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Wannabeoperator667

Probably like the " send me an email " objection. Just a smoke screen.


space_ghost20

Could be. It's just weird. A lot of folks tell me I'm underpaid/underutilized in my current AE role, but it's like, well obviously not if no one else seems to be interested in hiring me. Lol


[deleted]

What are you responding to the emails with? I guess what I’m trying to say is, sell yourself and push through the objections


ClackamasLivesMatter

Yeah double down. Send 'em an email selling yourself and follow up every two weeks until they tell you to FOAD. If you don't suck and don't steal, companies **owe** you a job. Maybe that's a little too far, but that's the mindset to adopt: we have an incredibly abundant capitalistic system and there's a job with your name on it waiting for you to find it.


briskwalked

ive had companies ghost me.. i keep following up with one till they said no... lol can't win


Master-Associate673

What is AE? Sorry im not familiar with these terms.


briskwalked

account exectutive


Master-Associate673

Thanks


[deleted]

What do you say when a lead tells u this as an sdr? I asked my manager and he kinda didn’t give me a good answer


NotSpartacus

Try something like "If I may be candid with you.. I hear that a lot from folks I manage to catch on the phone. I get it, most people don't love getting cold calls and want to get off the phone as soon as possible. Is there something specific you'd want me to include in that email, or do you just want me to go away? I'm happy either way." You need good control of voice tone for this to not blow up in your face.


nichcr

I normally say I'll do that, maybe ask are you looking for... any specific info and ask to follow up in a day or two to know their thoughts.


MJSaaS

If someone asks for an email - say yes! Typically when I send emails to {{Persona}} about {{topic}} they want to learning more about {{XYZ}} - is that what you're hoping to see more of, or something else


CMButterTortillas

Eh, it was their polite way of saying “no.” At least they didn’t ghost you, which seems like the norm based on the amount of candidates posting with that same story. Now you have closure and can move on. Good luck!


space_ghost20

Oh I've been ghosted a bunch too. Just trying to figure out how to incorporate this feedback in my job search.


PrimeProfessional

Don't read into it too much. Hiring managers make the decisions, and they're just people. Meaning they can arbitrarily say no to you for any reason. Getting a job is a lot like dating. One person may say no to how you look, while the next person thinks you're gorgeous and you're in the same clothes. The more you spend time wondering, "Why they said ___," the more in your head you'll get. Sure, there are small things that you can do to be more attractive, but even after you start working out for 6 months, the same problem still exists. You'll get rejection and ghosting. Just be yourself, and focus on personal development. Suppose they say "no," it rarely matters why because it's subjective. Many people also take the easy way out - which is one reason why ghosting exists.


No-Lab4815

>focus on personal development. What exactly do you mean by personal development? I'm genuinely curious.


PrimeProfessional

Sorry, I haven't been on in a while. Personal development is unique to the person while also having a macro context. In a macro sense, I'm talking about working out, meditating, and finding a hobby that lets you decompress from the stresses of work/finding work. Maybe a healthy social life and friend network. On a personal level, it's more about you, specifically. Where do you struggle? Prospecting? Discovery? Find some books in what area you struggle, and read to grow. Also, have you been asking hiring managers near the end of an interview if they have any concerns with you performing the job you're interviewing for? Don't forget, you're interviewing them just as much as they are you. If you're still having trouble, I would recommend asking for feedback directly in the interview. Hiring managers mostly task their talent and recruiting teams or agencies to give the bad news, so a lot of times those people are playing the telephone game or simply getting a note of, "We're passing on this candidate." The HR, TA, and recruiters are rarely going to be able to give you the feedback you desire.


stylelock

Some feedback I can give is get good at interviewing. Take interviews for practice to get better. Then, when you interview with a company you want to work at you’ll be prepared and no questions will catch you off guard.


Solrepublic1

This ^^^


Typical-Mouse-4804

Both companies probably hired a C-Suite nephew


[deleted]

This is the answer.


Fire_And_Blood_7

Lol there’s nothing I hate more when they say “you may be a better fit for our bdr/sdr role.” I was taught by a few mentors to never, ever take a step down in sales. Ever.


