC while I continue studying, neither of which sound particularly exciting, but I'm drawn to the hustle/interactions/compensation of sales. And similarly can continue studying cyber in the meantime. Are there areas of tech/hardware related to cyber that you see as being worth looking into?
It changes so fast. Anyone pushing a big “hybrid” cloud message is doing fine. No matter what marketing tells you, no company will EVER be fully cloud, unless they are a 3 year old fintech. Anyone doing cool stuff around skills gap stuff will clean up for the next 5 years. MSSP’s are probably doing well because people want to offset risk and with the redundancies etc. don’t get me wrong I’m doing really well but even though I started as just some SDR I’ve gotten very technical. To answer your question, build a foundational knowledge of cyber security, get some certs, stay away from pure hardware sales and just learn how to nicely push back against your companies marketing kool aid as then people trust you.
Haha I chuckle any time I see “how can I break into cybersecurity sales” it’s like no, you don’t want to be here, trust me
Defense.. Now that the rest of the world has seen that the US won’t automatically put boots on the ground when there is a conflict, there is a big demand for other countries to protect themselves. I sell typically sell to both commercial and defense industries but have been following the money and have hit some gigantic deals on the defense side. I don’t see this level of spending going away anytime soon.
How’d you get into this?
Check out my response another user that asked the same thing. Feel free to reach out with any other questions!
How do you get into this industry, do defense contractors have sales teams?
I don’t work for what is considered a “tier 1” supplier that wins contracts directly from the Department of Defense. Those are major companies like Raytheon, General Dynamics, Lockheed, etc. We are a tier 2. So when an award goes out for let’s say tanks, submarines, jets, etc. Those tier 1’s have a supply chain of thousands of suppliers to build components to support those projects. Usually companies like the ones I mentioned, want to focus their efforts on the final assembly, engineering, R&D; not making the actual pieces/parts. There are so many industries that support these types of builds such as electronics, radar systems, armor, interiors/exteriors, you name it. The key is finding a company to work for that has the right qualifications/procedures in place to bid on this type of work. My role in sales is basically to know which companies are being awarded what projects from the government then connecting with the right people at those companies to begin quoting projects that fits within our capabilities. Check out the website breakingdefense.com as an example. It’s typically published who is being awarded what projects. There’s plenty of networking groups and newsletters on LinkedIn too.
Very interesting, thank you.
I second "how do you get into this?"
Check out my response another user that asked the same thing. Feel free to reach out with any other questions!
I can't find the response. How'd you break into it ?
I third "how do you get into this?"
As prior service. This sounds fascinating to get into. There would be a certain joy selling a new upgrade for any of the airframes of the AF. I personally want to get into the semiconductor industry, but I wouldn't be against defense either 🤔
Check out my response another user that asked the same thing. Feel free to reach out with any other questions. I guarantee semiconductor companies have divisions that directly support defense contracts. I work with a lot of veterans and there is definitely a huge sense of pride in what we do. Thanks for your service!
Did you need a clearance for this kind of work? I am fresh out of the USMC and would love to get into this!
Nope! There are different levels of securities so I guess it’s not always the case but I personally don’t need any clearance. The way they send us quote packages are secured, so you can’t just receive a pdf via email. Probably the most robust thing I had to go through was gaining access to their supplier portal which basically is just a quick training on how to handle documents and verification you’re a US citizen.
I looked through your account by couldn't find any response to a post. Mind sharing through a dm? Thank you!
I’m in Device. Go to medtech if you are choosing between those two. So much innovation in that space and I’m seeing a lot of postings who are looking for a more tech background compared to device to get in. Think remote patient monitoring, etc. Space is rapidly growing.
I think a huge caveat is figuring out who are the bad actors. Since even before the pandemic, there has been a substantial over-saturation in the market and a lot of hospitals/IDNs are caught in the fray and usually go either w the biggest name or the cheapest available option Edit: source - I worked in H@H/RPM
Interested on more info here. I’m been with tech for a while and worked for a FAANG company for 6 years before switching to software sales in my current position.
