Welcome again to this month's rolling Q&A. We will take questions throughout the remainder of the week.
Introduction
Q&A “How to get into Sales Operations with no experience”
Overview (“Don’t”)
Stay Close to the Revenue
Avoid Sales Operations Without Sales Experience
How to Transition to Sales Operations
The Processes
The Tech Stack
Pitch the Transition
Concluding Thoughts
Introduction
Here's a broad list of where we feel our expertise sits:
Recruitment (and how best to use external recruiters),
Remote work and managing remote teams
Outsourcing and managing outsourced teams and freelancers (APAC focus)
Time management (a recap + a few more Au techniques)
Time management and processes for sales & sales roles
Managing stakeholders in family business' (carry the donkey)
How to design process (broadly)
Having said that if we'll always take a look and if something is outside our wheelhouse we'll do our best to refer out to another BowTied or somewhere that can assist you.
As always if you'd prefer to submit (more) anonymously, you can reach us via
bowtiedhippopotamus@gmail.com
Or on the bird app (Direct Messages welcomed)
@BowTiedHippo_
Q&A
To open proceedings here's a question that we've received in the last month. As always, we've edited it to add clarity where possible and to help preserve anonymity.
Q
I'm looking at sales jobs and one recommendation from BT Cocoon was to apply for a "high status job" instead of a Sales Development Representative (SDR).
BT Worker has written about Sales Operations which I thought I could take a run at, but most of the positions I'm seeing in this space are either Manager roles or more Senior.
Do you have any guidance about breaking in without experience?
I was recently laid off from a SDR role in a property company. Before that I had a window washing gig.
Overview
Ok - we're very hesitant to recommend Sales Operations for you at this time for a number of reasons.
Far wiser anons than us have spoken about the macro economic environment (which, apparently, we may now be able to call a recession) and the need to hold onto consistent cash flows, which for most people will be a job.
If you already had / have an existing blue collar business we'd suggest revisiting this while applying. BowTied Handyman has spoken about this in the past (specifically window washing from memory) and we’ve collated several of his resources here on blue collar careers.
Secondly - we'd advise to continue applying for SDR roles rather than Sales Operations for several reasons.
Stay Close to the Revenue
Generally, the closer that you are to a revenue stream the "safer" your position will be. In tough economic environments, companies begin cutting costs by reducing vendor spend and cutting headcount. Generally, the less you're quantifiably, or perceived to be quantifiably contributing to revenue the more likely that you'll be cut. Sales generates revenue and are therefore one of the areas that a business looks to keep or expand on.
Sales teams can still be cut however, and this looks like either cutting the entire team in a low performing or unprofitable business line (even in this case the top performers may be moved elsewhere) or by cutting lower performing sales reps. They'll also cut support functions, coordinators and administrators attached to sales teams which is also going to mean Sales Operations most of the time.
This may seem counterintuitive given the outsized impact that Sales Operations can have however in most cases their role will be either undervalued or sit as part of a wider transformation project. Part of the reason that BowTied Systems is such successful account is that the majority of sales tech stacks are so poorly implemented, understood, and run. Classic thinking in this space is to throw more sales rep bodies and build out traditional distribution channels. Particularly progressive companies may be thinking about integrating closer with marketing efforts.
Avoid Sales Operations without Sales Experience
For you personally we wouldn't recommend a transition toward Sales Operations without first gaining more experience in sales. Why? Because without a good foundation in sales you’ll find it difficult to be a good Sales Operations professional.
In our view, Sales Operations often comes with more of a focus on transformation and change, rather than being an entry level administration role*. This will involve a change management / project plan, training and communication. Much more communication than you think. More than that. Still more. More.
In addition to the usual resistance you’d expect implementing new processes and workflows, you’ll be dealing with an increased dose from the Sales team. At the best of times they’re notorious for low conscientiousness, low attention to detail and are often perfectly happy grinding away with a phone and a .xls. Any change is viewed with suspicion and distrust and is likely to be perceived as a road block between them and their commission cheque.
What you definitely don't want to be doing is advising or pushing for unpopular change without credibility. At any point in the macro economic cycle.
It goes without saying that understanding the sales mindset from having worked in these environments will go a long way to your later success in Sales Operations (or Operations generally!)
*Having said this, BowTied Workers view is that Sales Operation is an administration focused role with larger or more mature / sales focused companies (i.e. B2B SaaS) so this could vary a bit. It’s possible that you’d need to niche down by industry to find the more junior positions.
How to Transition to Sales Operations
Sales experience is how we’d see you being able to "break in". A brief roadmap for doing this with minimal experience would be as follows.
First: Get Hired
The Processes
Next: Get yourself through your initial probation / first quarter review and then start getting a sense of both the technology platforms that they're using and the sales processes that they're running.
There's likely some pre-existing processes that already exist and that are being ignored. Something as simple as a call back list or adding prospects to a later marketing and mailing campaign. At one point these things probably existed or were at least introduced but over time their consistency waned.
Identify the immediate quick wins / low hanging fruit / 10^3/6/9 dollar bill on the pavement / whatever preferred corporate speak and incorporate these into your personal sales process. We know of one woman who became top biller at a debt collection agency by simply following and reprocessing all the failed transactions from the last week.
Now there's a distinction here between being a 100% compliant employee who perfectly curates a database for their employer and capitalising on consistent methods and processes which will increase your personal billing. Unsurprisingly, your guides on how to succeed in the core sale piece will again be the usual suspects BowTied Sales guy, SaaS Capo and Cocoon (not us!)
The Tech Stack
Next, slightly expand your process remit to the tech stack that's in use. Most places you work will have some form of CRM. The chances of this being utilised to its full potential are low and in our general experience we consistently see the sales tech stack being used at around 30% or so.
Here you should be able increase your capability quite easily - something as simple as watching training videos or reviewing training documents on the CRM can quickly teach you how to use more powerful and automated features.
Now is time to start drawing more on the resources provided by BowTied Systems with a view to considering more advanced processes and technologies. Apply whatever you can to your immediate situation and note what would require a broader implementation and more budget.
Pitch the Transition
By the time your next review rolls around (or is proactively scheduled) you should have some good examples of specific initiatives that you’ve applied to increase your own production and have signposted several feasible proposals that can be more broadly applied to the business.
The conversation can then be steered to negotiating more of a focus on sales operations and supporting the sales team and less of an emphasis on your individual contribution.
Concluding Thoughts
This is very simplistic and probably overly positive roadmap.
A few things to consider:
If you have a talent for sales then consider staying focused on sales. Increase your personal billings, optimise your pipeline and then focus on building your WiFi money. Sales reps who are exceeding targets are generally left alone and given a lot of latitude. Longer term, sales is a serious compounding / multiplier skill that will have benefits in many areas of your life.
If you don't have a talent for sales (we're guessing here - but the attraction to Operations is a bit of a tell..) then your aim is a little bit different. Here, you'll need to survive the first few months then position yourself more as "as good a sales guy as you'll ever be - but someone who can add value through systems and sales operations".
An option here could be pitching a reducing target or quota representing your broader responsibilities. This path isn't necessarily ideal as your total comps or salary will take a hit (if you're lucky might get an uptick on your base as you transition out) and your focus will then need to be on learning as much as you can in the sales operations space and then expanding to marketing. Wherever possible you should be trying to synergise with the skills you'll need for WiFi money.
In short: stay close to the revenue, stay close to sales, transition to sales operations a little later when you have a little more experience and credibility but make sure it’s the right move for you while you scale your Wifi money.