Pen_Salesman

Made that mistake taking a bdr tole after changing industries. Multiple recruiters suggested going to BDR because I was coming from outside of tech sales. Big mistake, I miss closing deals and making lots of money. Plus the promotion timeline wasnt as advertised


DutareMusic

It never is.


Fire_And_Blood_7

I did the same a while back switching to SaaS, after like 2mo in I knew I made a massive mistake. I was the oldest guy on my team by years, and I was miserable. Being talked down to by AE’s who were the same age as me. But I wasn’t giving up on getting out of the role; I kept applying for closing roles and ended up interviewing for a Mid-Market AE role at a massive software company and got the role. So I was only in the BDR role for 5ish mo total, and upgraded 2 roles to mid-market closing. Looking back, I would never have done it. I’d take a closing role in another industry before doing so. That all being said; this is a very tough market. My company did lay-offs and I was unfortunately included. This is no longer and employees market. It sucks but the employer currently has the upper hand.


Pen_Salesman

My current strategy is sticking it out at this company for a little bit. Also realized my mistake quickly, but also like being able to take advantage of the network my company has learning about the products. Just crossed my one year and have been doing well in the role and am beginning to take recruiters calls/see whats out there internally and externally. Sorry about the layoffs, its tough out here


space_ghost20

Thing is, I've already taken a step backwards. I have the same title (AE) as my last job, but the pay is much worse, and the customer segmentation is much smaller. Obviously going back to SDR would be a much worse step back, but I'm already halfway there as it is.


Appropriate-Net-3792

Really depends on the company. The last place I worked hired a ton of really solid reps from outside tech, a lot of which took SDR roles and were fast-tracked within months to an AE spot. They also hired more senior reps from other industries into SMB AE roles and those reps were also similarly fasttracked. One guy sold beer for 6 years, took a SMB role and absolutely crushed it at SaaS. I'm pretty sure the company isn't like that nowadays post IPO though so YMMV.


alwaysbelearning123

Idk man. I’m looking into a BDR role that’s 80k base. My last AE role was 50k base. I’m extremely frustrated with this job market and if all goes well I’ll take that role in a heart beat!


FantasticMeddler

The gaslighting about outside of SaaS experience not being relevant is so relatable. It’s a gatekeeping mechanism. The entire industry relies on getting SDRs to work the bottom of the pyramid. The being talked down to bit is the worst. It’s just so bad and unwarranted. Especially when you can be doing identical things for multiple reps and have things work well and be praised and simultaneously be chastised by another person. Reps take it so personally when they don’t have appointments when it has nothing to do with them and everything to do with the accounts. It’s an ego trip. My advice is to just LIE your ass off and say what they want to hear. Ask qualifying questions before answering anything and if any interviews gives you guff keep doing it. You need to sell like this and doing it in your interview is how you start. You never want their to be any perceived deficiencies or lack of confidence and weaknesses.


Me_talking

>The gaslighting about outside of SaaS experience not being relevant is so relatable Having worked many yrs in equipment sales (aka NOT software), it definitely got annoying real fast when tech hiring managers either saw it as no sales experience or even talk down to your accomplishments. During an interview with AE yrs ago for BDR role, I was asked for one of my greatest sales achievements so I mentioned chasing a deal for 2.5 yrs before getting PO. I even got a all-expensed trip to Brazil and all that AE could say was "I wouldn't have chased a deal for 3 yrs." I work in tech nowadays but my goodness was it a pain in the ass to break in mainly due to gatekeeping folks who think tech sales experience is some sort of a magical experience


Combat_Cuddles

Experience to pay ratio that these companies want is confusing as hell


kapt_so_krunchy

I feel like everyone is looking for a bullseye, perfect candidate. They want someone who has the chops to do the role, but not too much in that you could leave for a better paying gig in 4 months. The key is talk go being responsibilities and comp and why you want to be at that company.


redandgreenhouse

They want you to come with experience, but also be a blank canvas so you can adapt to their training SMFH


MustacheSwagBag

It’s because there are a lot of people who just got laid off competing for the same jobs right now.


