I've just accepted a BD role with a SaaS company that sells to DevOps teams. My background is selling to marketing/sales teams, and I heard software engineers have a completely different character than sales or marketing professionals.

What's your advice on how to best engage VPs of Engineering/CTOs during the prospecting stage? I really don't know what to expect from my first conversations.

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Selling to marketing/sales can come a bit more easily since there's so much shared language and understanding already. DevOps is customer-focused but not exactly customer-facing the way marketing/sales is. They're thinking holistically about what's happening on the back end as much as what customers see and experience, so expect a bit of a learning curve for your first few calls and refer to your company's provided info on selling points, pain points, etc. At the end of the day, selling is selling - be personable, promise to get back with answers to questions you don't have on hand, and with practice you'll get better at it.

like

My recommendation, having sold in the technical/IT/InfoSec realm for over 40 years, is to bring "birds of a feather" together. Start with your VP of Engineering and CTO. Then look at your Advisory Board, Board of Directors and investor community - do any of them have the cache and the insight to provide value to your prospective executives? Of course, you MUST put together a compelling agenda and prepare your people to ensure that the conversation is relevant and worthwhile for your prospects. Don't expect that you alone are going to be compelling to engineering/technology leadership. They don't have a particularly shiny view of salespeople. Add value, develop trust and then ask for an introduction to the people in their organization who might need your SaaS solution.

like

Related Posts

Looking for the role of Scrum Master / Project Manager. Please let me know if any of you can provide referral. Will be available from March 7th.

Anyone know of any WFH tech jobs that are hiring right now?

Hi Bainees,
I am going through the interviews for a Practice Manager role within PPK. Can someone please enlighten me with the growth path? I mean, path in the practice management roles

like

Debating making the move to become a fed. GS-14 position. Has anyone considered making the move? I’m weight the pros/cons and debating if it’s a worthwhile move or not

like
like

Any company secretary opening in delhi ncr?

like

I came across a copywriter position that I’m interested in, but one of the requirements is 8 years of experience. I’m currently just over 5 years. Would it be ok to still apply?

like

Controversial question - what are some roles/functions to avoid at Google for ex-management consultants, in terms of potential under-utilization of skills and limited career progression? Common exit opps tend to be in StratOps, PMM, PgM/Solutions Consultant, roles in Sales; would anyone not recommend any of these roles?

like

Received an offer for $120k from AFS for a level 8 position in Hawaii with 5 yoe. Is this a fair offer?

like

Hi Fishes

How much EXL provides for the Senior Consultant role.

Some information for which i was offered -
Experience - 5.5 years
Role - Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
Offered -
25 lpa fixed
12% variable
Band - C1
Designation - Senior Consultant

like

Hi, I have a 2 part question:

I did a “meet the team” interview 2 weeks ago and now the hiring manager set up a call on Tuesday. Is it safe to assume that’s a call to extend an offer?

If that’s a reasonable assumption, could I let another company (finished interviews last Friday) know ahead of time on Monday that I’m expecting an offer in the hopes of speeding up their decision making?

like

Hello Everyone, just joined this platform for the first time. Just got to know that I Need 11 likes on this post to start interacting with all of you. I work with Credit Suisse and would be more than happy to help anyone in need

likeuplifting

What's the salary range for D2 - Program Manager position in CG??

like

My friend needs a referral for ETL( SQL, informtica). Can anyone please provide referral?

What would you suggest as a salary % increase to jump to another firm? I’m being recruited for a Sr Mgr role at EY which looks like a promising opportunity. Any comp sites other than glass door?

like

Any clue how pepsico manages global movement?
Does it consider global role movement or not?

Currently an associate at a V30 and negotiating a partnership position at another V30. What is the correct way to maximize the pay in the negotiation as a lateral partner? I’m afraid of settling at a lower price than what they can do at the top end of the range! Do I anchor by asking for an outrageous figure or let them offer a salary figure first?

like
like

HSBC I have an offer for Consultant Specialist GCB5. Not sure what the role is..is it a team lead role or is it a junior role? I have 10 yoe .. is it apt? Pls help Thanks

HSBC India

like

Hi Everyone - is RSM hiring currently? There are a bunch of SALT openings online. Anyone knows which office is in need right now? Thank you.

More Posts

Hello Fishes,
I have offer from TechM 24 LPA with 10% variable. YEO 10 for GCP.
HR discussion in queue for Wipro.. How much should I ask? What is the salary range for 10YOE and GCP for Wipro.

like

Switching from consulting to product managment role. Any recs for prep (books, online courses, etc.)? Thank you!!! 😊😊

like

Need help thinking of companies that fit what I’m looking for: New England location, less than 2000 ppl, startups fine, min base comp of $200k. Im an experienced manager, 10+ years of experience. Focus on growth strategy, talent, etc. Thank you!

funnylike

Anyone have experience working with a Robert Half legal in finding a new position? Thoughts/comments?

like

Did you make a mistake working in BigLaw? Why?

likefunny
likefunny

What should I expect my first week and month at google? How long is orientation?

like

Hi fishes,

Is there any referral opportunity available for the Data Engineer role with EY.

YOE: 4 years

Tech Stack: Python, PySpark, AWS, SQL, Hadoop

like

Forgot to ask this when we launched, but is the founder paying for the pre-marriage honeymoons?

funnylike

Guys, urgent help.
Need some help in filling pre joining details for CTS. Can someone please comment down, will ping them.
Thanks 😊

like

I have the offer discussion round with Tiger Analytics for a data scientist role in Toronto.
I want to know how much should I quote for the role.
I have 2 yoe as a data scientist and 2 years of experience as a software developer.

like

Hi Team,
My name is Gaurav Sharma. I'm 28 years old and I'm looking for jobs in TL or AM OPS profile.
Please let me know in case of any vacancies are vacant for the same.