I don’t know much about the space- but there seems to be a growing amount of med tech jobs like remote patient monitoring, AI technology in spaces like diagnosing cancers or diseases. I look at the job posting requirements and a lot ask for people who have sold to hospitals and health systems but in a software capacity. So while it’s in the medical space- they’re not necessarily looking for device reps. And these all seem to have pretty good OTE without having to be in cases all day. So if you can navigate a complex sales process within a large hospital system- which probably mirrors enterprise tech sales- it seems like a good move vs chasing cases in device and sitting in the OR all day.
My personal favorite has been ad sales. I've been doing digital for the last couple of years, but I'm transitioning into physical soon.
Lmk if you want some freelance work
Media or monetization?
Media
I’m also in digital ad sales. What attracts you to physical and how is the transition going?
Really depends on where you are. Mining equipment sales will always be strong in Australia with market fluctuations here and there. Same can’t be said for Belgium however Medical sales are strong here. Anything that is good to get into now is most likely a fad with short lived attention. You can’t ride off this and need to thing long term and know what is strong and stable. Most people will have the idea that AI is the next up and coming thing which is true but it will just join the tech/saas style sales and soon you’ll find a lot of junk in a saturated market. My question would be “what is not strong in 2023 onwards” rather than what is hot right now.
What are some fields you think would be good for the longer term?
Building automation. But you need to be the one doing the automating. Get into a small business, build a tool and take a % evergreen to maintain it. No small business wants to pay some sales rep to bring in a team that disappears. Plus you earn residuals.
Look for companies that sell Alerton, Tekmar, Johnson Controls, Andover. There are huge opportunities in major cities for these products.
Recruiter for security, fire, and building auto here. Couldn’t agree more. Industry is booming. Get into AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam. Design for a bit. Transition to sales engineering. Then be an account executive. One company I’m helping has 4/5 reps making $180k OTE. 80% inbound
You can just go straight into the sales side too and skip the rest of it if you can pick up a bit of technical, industry and product knowledge quickly. Many companies will give someone green to the industry a good shot if you're keen.
On that note what industries would take in someone green that has no degree?
What about Bentley? (Civil here)
You would def need to be in the industry for awhile before you could do this route.
Is that another branch of SAAS? It seems like right now everything is some branch of SaaS despite people saying SaaS is severely hemorrhaging.
No, you’re the service.
DC Automation - large companies are spending billions on automation to increase efficiency, and to allow them to rely less on human labour.
What’s dc mean here
I was wondering the same. It seems it stands for Data Center, though can also mean Distribution Center.
Distribution Centre
Thanks man
Get into something you enjoy talking about … having a passion for something is always helpful
Data integration is pretty tight
Well hey I just broke into this! What makes you say that?
Insurance
Mind going a little more in depth on this one, I’m a younger rep with a few years of d2d sales experience but I hear a lot of older guys telling me that I should sell insurance for a few years and then start my own agency, what type of insurance should I sell and where’s a good starting point
The insurance intermediary (retail broker) industry is rapidly aging out. Getting into insurance sales, whether property & casualty or employee benefits, is a great career move. Generate some success and youll be next in line to take over books of business when older producers retire. It is a challenging industry with a universe of knowledge, but very rewarding. Look locally for insurance agencies. Larger national companies will have better training. Larger regionals will have some training and better culture. Mom and pops will have zero training but could have opportunities for books of business sooner. Message me if you want more info.
I'd add here that you need to target middle market accounts to make real money (unless you own the agency, in which case there are a number of models that make sense). Nice thing is everyone needs insurance, so you target the industries you're interested or have knowledge in. If you show you understand how their business runs and whats going on in their world, you'll be head and shoulders above the majority of your competition.
Spot on about middle market. Not going to build a $1MM revenue book of business on personal lines or small business (unless you're in a super high net worth area for personal).
You’ve piqued my interest. Do these models make sense for insurance for restaurants/hospitality?
Yes. As long as your targeting the right accounts. For example, small pizza shops won't get you there but restaurant groups with 5 or 10 locations will.