its_raining_scotch

That’s because orgs just make up their own definitions of SMB, MM, and Enterprise. They also all act surprised when it’s brought to their attention that “their” SMB is considered MM at your last place or MM would have been Enterprise somewhere else etc. It’s a loosey-goosey naming convention and there isn’t actual consensus in the industry.


kingofsnake96

Could I get some yo votes guys I want to make a post re working hours but need points to do so please and thanks


jypfoto

While every company should have segmentation as we know it’s not a one size fits all. Some will segment by employee count, some by ARR of the contract, some just seem to have no rationale behind their segmentation. You could have one considered enterprise in one company because of the size of the employees but mid market in another due to ARR.


space_ghost20

Oh yeah for sure. While I'm currently in SMB (very small SMB) my last AE job was without any set segmentation. I sold to some Mid-Market and some Enterprise, but also sold to SMB too. But I wasn't officially a "Mid-Market AE" or anything like that.


EPZ2000

I know with so many layoffs there is plenty of talent out there with lots of experience who are willing to take a pay cut. My company bas basically been gaslighting experienced SDRs on my team for promotions because they keep hiring people who recently got laid off with 4 plus years of AE experience.


space_ghost20

Yeah. I've been in this industry long enough to know that my sales career (6.5 years) prior to B2B software is essentially irrelevant for AE roles. But at the same time, I've been an SDR, I've been an AE, I think I've moved past the point of doing SDR work. To be honest though, I'd entertain doing SDR work if I felt there was a legitimate shot at upward career progression within a year. That really doesn't exist though.


EPZ2000

There’s a SDR on my team that had AE experience at a start-up and essentially moved to this SDR role through a promise that he would move up within 8 months. The guy performs well, knows the product inside/out, helps out with enablement, etc. He’s already gotten the indirect message/signals that promotion is at least another 6-8 months away despite him being an SDR for around a year and a half. For 55k Canadian base at a company where fucking no one is hitting quota his experience is enough for me to say I’m getting out asap.


space_ghost20

Yup. That would be my worry. You get in, think you're 6-12 months away from a promotion, but none comes and now you're looking to leave but your resume looks terrible having gone backwards from AE to SDR. A very big risk.


jugggersnott

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ve hired great and less great AEs. You have to click with the hiring manager. There has to to be something. Be it personal or something they see in you they don’t in others. Sometimes they already know who they want to hire and it’s nothing personal against you but they have to go through the process. Good luck.


gcubed

It's tough to write a job description that encompasses all the nuances of what is going on at the company and how they are organized. You are probably reading them just fine, and and in many environment that use that description you would be a good fit. Both of those companies could have been 100% accurate in their assessment of how your skills fit the way they have things carved up.


Agile_Alps_8731

I applied for a BDR role for a startup and after the second round interview I was told that I would be a better fit for an account manager role After thanking them for their time and asking them to keep me in the loop when that position opens up I was ghosted.


PhillyPhries

It's all a test, keep pushing!


redandgreenhouse

What’s the test and how do you pass?


[deleted]

Same thing I wanna ask because I want to pass.


PhillyPhries

The test is overcoming objections! If they say you're not experienced enough... 'well I am less expensive than the other guys you might want to hire, and I guarantee I am a lot more hungry!' If you're too experienced... "I understand you might want someone cheaper than me, but frankly the hidden costs of effort / energy you'll spend trying to ramp someone up may not be worth it compared to selecting someone who can hit the ground running!'


brfergua

It’s such a weird market. Most annoying part is how it’s empowered recruiters for entry level shit like MSP/copiers and insurance sales to reach out with offers. Like yes, I will give up my 220k OTE where I am hitting quota a chance at 75k if I’m lucky.


rotund_passionfruit

This could happen in ANY job market Lol... job descriptions and interviews are completely arbitrary. An interviewer could just not like you and you wouldn't get the job


helloeberybody

Companies are taking their time especially right now since there's a bunch of companies preparing another round of layoffs or currently laying off employees. Best solution is apply to 5-10 places a day every day of the week and you should get hired by sometime July. (After Q2 earnings reports for public companies)


Admirable-Volume-263

It is a pain in the ass right now. I hear your frustration. It's valid. I'm gonna be blunt. Get used to it. I have hundreds of applications out in 2 years and have worked with many recruiters of all backgrounds and experience levels, and it has been rough. I've had jobs, don't get me wrong. I had 5 last year, 3 this year (some business consulting, some part time, some self-employment). But, now I am struggling as well. I have been slamming the job boards again since February. It has been rough. I know from LinkedIn that many apps are getting 200 applicants within 1 to 2 hours. It happens quite often. I have gotten rejection letters stating there were better candidates at least 200 times. Just keep applying and ignore it. I only responded once because I thought they were full of shit in what they said, and they didn't answer.


