Any regional BDMs/sales types around? What's it like?
Discussion
I'm national rather than regional and I love it. Aberdeen today, Kent tomorrow.
I trundle round meeting clients who I get on well with, drinking tea. Just myself and Radio 2 for company in the car.
There's always work to be done out of hours (in fact, you don't have hours as such!) but it's also flexible in that if you need an hour for personal stuff it's no problem.
You'll need to be more specific with your questions if you want anything else!
I trundle round meeting clients who I get on well with, drinking tea. Just myself and Radio 2 for company in the car.
There's always work to be done out of hours (in fact, you don't have hours as such!) but it's also flexible in that if you need an hour for personal stuff it's no problem.
You'll need to be more specific with your questions if you want anything else!
anonymous said:
[redacted]
We manufacture and design electrical and electro-mechanical components for military/aerospace. These are relatively low volume so there is no door knocking on a daily or weekly basis to do. By and large you are invited to tender. My BD guys are largely office based with the occasional visit to customer site for a new tender / design proposal / trial fit etc. Other meetings and demos are hosted at our site. Like your prospective opportunity, US owned, part of global conglomerate of companies. This type of BD is more like large ticket IT or other solutions sales. You'd be working on a handful of deals at anyone time rather than spinning 100s of plates. As you can see, the daily task of a sales based role varies hugely by job type, industry and product/service type.AB said:
Business Development = Sales
usually comes in front of sales ...BDM out on the road, evangelising, going to trade shows, partner relationships etc...building awareness of your product/service now and for future potential saleswhen theres an interest then sales/territory managers follow up, negotiate and close
at least thats how it works where I am
anonymous said:
[redacted]
These are all questions you need to ask of the employer, please don't assume.Of those 50 or 60 customers, what is the frequency of their purchasing? Is it one off, or do they buy to build their own products?
I work for a manufacturer ( different sector), some weeks I have three or four meetings, other weeks it may be double that.
The reason I see most technical people not going in to sales is, they are afraid of having a number.
The reason most sales people are in sales is, they have a number.
Those who do make the leap often do very well.
Sales isn't about closing deals and shifting boxes any more, it's about understanding the customer needs and their problems and showing how in a consultative way, you can help.
Having said that, your manager will still want to know what you've sold this week / month, even when you're doing global enterprise account management, something never change.
Ask lots of questions and then decide. One of the main skills you'll need in territory management is the ability to qualify in or out fairly quickly, see if you've got that skill in the interview
2222 said:
Sales isn't about closing deals and shifting boxes any more, it's about understanding the customer needs and their problems and showing how in a consultative way, you can help.
Having said that, your manager will still want to know what you've sold this week / month, even when you're doing global enterprise account management, something never change.
Ask lots of questions and then decide. One of the main skills you'll need in territory management is the ability to qualify in or out fairly quickly, see if you've got that skill in the interview
Selling is selling, and a lot of how you do it depends on the product and sector. There are still a lot of box shifting roles that require good, hard closing skills. There's little point in SPIN selling commodotised capital equipment any more than there is hard closing a £2m software deal on the first appointment.Having said that, your manager will still want to know what you've sold this week / month, even when you're doing global enterprise account management, something never change.
Ask lots of questions and then decide. One of the main skills you'll need in territory management is the ability to qualify in or out fairly quickly, see if you've got that skill in the interview
If you're nervous of having a number above your head or feel more at home discussing the technical ins and outs than asking difficult questions (not to mention being told to sod off more often than being given an order), consider whether a sales environment (at least in terms of negotiating and closing deals) is for you. There is lots of bravado and bulls
t out there about what selling is but, when it comes down to it, selling is about hard work, a thick skin and consistency of effort. The most successful salesperson in a company is usually the hardest worker, not the most skilled at making a sale.10 Pence Short said:
. The most successful salesperson in a company is usually the hardest worker, not the most skilled at making a sale.
You think?Having spent over 25 years doing this, I'd say you're very very wrong.
Doing the same thing badly 500 times a day isn't going to give you a greater yield than doing it 20 times but doing it well.
2222 said:
You think?
Having spent over 25 years doing this, I'd say you're very very wrong.
Doing the same thing badly 500 times a day isn't going to give you a greater yield than doing it 20 times but doing it well.
Differences of opinion are fine, as are different experiences. Similar to you, I've been in sales and sales management for around 20 years.Having spent over 25 years doing this, I'd say you're very very wrong.
Doing the same thing badly 500 times a day isn't going to give you a greater yield than doing it 20 times but doing it well.
My experience is that good buyers are versed in bingo bulls
t and sales speak. It's all a game.People buy from people, etc.etc.etc.
It's a numbers game.
10 Pence Short said:
2222 said:
You think?
Having spent over 25 years doing this, I'd say you're very very wrong.
Doing the same thing badly 500 times a day isn't going to give you a greater yield than doing it 20 times but doing it well.
Differences of opinion are fine, as are different experiences. Similar to you, I've been in sales and sales management for around 20 years.Having spent over 25 years doing this, I'd say you're very very wrong.