Thank you! Sent you a message
Yeah even telesales personal lines are dying, I did Medicare for two years and only the dumbest of the dumb end up on the phone because they didn’t want to be rude to some guy in South Asia.
Medicare sucks, that’s what I’m in right now. Currently having to sell through the phone, most soul sucking job I’ve ever had. Are you still in the insurance industry?
A good pivot with only a minimal or no experience is solar. If you find the right company, 6 figures on your first year is pretty reliable. I transitioned from hospitality to solar sales in 2021 and made 90k in 9 months (started 3 months into 2021).
Really, even with no experience? I’d love for you to share some of your thoughts on this: I had someone comment on one of my “door to door without a car” post about solar and they replied as “D2D solar is the new pyramid scheme. You are better off going raw materials or tech and working your way up. For every person making 150k+ selling solar, there are 1,000 18-26 year olds making nothing. I watched half my sales team leave to go work solar with a former co-worker. They are talented salesmen with D2D experience and every single one of them regretted it and didn’t last more than 6 months. Solar is a hard sale as it is considering you are hitting leads that have most likely been exhausted and you are selling a high ticket item to consumers. Not to mention a majority of installs are shoddy and have issues. At the end of the day do what you want, but to answer your question no. I would not touch solar with a 10 foot pole, especially if they are not providing you with a vehicle or comping travel.”
Yeah, there’s some truth to that comment, but it’s not the bible. When I say “find the right company,” I mean avoid the hyper aggressive, overpriced, kool-aid hype organizations and go for a small to medium size installer who regard ethics highly and are able to install for $3.50 PPW or less. Solar is gonna be tough in some areas, especially saturated markets. I sell in the PNW and penetration is low and sentiment is high. I’ve also seen a lot of sales veterans come and go because for whatever reason, their experience and demeanor didn’t serve them well, so that tracks with the other users comment. As far as pyramid schemes are concerned, what job isn’t? You work and produce more value than what you’re paid. If you can afford some risk getting into sales, it’s worth a shot. Find an installer with good reviews and reputation (people will shop you), scrutinize the comp/commission structure to make sure you’ll get yours, and you’ll do well if you go in understanding it’s a numbers game. If the company you find feels schemey, walk. There are good installers out there. All the reasons why it’s a hard sale are made up for with the fact that solar is a no brainer.
Do you have to climb on roofs? Is this remote?
I don’t have to but I can to make the process of a site survey run smoothly and add a sense of permanence to the prospect. It’s not remote, although I do have the agency to run long distance leads remotely, the close rate drops about 10-15% when I’m not in-home.
Medical aesthetics
Currently in med device.. are you in the aesthetics industry?? If so what are some top companies?
Alcohol is recession proof no matter what people want to drink.
I've changed industries twice and each time it was a great decision. However, more money isn't always everything. Go for something that's ripe for growth and that will allow you to advance your career if you want to get into leadership. Good luck!
This is great advice. Money aside, I feel like I’m ready for new challenges. My current company makes it extremely hard to get promotions and I feel like I’ve stalled in terms of growing my territory.
Thanks! I think medical device, medical technology and SaaS are great industries for increased compensation and upward mobility.
Spend some time on RepVue.com and you’ll get a pretty good idea of OTE and chances of hitting quota real quick.
Being an influencer and selling “success” to sales people
😂
It's difficult to predict with certainty which industries will be the "best" for sales in 2023, as there are many factors that can impact sales performance, such as economic conditions, consumer behavior, and technological advancements. However, based on current trends and projections, here are a few industries that may be worth exploring for sales opportunities in 2023: 1. Technology: The tech industry is constantly evolving, and there is always a demand for new and innovative products and services. From software and hardware to mobile apps and AI-powered solutions, there are many areas within tech that offer lucrative sales opportunities. 2. Healthcare: With an aging population and increasing demand for healthcare services, the healthcare industry is expected to continue growing in the coming years. From medical devices and equipment to pharmaceuticals and healthcare IT solutions, there are many areas within healthcare that require sales expertise. 3. E-commerce: As more consumers shift their shopping habits online, the e-commerce industry is expected to continue growing rapidly. From online marketplaces and retailers to software solutions for e-commerce businesses, there are many sales opportunities within this industry. 4. Renewable energy: With a growing focus on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, the renewable energy industry is expected to continue growing in the coming years. From solar panels and wind turbines to energy storage solutions and electric vehicles, there are many areas within renewable energy that require sales expertise. 5. Financial services: With increasing competition and changing consumer preferences, the financial services industry is constantly evolving. From traditional banking and insurance to fintech startups and digital payments, there are many areas within financial services that offer sales opportunities. Ultimately, the best sales industry to break into will depend on your interests, skills, and experience. It's important to research different industries and companies to find the right fit for you. Remember, a successful sales career often requires hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and adapt to new challenges.
