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Looking for a New Software Sales Job While Hitting Quota

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Find a New Software Sales Job Without Diverting Your Attention and Missing Your Quota

For software salespeople who have at least five years of enterprise sales experience, finding a new software sales job is time-consuming. Doing nothing about your current situation, only prolongs the problem.

But, looking for a sales job while achieving quota can be equivalent to chasing two rabbits and catching none.

The “what have you done for me lately” nature of sales means you can’t afford to divide your attention for too long. It’s nearly impossible to split your focus while achieving and exceeding your sales goals.

In fact, it’s downright impractical.

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Sales Is an All-Consuming Endeavor

When it comes to meeting your numbers, hard work and focused attention are not overrated abilities. Initiating action is a constant necessity: meeting with prospects, setting up calls, sending emails, attending conference calls, traveling to engagements, and more.

If you’re on LinkedIn searching sales jobs and constantly pinging your x-colleagues about your job search, it will eventually become difficult to maintain your usual high-performance.

So, how do you avoid this situation?

Simple, reach out to a sales recruiter. If you’re an enterprise rep and currently in the top 20%-25%, you’ll have good to excellent results working with software sales recruiters.

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If you develop relationships with a handful of software sales recruiters, they’ll learn more about your background, and note what types of sales opportunities to bring to your attention.

Meanwhile, you’ll keep your eye on the prize at the day-job, and they’ll keep an eye on the job market for you. This keeps your focus where it should be—closing deals.

You can continue to have impactful conversations with customers, keep selling, and hitting your quota, while your recruiters work in the background to bring relevant opportunities to your attention.

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Most Sales Jobs are Average

It seems like there are more sales jobs than salespeople.

It certainly won’t be difficult to get another sales job. But finding a quality software sales job is a different matter. It won’t happen in two weeks.

Because 80% of the software sales jobs available are not much better than the one you already have.

And some, are even worse.

If you’re in the top 20%-25% of your sales force, it’s guaranteed you’re short on one essential resource–time. You simply don’t have time to answer ads, network with former colleagues, and do enough of your own self-promotion all the while executing similar strategies for your current employer.

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Interview for higher quality software sales roles by understanding how recruiters work

Working with a software sales recruiter isn’t difficult.  But at first, finding one can be confusing.

This is because there are many different types of recruiters.

But, it’s easy to get started because there are thousands of recruiters all in one place–LinkedIn. Simply run a quick search through your network on LinkedIn and start reaching out to recruiters who are in your space.

Recruiters work by an acronym called FILL.

Meet your recruiting match with FILL

F-Function—Sales (Accounting, Marketing, Generalists, Finance, IT)

I-Industry—Software (Professional Services, Healthcare, Telecom)

L-Location- Local, regional, national

L-Level—In general search firms recruit within the $50K-$165K base salary range with firms focusing on different levels inside this compensation band.

Finding the Right Recruiter

We get resumes every day from former real estate moguls, bankers, CEOs and more. It’s obvious they’re spamming their resume out to everyone as we are a specialized firm that focuses exclusively on software sales positions.

You can gather this information with a 15-second glance at our website.

Spamming your resume out to random recruiters is about as effective as cold calling the President of the United States.

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Find a recruiter that aligns with your background before firing off your resume.

Send your confidential resume and let the recruiter know what types of opportunities and compensation interests you. Don’t forget to include your sales math and deal history if it isn’t already in your resume. Quotas, verticals, sales cycles, deal size, ARR, etc.

If something comes up that’s a high-potential match, they’ll know enough about you to know when to reach out. This will increase the efficiency of your search while maintaining your focus on your current sales targets.

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Looking for a New Sales Job? Three Choices for the Average Sales Performer

Unfortunately, by definition, most of us are not in the top 20-25% of sales force.

If you’ve had several job stops in the last 3-5 years, or your performance is average, working with a sales recruiter isn’t the best strategy. They won’t be able to help you land a better situation.

If you’re considering a new sales job, but you’ve made several job moves over the last 3-5 years, other than leaving sales altogether, you have three viable options.

#1–Hunker down and stay where you are.  Staying put and riding it out is the hardest yet most advantageous option if you want to stay in sales. You’ll build tenure, deepen internal relationships, and improve sales performance. If you decide to remain where you are, work myopically on improving your performance.

Putting your daily focus on the sales job you have can drastically increase sales results. Do what’s necessary to generate business, drive new deals, and build your reputation within the organization.

Once your performance is outstanding, and your tenure is in the 3-5 year mark, it will be time to consider your options from a position of strength.

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#2 –Use your network to find a new sales job. Getting invited to an interview via your network will limit the job-hopping stigma and help you secure quality interviews.

This is due to the good name of the person referring you. They trust the person who referred you; therefore, they will now trust you. This kind of trust is not to be taken lightly, as your referral’s good name is on the line.

If you use your network to land a new sales job, your job choices will invariably be limited.

But you’ll land interviews and hopefully find greener grass. But before hopping to a new company, thoroughly consider the opportunity and your chances of realizing success.

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#3—Hire a career coach and develop a strategic career plan. Making too many moves in software sales is the kiss of death for your sales career.

If you hire a career coach, you can strategize with a neutral party about your next move.

You may discover more about your hidden strengths so that you can exploit them better next time around.

You might also find new ways to improve your ability to manage yourself and identify what action steps you need to take to meet your goals.

You can also build a sales career plan, renew your sales goals, or even determine an acceptable departure date.

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Agency Recruiting Barriers and Limitations

Despite what some agency recruiters say, our ability to get you in front of hiring managers is both impressive and limited concurrently.

Employers who use agency recruiters have high expectations. They demand candidates who have job tenure, a track record of quota performance, solid references, college degrees, and exceptional interpersonal skills, attitude, and work ethic.

Did I mention domain experience?

Yes, ultimately, they want to interview salespeople who’ve sold to similar verticals or who’ve worked at competing software firms.

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If you don’t meet the employer’s requirements, and yes, even if you can sell anything to anyone, your chances of getting an interview are dismal.

However, as previously mentioned, if you do meet all the requirements, and you’re in the top 20%-25% of the sales force, a recruiter can set up a call for you with the hiring manager in a matter of hours.

But expecting a sales recruiter to set you up for interviews because you “can sell anything to anyone” is wishful thinking.

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Improve Your Software Sales Job Search Efficiency

We should all aim to do things in the most efficient yet effective manner possible, as the price for not being efficient and effective is our time.

If you’re in the top 20%-25% of your sales team, and you have a track record of hitting and exceeding quota, working with a recruiter may be one of the best things you do for your sales career.

They will save you both time and, ultimately, money.

You’ll save time by investing energy in companies who are serious about hiring the best, who meet your compensation requirements, and best of all, you’ll keep your attention focused on what you do best, selling.

Want to check out our most active software sales jobs? Check out our sales opening here.

Together We Can Find Your Next Software Sales Job

Are You Ready for a New Challenge?

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