I often hear that job hopping is pretty common in tech sales. The typical Account Executive tenure is roughly two years. The high turnover and the flexibility to leave for a better opportunity have created a misconception about salespeople – they are unreliable and extremely demanding about the salary, the product, and the market fit. Someone recently posted on reddit: “I stopped memorizing the names of our AEs as they kept changing too fast.” Ouch. Salespeople do not trust companies, and, in return, the companies often fail to provide the things promised during a job interview.
I can only speak of myself, but in my five year experience, none of my sales peers have been enthusiastic about jumping from one company to another. Even if it meant a better compensation cap. Even if the product was lagging. When a combination of several factors like bad team culture, low wages, underdevelopment in product, no market fit becomes unbearable, a salesperson might seriously consider leaving. In all other cases, we often tolerate many negative things to stay in the same company. To enjoy stability.
I remember I used to work for a company that massively underpaid their salespeople. We asked for raises every year, but the base salary remained below the market average. My team consisted of all guys, and even though I got along with everyone, I was not included in their personal chats or private conversations. Our product needed serious development. My manager lacked the skills to train me. Yet, despite all these, I chose to stay. I did not even consider looking for a better opportunity. I was willing to put my head down and grind till the last day of the fiscal year, until the very last chance to close a deal and hit my quota.
In the end, I did not choose to leave this company. The company chose to lay me off.
I ended up in an adjacent industry, but starting from a blank canvas – building new relationships with clients and learning a new product – was brutal. I often compare the first 6-12 months in a new company to moving into a new apartment or house. If a salesperson moves to a new industry, a large company with complex portfolio of solutions, it will take months to settle in and adjust. If you can remember the last time you moved somewhere, how long did it take to pack your old life into boxes and build a new one in a different place? Did you have to buy new furniture? How many months did you spend decorating a new place and making it feel like home? For salespeople though, the adjustment has to happen fast – in 6 months, you are expected to build a pipeline of potential clients and start closing business by end of the year. Even if you do not know the product well yet. Even if building new relationships takes months or years. Even if you have boxes of previous sales experience and jobs.
So, no, salespeople do not like moving every two years. We are not searching for the next big house on the block. We are simply hoping we can unpack our boxes and settle down.
The next day, we have to wake up and go hunt.
OUT OF OFFICE 