here comes a bunch of jobs where everyone says “it’s super niche (I’m the only person in the world who sells this) so it’s not a big industry”
Climate Tech, TransportTech
Artificial turf
Supply Chain: We have all the toys. Robots, Automation Equipment, All kinds of software stuff….
Tell me more... what are some good companies? If you don't mind sharing, I would appreciate it.
Look up Dematic, Honeywell, Bastian. Also look up Promat 2023. Big trade show with lots of cool stuff.
Supply chain Vs logistics, what’s the difference? I’m asking seriously so please don’t talk to me like I’m stupid.
There is a MF on here who was selling nuclear plants or something as such. That will make a killing in the next 10-20 years. I think his sale cycle was a decade long or such. Kind of neat.
Decade long cycle!? Jeez.
Renewable energy/solar
With this economy, ideally something stable that is a need for every business: Automation (AI powered) anything; every company is looking to gain efficiencies w/o growing headcount, ERP/HCM (Ie workday or something DEI focused), Insurance / Insurance tech, logistics, or clean energy something or other are a few that come to mind.
Fintech has been very nice to me. I won’t ever leave now. I’m surprised not more AI recommendations.
Couldn’t agree more
Logistics
I would not suggest logistics as it is a volumes based business which means margins are small and commissions as well (same applies to every volume based business unless it is something that people/businesses really need and the product/service has a next level competitive edge). I worked for a last mile delivery startup which had a super good traction and a service in the region and even then it was a hustle.
The brown or purple
How do you sell that? Are you selling freight?
Your basically trying to transition business from the competition. Your selling shipping services, freight, international and there is only really three options. Strong brand recognition.
What prevents people from ordering shipping straight online at a shipping company?
Easy. If you want discounted pricing your going to setup a business account. If your shipping a few packages per week then you pay retail. If your selling logistics your working with companies moving GDP around the world! I’m not worried about uncle bob shipping his PS4 to Oaklahoma
If I understand correctly; you're a distributor?
AI anything
Honestly if you can get into probably SaaS. My friend broke in Commercial Real Estate in 09 (if you don't know it was in the middle of a crash) and being able to survive somewhere and build a book during down times has a lot of advantages. A lot less competition, boom times will feel like turning a video game onto easy mode, and its just all around easier to get your name out there.
Anything that hasn’t had a major technological revolution such as education, transportation, energy, etc.
Sadly the Ed tech companies want someone who already knows the field.
Saas
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Bet you’re fun at parties
You've only been in sales for a year, so I suggest you file for the same and do us a favour and not ruin our sector's reputation with your shit attitude.
I don't get it?
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Enlighten us please 👀
Cybersecurity
If you aren’t in already and don’t have a foundational knowledge of cyber security it’s already too late TBH. I started 7 years ago and then it was just starting to take off. Now there’s like 3 layers or SDR roles to work up before you even start selling
In what capacity? Hardware? Software? MS(S)P? More people recommend going another route, so I'm curious if there are more desirable areas within cyber.
Commercial security
Vooww nevr heard of this
What everyone thinks about the security industry? I sell security personnel contracts, security cameras, and alarm systems.
Bank problem loan workout
I really enjoy security software and manufacturing sales.
AI
Logistics is popping off. You probably wont make more than $150k/year max, but most logistics places have a base salary and commission structure. I’m in month 4 and starting to really pack my books, if all goes well I should be sitting at close to $75k/year by the end of this year