At Outbound People, whenever we talk to seniors in the SaaS B2B sales industry about their career, we tend to hear very similar stories.
Most of these profiles tell us that ending up in sales is not something that they had in mind at first. However, they unexpectedly landed in a commercial role at the start of their professional career and discovered a fascinating and unexpected world. A world they have found themselves immersed in and in which they have gradually become more implicated.
Why SaaS B2B Sales is a whole different world
The unpopularity attributed to sales may be in part due to an old-fashioned industry emblem full of misconceptions.
We perhaps visualize an outdated profile – aggressive with its poorly personalized and irrelevant sale, and clearly interested in making the most of it at all costs.
The landscape of the industry has evolved a lot in recent years. In the SaaS & B2B sector, the service sold is not physically visible but has a huge impact in the development and benefit of the company.
To be successful, it’s not enough with certain soft skills discussed in other articles, such as emotional intelligence. One must also be very agile, have an analytical mindset and be capable of working in a rapidly changing environment.
To succeed in SaaS B2B sales, you must understand perfectly the methodology of each of your clients or prospects and how they relate, in turn, to their own clients. This involves much more than knowing your product; you must also be an expert in the relevance that this may have in each of your potential clients, as well as your competition and what makes you unique.
Thus, to be a giant in sales you need not only an adequate mindset and soft skills, but to constantly acquire new knowledge and a use it in a smart way with strategic thinking, being able at the same time to understand complex systems and the interrelation of all its components.
The bottom line
People who flourish in this world are fascinated by its complexity and need to always be up-to-date and to be creative and analytical. It’s not an easy profession, but at the same time, self-satisfaction with your achievements is enormous. It’s definitely a non-stop roller coaster, but being the driver has its rewards!
Do you want to learn more about sales roles? Check out the SDR profile.
Want to read more fresh content about the role of an SDR and sales teams? Check out more articles.