I currently own a successful retail business that I started 2 years ago. The business is fairly hands-off now and I have decided to put myself back in market for a startup sales role. Prior to my business, I worked as a Biz Dev Dir. at a failed startup and before that as an Account Exec for a software comp selling enterprise software solutions successfully. I've interviewed with many startups. For some I know the fit is not right, but for others I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Any advise or guidance would be immensely awesome.
Figure out your values. What do you want to promote?
Make a list of startups. Screen them by values.
Contact those who share your values. Now you have a Why. Every organization can make room for someone who has a plan to make money for them. Do you have a plan? Have you shown it to employers? Or have you simply said you will "show up for a sales job"? (I honestly don't know.)
Aim for interviews at startups where a position is NOT advertised. Competing with a zillion other candidates is not what you want to do. You can also get a custom-made role this way.
Why the startup attraction, anyway? They're risking hugely on you...and any salesperson they hire. Unless they have deep funding pockets, your salary is a bet.
Instead, a 20-30 person company is much more used to hiring "one more person". Are you wanting to build the sales department? Have you discussed this with employers? (Some will be attracted, some indifferent and some scared off by you not wanting to be a worker bee if that is the case. Be ready for that.)
Were you the only salesperson at the failed startup you had experience with? Don't associate yourself with failure. Either get a good experience to talk about that came from it, or ditch it.
Answered 9 years ago
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