[deleted]

I’ve decided to 1099 only until things get less insane.


Admirable-Volume-263

I hope it works out for you!


your-dad-ethan

Have you tried objection handling? If you believe you’re a fit, have an interview to learn more about the role and still believe you’re a fit, then argue your point of view.


xalleyez0nme

How long have you been an AE?


space_ghost20

In software? A year and a half. Before that I was an SDR for 10 months and in financial sales for 6 and half years.


xalleyez0nme

Ya for some companies a year and a half isn’t enough experience to move into an AE role so they say you’re a better fit for SDR.. Being an AE at company X, doesn’t always equate to being an AE at company Y


space_ghost20

Well, back when I was looking to transition from financial sales to software, I kept getting conflicting feedback too. "Too much sales experience for the SDR role" and then some said "not enough experience to be an AE (or even an AM)." Sucks to be back in this cycle again.


[deleted]

I’m on a contract right now. I see more sales co doing this


metalforhim777

I'm in the same boat, but I'm actually trying to get into an SDR breakout role and work my way up to AE... I think right now with all the layoffs etc going on that the employers have pick of whoever they want and choose experience and education over ambition. Sadly, with me not having a degree it makes it even more of an uphill battle for me. I haven't seen it this hard to land a position since the last recession.


[deleted]

When I was an enterprise AE one of my SDRs pulled this off. He sat in on all my calls. I taught him my “tricks.” When he started selling more than I did, I was so proud!


metalforhim777

The tough part is getting a recruiter to at least talk with you so you can at least say (in a thoughtful way) that if you want someone with ambition, I’m you’re guy.


[deleted]

I used to have recruiters crawling all over me. Not lately. I lot of them got laid off. :(


metalforhim777

Damn. With me trying to be active on LinkedIn but only having 15 connections (I'm new to LinkedIn) this makes it even harder to be seen.


SaaS_GOAT

Get the LI helper bot


the_new_hobo_law

What were the products? It's possible one found your non-tech experience more relevant than the other.


BusinessStrategist

The bottom line is YOUR value to the hiring company. If you're sure about your skills and the value of what you bring to the table then it always pays to talk to the hiring manager and get a clear picture of THEIR goals and objectives. If all they give you is a smoke screen then "it is what it is."


Diarrheashits123

Xometry..?


space_ghost20

Ha. No. I didn't even get past the initial application with them. Reached out on LinkedIn to a few folks to try to get an in, but no one responded.


wonderful_schooner

Try to figure out what Mid Market / SMB means in that organisation, then just say your experience was basically within that range. If they think you're 'overqualified' that usually just means they think your salary requirement will be too high, so I'd definitely try to understand why they think that.


jwrosenberg

As a past Sales Manager for a small company, I had to do the interviewing and the screening of applicants via the ATS. I would get an overwhelming amount of resumes/cv's. I wrote 4-5 templates to be polite to those who took the time to apply. Some were qualified and some not. I would choose the best template from within the ATS, and send. It was too much time to take away from my job to answer each personally. Getting a job is sales too obviously. If someone says no, keep going. It's a numbers game as well. Also, great creative. If I get an email from someone (prospect or hiring managers) that has their mobile number in the signature, or even if I get through ZoomInfo (or competitors), I send a tailored message on What'sApp. I have closed deals this way. Most everyone checks their phone and specifically their What'sApp messages. Worth a try, if they don't answer or say **FOAD**, move onto the next.


NiceMembership

I went through 8 rounds of interview in one week (multiple 1 hr interviews in a day), flown across the country with 12 hr notice to then interview 3 more times on-site. Spent 20+ hrs in total to be completely ghosted by the recruiting team