7983026716

like

Visa case interview coming up. Any tips? Should I expect a standard case or will it be geared towards payments?

like

What are the hours like in Deal Advisory KPMG?

like

Does Cognizant reimburse monthly Broadband expenses?

like

To fellow Agency Producers. how often are you doing print producing, as well as video production? My agency doesn’t have a print producer in house, and I am finding myself doing that job + the normal video production of campaigns we continually do. I feel over worked and underpaid. Any advice or thoughts?

like

Idk, maybe it’s time we bring these engineers and techs down. If my 🧠 links to a 💻 , all of my non-billable work will come to light. 😤

Post Photo
like

How is ProcDna firm in terms of wlb and monetary benefits?

like

Is there any good reason to take a 10+ minute call in a bathroom stall at work? Noticing people doing this as RTO ramps up and I really don’t understand why you wouldn’t go outside or at least in your car.

Additional Posts in Sales

Does anyone know if it's possible to move from tech sales to strategy planning? I am a young professional and mostly have background in sales and account management but I do have an econmics and finance degree which could be helpful to move into more technical roles like strategy and operations.

like

Just signed a new employment contract! Any tips for coming up with a good 90 day gameplan?
There's nothing like new sales guy energy. The less you know the easier it is I've always found. Somehow the new guy always landed great number his first week or few weeks. Any tips, ideas, strategies to make the most of this 'new guy' energy? Cheers folks

likefunny

I recently had an initial interview for a technical recruiter position. The guy on the phone stated that this is not a 9-5 job and long hours are expected. I proceed to ask how much PTO is offered and he said that is not recommend within the first 6 months of working and the harder you work the more PTO you receive. From that conversation, I saw instant red flags. Any thoughts?

like

Hi there, I am looking for companies/referrals hiring AE roles right now. I have 4 years full sales cycle experience and have been a top rep at my HR Tech company located in San Diego. Looking for a hybrid role in San Diego or remote position. Anything would be helpful, thanks in advance!

like

COO’s & previous SR. account executives…

I made it to regional manager for a franchise by age 22. Ran a successful financial practice & sold by the age of 33. Took 2 years off and built a health & wellness coaching platform for my wife (medical provider). Then, the last 2.5 yrs, have been a top producer in Saas sales as a senior account executive. I’ve been told I would make a great COO someday and I’m ready to take the next step into leadership. Who/what should I be targeting next?

like

I have a question for the sales managers out there.

What motivated you to pursue a career change from front line sales to managing a team of sales professionals?

I ask, because as I look to the future I am wondering if just staying on the front lines will be more lucrative then entering management.

like

Hey fellow Sale Bowl Mates. I wanted to give yall a quick update on our numbers.
We have grown by 1,890 members to 7113. This means we are well on our way to the 10K mark.
Thanks!

like

How do I get these car warranty calls to stop? Change my number I've had for 20 years??? What has worked for you? I've added myself to Do Not Call, etc.

likefunnysmart

Accenture hiring process? How long does it take from start to offer? Accenture

like

Asking for a friend:
My friend received two job offers for Account Executive roles: a Mid-Market role with Confluent and an Enterprise role with ThoughtSpot. He’s conflicted because Confluent is a more established company, ThoughtSpot is Pre-IPO. Confluent is a lucrative product to sell and has established SDR reps so there’s a good blend of inbound and outbound sales. Thoughtspot is more of a startup culture where most of the sales comes from outbound and it’s a tougher sell.

like

Im in internal sales.
a few years ago my company implemented a "2 pack" to my pay pay plan. Where they would deduct 200 per month to counteract minimum wage increase. Fast forward to now, it's 480 taken From commission.
Anyone else see this?

like

Job offer from a company going public in a few years - is this is a negative or a positive to you?

If the offer doesn't include stock, is this still a positive? Will sales targets change for the worse?

like

What do you do to fight burnout? Got a raise yesterday and will get another in September, for dealing with a lot of stuff, but I can't shake the burnout.

like

Hello, I looking for referral in business developpement management with relocation option. Thanks to anyone that can help!

like

Any recommendations to avoid feeling sleep towards the end of the work day? 3-5 PM I start doing the famous head bob if you know what I mean 🤣

like

What happens to your shares if you are partially, or not even 1 yr vested at a pre-IPO company and the company goes public? When you continue on your vesting schedule, what price do you purchase your vested shares at?

like

My company covers in depth results each week, including meetings set/attended, wins, revenue, retention etc. I feel as if evaluating in such depth is detrimental to the psyche, as you never get to “ride the high.” In addition, some weeks are simply slower than others, and it’s not always representative of what the results at the end of the period or quarter will be. Is this not a big deal, and I’m I placing too much importance on it? Or is it beneficial to review results less frequently?

like

Curious what the base and commission structure is for inside sales and associate director of sales in biotech (also anyone else who wants to share pls put industry). Paid hourly or salary? At the biotech company I work at avg inside sales is $62,632 with a $3500 per quarter cap. Commission structure is % based on sales quota reached vs capped (not a direct % of sales). I’m underpaid at $53000 with $3500 cap per quarter.

like

My manager was sharing screens with me a week ago, and by mistake, he overshared some of his bachelor party plans. Now he is all embarrassed. I think his plans were funny, but I don't know how to don't make it awkward anymore. Any advice?

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal