Course Summary of BowtiedCocoon’s Zero to $100k: Landing Any Tech Sales Role

The content is in the title.

Enjoy!

PS: If you like the summary, make sure to buy the course.

NGMI

The purpose of the course is to get a high-paying job in software sales by applying a sales formula called The Genesis Pipeline Formula.

$ = leads X outreach X conversion.

In this case, $ = sales organizations X interviews obtained X jobs obtained.

The course focuses on these three variables.

Part I

The first thing to remember is: follow the money. -> look for booming industries/things that sell well.

Look for the top 100 organizations and go on their website career page, then apply.

You can also go on Linkedin and search for “business development representatives, sales representatives”, in software, internet, ICT, etc.

When you apply, reach out to a sales manager so you can obtain an internal referral. Be nice and ask for 10/20 minutes of their time. Explain you are a young driven professional deploying everything to transition into sales because of X, Y, or Z.

You can find these people with two LinkedIn filters.

1. They graduated from the same university you went to.
2. Find people with a similar background (those who went to past companies similar to yours).

You can also find relatives who work in sales and ask them for a referral.

Set up a call with them so they can give you a referral.

Part II: Tech Sales Resume Writing

• Make a  CV no longer than one page.
• Include only the 2 to 4 most essential roles.
• Limit the description to 3 to 5 bullet points for each role.
• Your first bullet point should say “I’ve achieved X”

There are eight frames you should use on your resume depending on your situation.

1. Previous experience as a sales rep: show you know what the entire sales cycle is like on your resume and that you are comfortable with face-to-face sales (show social skills).
2. Show that you have high potential: Eg: a recent graduate. Demonstrate high potential, high energy, and easy to manage.
3. Competence and executive presence (high-status jobs like management consulting)
4. Disciplined and thrived in a high-pressure environment (military, etc)
5. Good at building rapport (waiters, etc)
6. Business requirement gathering and empathy: these are the people who mainly worked with other people (nurses, etc)
7. Rejection jobs: if you have done door-to-door sales, fundraising, or proved that you could handle lots of rejection, then highlight it.
8. Entrepreneurs: it’s a good profile as it highlights initiatives.

Part Three: The Six-Step Method to Nailing the Interview

Job interviews don’t select competent candidates, but likable candidates.

Yet, it’s better to be both.

Sales managers are risk-averse and will always select the people who will require the least amount of training and get the quickest results. Show your sales skills, don’t tell.

Here are the six steps.

1. Territory plan: The territory plans outline how you will tackle your first 30-days, 90-days, your pipeline goal in the first quarters, and your plan to exceed quota in your first year. It’s the proof that you won’t need any guidance.
2. Source a list of 10-15 potential customers for the company: Go on the website of the company you want to work for; look at the case studies of the companies they’ve helped; find competitors of those companies; find the person who is responsible for making the buying decision at these companies (find 2-3 potential decision-makers).
3. Create material you would use to book a meeting with those potential customers. Have some emails ready, scripts, etc.
4. Qualifying & Pitching Prospects: You will probably have a role play with the hiring manager. You should hence prepare a script that follows the following sequence:
   • permission to engage -> setting agenda -> discovery -> recap -> pitch.
   • Make sure you ask the right questions to the prospect during the mockup call.
   • Make sure you ask open-ended questions framed to highlight the pain that the prospect has.
   • You can do all of that by booking a discovery call with one of the sales reps of the company you want to work for. At the end of the call, be honest with the sales rep (I am looking to work at your company, etc) and end with “I hope you won’t hold it against me”. Then stop talking and let the sales rep open up. Then ask him for a referral.
5. Bring everything together: share your work with the hiring manager. There are two scenarios. Send him, 30 minutes before the interview, all of your material. Or show him during the interview.
6. Here are the rules to respect for your final interview:
   1. Sales Leaders have big egos. *NEVER* interrupt them and wait until they finish to answer.
   2. Smile and be optimistic but tune down your energy level (acting all excited is perceived as childish).
   3. Take one or two seconds before an answer.
   4. Structure your answers in 2-3 points and avoid monologues at all costs.
   5. Have fun!

The goal of the final round is to show that you understand the big picture. To do so, do a quick Google search to show that you understand the business (biz model, growth strategy, risk factors, recent developments, etc).

Conclusion

1. Recruitment is a sale.
2. Target the right industry and company. Follow the money!
3. Keep It Simple. It should be obvious on your resume that you are a fit for the job.
4. Overprepare.
5. Get referrals.
6. Be ready to sell at the interview.
7. Show leadership potential.