When a big purchase triggers a sales slump

Published: Wed, 04/06/22

April 6, 2022

Welcome back. We’re now in the first week of Q1, otherwise known as “The most important quarter in company history,” (just kidding, that’s every quarter). In this week’s edition of The Quota, we interview TechSales Tom, a popular TikTok personality who talks about, well… tech sales, plus our usual roundups, Sales Fails, memes, and advice. Let’s go.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

2.46% - 3.26%

The average sales conversion rate across all industries.

Source: Statista

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week

Two Nissan dealerships in Arizona are being forced to pay back $500,000 to customers who were allegedly tricked into paying higher fees. The Arizona attorney general’s office claims that the dealerships would advertise cars for low prices. Once customers arrived, the dealer would tell them they weren’t going to honor the prices they advertised. Instead, the dealers would tell customers they’d have to purchase add ons to get the car for that price. You can read about the alleged scheme here.
A leak posted on the Lioness website alleges that Microsoft salespeople and managers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, and other countries are running a massive $200 million bribery scheme, with up to 70% of employees (salespeople and managers) in those regions involved. Microsoft was previously investigated by the Justice Department for a similar scheme in Hungary. The company has denied any wrongdoing. You can read about the allegations here.

FEATURE

An interview with TechSalesTom, one of the most popular sales personalities on TikTok

Since TikTok is quickly taking over the world, we wanted to chat with some of the up and coming sales personalities making a name for themselves on the platform, so we reached out to Tom Niewiara, otherwise known as TechSalesTom, who agreed to an interview. Tom runs a popular TikTok channel, where he makes funny, informative, and unique videos that focus on tech sales and the sales world at large. The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

You have 200k TikTok followers, and 5.2m likes. Why do you think your content resonates with people?

When I first started creating content on TikTok, I was the only creator shedding light on the tech sales industry. I have a wealth of knowledge from working in technical sales positions at startups in the cybersecurity and fintech space, and also tech giants such as Google and Amazon. My approach has been to be as transparent as possible about pay and progression, because we all know the main reason why people suffer the pain of sales is to make a lot of money, or at least try to. Many people don't know that they can get into tech without coding, nor do they know that tech sales positions can pay as well as it does. The entry level SDR role itself isn't that exciting, so people appreciate the insights that I bring as a senior key account manager and my lifestyle gives them something to aspire to. I also try to make my content as entertaining as possible by spending way too much time on TikTok keeping up with the trends and generating new ideas for posts.

Do you think young people are interested in getting into sales? It's a demanding role, do you think the younger generations have what it takes?

I'm getting a lot of high school and college students reaching out to me for advice on how to better prepare themselves for the industry. It's definitely a demanding role, but I've been impressed by how many young people are taking the initiative. As a whole I don't think most people would thrive in a demanding sales role, but the ones that are proactive are definitely showing the right behavior. When I was in high school my free-time was spent messing around with cars, not networking with professionals on LinkedIn!

How do you think sales will change as Gen Zs take over most BDR and entry level sales roles in the next few years?

The biggest change I think we'll see is the next evolution of 'social selling'. I'm already starting to see more professionals on platforms like TikTok from both a customer facing sales perspective, as well as a sales tips perspective. People don't pick up the phone anymore, so it'll be interesting to see how the short form video format changes how cold-emailing is done.

You're an AE for AWS. How did you get that role? And what advice would you give to someone looking to break into tech sales?

That's correct, I'm currently a Global Account Manager running two large accounts for AWS. I landed this specific role by exposing myself to large enterprise deals early on, and also focused on building my network. A former Googler I worked with provided some valuable insights before I applied and also was able to get me a referral which helped my application stand out. My best advice for someone looking to break into tech sales is to think of the job hunt process as sales itself, where you are the product. Don't get discouraged if you need to apply to 40 or 50 different roles, eventually something will stick as long as your resume and LinkedIn are solid. When doing a career pivot, try to focus on industries that have at least some overlap with your prior experience. For example, if you're an auto finance manager there are several fintechs and start ups that sell specifically to dealership groups. Don't underestimate the power of referrals too!

