About 1,000 times a year, I hear candidates tell me, “Sales is sales.”
Here’s the problem. When you become a mid to senior-level salesperson, your sales job opportunities narrow. Every day I have to tell sales candidates no. I have to say:
“No, I won’t present you to my clients, because you’ve never sold software. Sorry, but hardware and IT services are not software.”
“No, I don’t have anything suitable for you, because you’ve changed industries with every job move over the last twenty years.”
“No, I can’t help you, because you’ve spent the last seven years selling security solutions and now you want to sell marketing applications to the business side.”
The most common rebuttal I hear is “Sales is sales!” It is, on one hand. And it really isn’t. If it were, I’d be out of a sales recruiting job.
Let me explain.
Your Specialization Becomes Your Separator
Everyone’s sales career starts out with a “sales is sales” theme. But as you progress and develop your sales chops, you become more valuable to employers.
Only to certain employers, though, not all of them. You’ll be highly desired by some organizations and unimpressive to others.
At a certain point in your career, normally around the seven-year mark, your area of specialization becomes the primary attribute that separates you from everyone else.
Domain Expertise, Not Sales Skills, Lands the New Job
Industry specialization is your career capital. Your specialization is the reason companies hire you instead of someone straight out of college, and the reason they offer you a generous base salary rather than going with a far less expensive, inexperienced candidate. With the expertise, you need less training and less time to ramp up.
Companies, like customers, only pay higher prices when they receive more value. And when you’ve developed a specialization, your value is specific. You know:
- How to talk to your buyers so they’ll listen
- The different buyer personas
- Where the bones are buried in your market
- Contacts who can help you get a quick start
- The problems you’re solving
- The subtle nuances and quirks of the industry you’re calling on
Your sales skills will help you keep your sales job.
They’re the foundation. But when you’re looking for a new, high-paying sales job, your greatest value isn’t in your sales skills. It’s in your area of expertise, and one particular class of suitors will find you most attractive: employers in similar spaces, or employers calling on the same vertical markets.
So when you’re looking, the best question isn’t necessarily what you want. It’s what you have to offer, and who’s willing to pay for your market expertise.
Three Questions That Point to Your Buyers
- Who will find your background most attractive?
- What kinds of companies call on the same types of clients you’re calling on today?
- What other companies are in the same space you’re selling in right now?
If you’re ready for a new sales job, think about what you bring to the market beyond your sales skills, because vertical expertise is high on the list of what employers want.
Look for companies that will value your expertise, contacts, and industry knowledge, and remember that your current role shapes which doors open next.
When you focus your career on an area of specialization, your job prospects narrow.
But your value to the right employers climbs, and in a crowded market, you’re far more likely to win by sticking to a segment and compounding your knowledge, contacts, and proficiency. Ready to harness your domain expertise and find a new software sales job? Reach out today.