Doing the same thing badly 500 times a day isn't going to give you a greater yield than doing it 20 times but doing it well.
My experience is that good buyers are versed in bingo bulls
t and sales speak. It's all a game.People buy from people, etc.etc.etc.
It's a numbers game.
I'm a Area Sales Manager with Volkswagen and do a mixture of different bits.
My role is 60% field based, 30% home work, 10% office work
I do a mixture off stuff, from marketing and trade shows, to negotiations and closing.
The worst part of my role is the cold calling, although we now work in the 21st century there are so many different methods of getting your name out there which my manager is happy to let me explore, for example going to trade shows, social media etc. etc. I also do a fair bit of networking where I can.
I will down in Penzance one day, then in Cardiff, then Milton Keynes, then Aberdeen. I enjoy the driving.
I tend to do 2 or 3 meetings a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. They're a mixture of follow ups with existing clients, and first appointments. Usually I do an introduction to me, the company, what we offer etc.
When I'm not on the road, I'm at home doing emails, admin, bits like that. Go into the office weekly just to have a catch up with some of the team and to show my face.
I love the job as it's quite flexible being field based. Say I need to do something in the middle of the day, dentist, vets etc. I just plan my day around that. I am contracted to 40 hours a week, but work from home in the evenings most nights and on weekends when catching up with stuff. Good car, good salary, good perks.
My role is 60% field based, 30% home work, 10% office work
I do a mixture off stuff, from marketing and trade shows, to negotiations and closing.
The worst part of my role is the cold calling, although we now work in the 21st century there are so many different methods of getting your name out there which my manager is happy to let me explore, for example going to trade shows, social media etc. etc. I also do a fair bit of networking where I can.
I will down in Penzance one day, then in Cardiff, then Milton Keynes, then Aberdeen. I enjoy the driving.
I tend to do 2 or 3 meetings a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. They're a mixture of follow ups with existing clients, and first appointments. Usually I do an introduction to me, the company, what we offer etc.
When I'm not on the road, I'm at home doing emails, admin, bits like that. Go into the office weekly just to have a catch up with some of the team and to show my face.
I love the job as it's quite flexible being field based. Say I need to do something in the middle of the day, dentist, vets etc. I just plan my day around that. I am contracted to 40 hours a week, but work from home in the evenings most nights and on weekends when catching up with stuff. Good car, good salary, good perks.
Because of the amount of effort needed in formatting I'm being lazy
1. The role as you describe it is B2B and based on repeat business. You build a relationship with your client / partner and nurture that long term. Dependant on the maturity of the relations with your client base, " door knocking" may be minimal. As has been said before, networking can take the pain of that away.
- you need to understand the current business in those clients, what target your likely to get, what potential growth there is in the buying customers and the potential in the newer ones, linked to that, what growth your organisation would expect from you.
Often the most important negotiation of the year isn't with the clients, but with management on the target.
2. Carrying a target.
As a rep, if I have a number it's very easy to see if I'm delivering or not ( there are always exceptions to the rule, but it's true in most cases)
It's one of those jobs that are easy to measure, am I up or down on my number?
There are many other factors, how's my pipeline, how is my activity, am I progressing within accounts ( some sales have sales cycle of minutes others months or years), but in the final reckoning, it is down to the number.
Bottom line is, I can hide behind my number. if I'm delivering then I'm like batfink and my number is like my wings of steel.
The counter argument that often stops people going in to sales is "I've got a number therefore I'm very accountable" and it becomes like an albatross.
3. Solving problems.
You will need to move on from solving technical problems to also solving commercial ones, so there are new areas of learning, which is always good.
4. There is nothing wrong in taking the wrong job in the right company, if you believe it's the kind of organisation which will value your skills and want to put them to best use.
I work for a global organisation that often recruits on attitude and aptitude, these are the hard bits to get right, the knowledge can be easily taught ( clearly the exceptions are when we need very specialist skills)
what ever you do, best of luck!
1. The role as you describe it is B2B and based on repeat business. You build a relationship with your client / partner and nurture that long term. Dependant on the maturity of the relations with your client base, " door knocking" may be minimal. As has been said before, networking can take the pain of that away.
- you need to understand the current business in those clients, what target your likely to get, what potential growth there is in the buying customers and the potential in the newer ones, linked to that, what growth your organisation would expect from you.
Often the most important negotiation of the year isn't with the clients, but with management on the target.
2. Carrying a target.
As a rep, if I have a number it's very easy to see if I'm delivering or not ( there are always exceptions to the rule, but it's true in most cases)
It's one of those jobs that are easy to measure, am I up or down on my number?
There are many other factors, how's my pipeline, how is my activity, am I progressing within accounts ( some sales have sales cycle of minutes others months or years), but in the final reckoning, it is down to the number.
Bottom line is, I can hide behind my number. if I'm delivering then I'm like batfink and my number is like my wings of steel.
The counter argument that often stops people going in to sales is "I've got a number therefore I'm very accountable" and it becomes like an albatross.
3. Solving problems.
You will need to move on from solving technical problems to also solving commercial ones, so there are new areas of learning, which is always good.
4. There is nothing wrong in taking the wrong job in the right company, if you believe it's the kind of organisation which will value your skills and want to put them to best use.
I work for a global organisation that often recruits on attitude and aptitude, these are the hard bits to get right, the knowledge can be easily taught ( clearly the exceptions are when we need very specialist skills)
what ever you do, best of luck!
Brilliant post, 2222.
I feel like I'm my own boss, have a number but keep ahead and at the same time like to get creative.
Answer questions before they are asked and stop senior management headaches before they start.
Honestly, you don't need to be a brain surgeon, just able to think proactively.
I feel like I'm my own boss, have a number but keep ahead and at the same time like to get creative.
Answer questions before they are asked and stop senior management headaches before they start.
Honestly, you don't need to be a brain surgeon, just able to think proactively.
I've moved from technical (pre-sales SE) to sales (well Channel Account Management rather than direct sales) so can hopefully give some relevant thoughts.
Yes it is relentless - even when one sale finishes, there are a load of other prospects at various stages, so there's never a point at which you really feel like you've finished anything. Which I have found quite hard to adjust to; when I was technical for example, I might run a training course, or attend a meeting and generate a kit list at which point I would move onto the next task/project. However in a more sales role it just isn't like that. If I wrote a to-do list it would take all day - there's so much going on, and so much to try and keep track of. Add to that weekly/monthly/quarterly (whatever your company does) numbers reporting etc. and it's like a conveyor belt that you're running to keep up with.
The other thing is that you are not in direct control over what's going on. Especially in my role working with Channel/Resellers rather than selling directly. That is also quite a strange feeling !
And one other thing is the sheer number of people that you have to get on with ! Sounds daft I know but as a techie I naturally found I got on with most of the people I dealt with; we at least had a common interest in technology to fall back on if nothing else, and typically they were the sort of people I got on with easily. In a sales role there are a lot more varied types of people. Some of whom you wouldn't naturally like but you need to be likeable to everybody.
It's very much a relationship thing, a perception thing, and a being quite organised thing !
Hope those make sense...
Yes it is relentless - even when one sale finishes, there are a load of other prospects at various stages, so there's never a point at which you really feel like you've finished anything. Which I have found quite hard to adjust to; when I was technical for example, I might run a training course, or attend a meeting and generate a kit list at which point I would move onto the next task/project. However in a more sales role it just isn't like that. If I wrote a to-do list it would take all day - there's so much going on, and so much to try and keep track of. Add to that weekly/monthly/quarterly (whatever your company does) numbers reporting etc. and it's like a conveyor belt that you're running to keep up with.
The other thing is that you are not in direct control over what's going on. Especially in my role working with Channel/Resellers rather than selling directly. That is also quite a strange feeling !
And one other thing is the sheer number of people that you have to get on with ! Sounds daft I know but as a techie I naturally found I got on with most of the people I dealt with; we at least had a common interest in technology to fall back on if nothing else, and typically they were the sort of people I got on with easily. In a sales role there are a lot more varied types of people. Some of whom you wouldn't naturally like but you need to be likeable to everybody.
It's very much a relationship thing, a perception thing, and a being quite organised thing !
Hope those make sense...
Varies massively on role and organisation.
it's also not linear, god I wish it was.
Some weeks are relatively quiet while others are manic.
I work a lot with US and Asia which means early mornings or late nights to get on calls.
However, If I want to vanish for a couple of hours during the day, I can.
in a mature organisation you're there to do a job,if you can work smarter and more effectively it may take you far less time, your life is governed by results not the clock.
Dreamer, what industry are you in?
it's also not linear, god I wish it was.
Some weeks are relatively quiet while others are manic.
I work a lot with US and Asia which means early mornings or late nights to get on calls.
However, If I want to vanish for a couple of hours during the day, I can.
in a mature organisation you're there to do a job,if you can work smarter and more effectively it may take you far less time, your life is governed by results not the clock.
Dreamer, what industry are you in?
2222 said:
Varies massively on role and organisation.
it's also not linear, god I wish it was.
Some weeks are relatively quiet while others are manic.
I work a lot with US and Asia which means early mornings or late nights to get on calls.
However, If I want to vanish for a couple of hours during the day, I can.
in a mature organisation you're there to do a job,if you can work smarter and more effectively it may take you far less time, your life is governed by results not the clock.
Dreamer, what industry are you in?
Agree with all of that. Some organisations give you a free role to manage your time as long as the numbers match, others will want to see their pound of flesh with the in the office every minute you're not on the road. it's also not linear, god I wish it was.
Some weeks are relatively quiet while others are manic.
I work a lot with US and Asia which means early mornings or late nights to get on calls.
However, If I want to vanish for a couple of hours during the day, I can.
in a mature organisation you're there to do a job,if you can work smarter and more effectively it may take you far less time, your life is governed by results not the clock.
Dreamer, what industry are you in?
There is quite a wide open space between the extremes of what companies define as field sales roles.
Whatever you decide to do OP, make sure you ask all the questions that are relevant to you before deciding to jump into something. Qualifying. Which is a large part of what selling is all about...
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