What's your long-term goal for Tech Sales Tom? Do you plan to go full time?

Great question, I haven't decided what the actual long-term goal is for Tech Sales Tom yet. My current plan is to continue creating as much free content as I can and to continue building up my personal brand. I really enjoy interacting with my followers and respond to almost every DM I get regarding tech sales advice. Paid partnerships started fairly recently in Q3 of 2021 and I plan on focusing on a small number of key partners. Super long term I would like to launch my own start up and hope to utilize the professional networks I've built out across different roles and industries.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

How many companies has ZoomInfo acquired since 2015?

A. 7
B. 3
C. 12
D. 9

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

“I sell card machines for a leading UK independent sales organization. One of my customers referred a friend who specialized in canine hydrotherapy. After some calculations we established we could save her some money when compared to her current provider, as well as an equipment upgrade.

Buoyed by this impending success, I asked for her driver's license to begin the application process. It featured a charming photograph of my prospect complete with an amazing bouffant of curly hair. She was currently sporting a much shorter bleach blonde cropped hairdo. I commented: "Well you've certainly had a trim!"

She replied: "Well... cancer will do that to you."

Thankfully she was three months into remission and took my comment in the spirit it was meant, but to say my heart sank is an understatement.”

Anonymous, 37 England, UK

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- March 2022

WORTH A PEEK

Despite never breaking through to the mainstream, The Prime Gig, which came out in the year 2000, shouldn't be overlooked as a quintessential sales film. It has a great cast: Vince Vaughn, Ed Harris, a great premise: "a telesales con man finds the ultimate racket, but starting an affair with the girlfriend of his guru-like boss might be the wrong call," and a surprising ending. If you're a sales movie fanatic and looking for something to watch, check this one out... if you can find it. Read more about it here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team,

I’m an inside rep in my fifth year in sales and really struggling lately. Basically, I’m in a three month slump, which feels like it’s turning into a long-term depression. I haven’t even hit my quota for the last two months. My sales manager was understanding but she’s starting to get on me lately, and if I don’t hit my goal this month, she’ll probably put me on a PIP.

What makes this even worse is the fact that it feels like everyone out there is making a killing while I’m at the lowest point in my career. I like my employer, and they’ve been pretty good to me, but I know they can’t keep me on if I can't turn it around.

Any advice for getting out of a slump? For what it’s worth, this all started right around the time I bought my first house at the end of last year. I was busy with moving in and everything, so work suffered and it hasn’t gotten back on track. Looking forward to your response.

Nervous in Colorado

--

Dear Nervous,

Normally, our advice would be to change things up. To take a different route to work. To remix your schedule a bit, and to try to look at what you’re doing through fresh eyes; anything to disrupt your routine and reboot your process.

In this case, however, you should try doing the opposite. You trace this slump back to when you were buying your house, when you had to deal with signing paperwork, coordinating moving out of your old home and into the new one, which is like a second full-time job. Basically, everything got thrown out of whack, and now you can’t find your normalcy again.

It’s time to get back to the basics. Your goal isn’t to smash your quota in the next few days – that’s your ultimate goal, but not your immediate one. No, your immediate goal is to make some small wins. These will come in the form of closing one deal, no matter how small. What you’re lacking right now is a rhythm, confidence, and momentum, and it’s time to get that back.

You know what you need to do, you just have to put some blinders on and turn off your brain. Sit down and make some calls. Focus on each individual conversation, and stop thinking about your manager or your PIP. The only way out of this is through it, and you need to be laser focused on your activity. Get back to the basics, and you’ll get results – it’s a guarantee.

Quiz Answer: C – You can read more about Zoominfo’s acquisition strategy here or view their list of acquisitions here.

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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