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Just Applying Isn’t Enough to Land a Sales Role. (And What You Should Be Doing.)

RepVue Guest PostOct 30, 2024

Applying for a sales job right now? Here’s the real talk.

If all you are doing is applying to sales jobs by submitting an application online you have no chance.

I’ve talked to soo many salespeople recently that can’t find jobs.

Sales is one of the lowest barrier-to-entry jobs out there. One of the only professions where you don’t really need any specific degree, GPA, designations, etc. to kill it. And one of the only careers in the world where almost anybody has a chance to make life-changing money.

But this is also a double-edged sword. A ton of people apply to every open position.

How to Stand Out

As a hiring manager, I can tell you that it’s really not that hard to break through the noise.

Here’s where I’d personally start:

Identify the open sales roles that you actually want. This isn’t a list of every sales role at any company. Check the compensation, the quota attainment, the culture. Be selective.

Pick three to five companies you want to invest two hours of time into.

Connect with a few SDRs or AEs (depending on your desired role) and see if you can have a coffee chat with them to understand the business better. (It’s much easier to get time with a rep than a hiring manager.)

Do the work: Research five accounts and two prospects at each that would be a good fit. Write a relevant email for a couple of the accounts. Record a cold call using an AI simulator like Hyperbound.

Package up all the work you did and share it with the hiring manager and the head of sales.

BOOM.

You just did more than 99% of the candidates I’ve ever come across.

Yes, it takes some time and effort. But you’ll see far better results than you would if you spent the same number of hours just clicking Easy Apply or filling out online applications.

About Florin Tatulea

Florin Tatulea was the first sales hire at Loopio, and he helped the company grow revenue by 65x and grow the sales team to 50+ reps over six years. He’s the founder of SalesFlo, which helps GTM brands by engaging their audience through content creation, and he’s currently Head of Sales Development at Common Room.

Florin is a people-first leader who understands that leading a sales team is about lifting others up and seeing them succeed. He’s passionate about copywriting, sequence/cadence building, leveraging social selling, and the future of sales technology.