I was let go because I failed to meet my quota. How can I explain this to the next job interviewer?
I didn't meet my 30-day quota, I was on a PIP.
This framework has always helped me - there are 2 buckets in every sales role: things within your lotus of control and things outside of it. Bucket 1, things you can control - these are areas that employers want to hear about anyway - how you're improving. How are you growing, improving, receiving feedback and trying to implement it. So the talk track sounds like "Hindsight is always 20/20. I want to improve as a seller in these areas (X,Y,Z - list 2-3, no more than that, tactical ways you're trying to improve. Could be account planning, cold calling, improving discovery, demos, etc. It's a multi-faceted approach that helps in several ways I've found. It shows you're eager to learn without anyone telling you to do that. You're taking ownership over your own growth and career goals - every hiring manager is looking for someone like that. It also helps you give context around the previous situation. Bucket 2, things you can't control. Said another way, things your sales org or leadership did to the team, the segment, etc. that contributed to reps being unsuccessful. For example, one of my previous companies changed territories dramatically without any ramp time to see the effects of how it would change attainment. At the same time they did that, they increased quota (it was Q1 so we all knew that was coming) and started pitting reps against each other to claim the top accounts that had the highest chances of buying. The sales org knew some reps would get screwed over and attrit or be let go. All sales org operate this way. The point is, these are changes you can't control but heavily impact you and others. The key here - don't whine about them or start going on a tangent in the interview about how terrible that org was. Be objective, state the facts. It is what it is and those things didn't help yours, and many others, performance. Lastly, you need to know average deal size, average sales cycle length and other details that help paint the realistic picture (most of the time quotas are out of sync with average deal size and cycle length). This gives the recruiter/hiring manager a brief context into things that helps you position yourself as reflective and growth oriented to the hiring team.
As an interviewer, you want to hear your candidate talk more about what they can or *should have* controlled, rather than what they could not control. It's not that you should never mention it - but don't get dragged into emptying your frustrations and turning an interview into a therapy session. The good news is that interviews are cheaper than therapy, unless you really need the job.
Quota is a number someone made up one day, make up your own number and say you hit it. I saw a post from a sales leader that said that 90% of the people he interviews say that they constantly hit quota even though he and everyone knows it's statistically impossible for that to be true. If you admit to missing quota and getting fired you're getting put at a disadvantage to 90% of candidates. Just my two cents im sure im gonna get alot of hate for this
This is why nobody trusts salespeople. We are expected to lie even through the interview process. Almost like they are looking to hire the person that can lie to them the best.
haha exactly, I have no problem exaggerating during an interview but I do not extend the same mentality to prospects. its just tough when your putting your self at a disadvantage by telling the true. Some studies estimate over 70% of SaaS reps didnt hit quota last year, but how many of those people are going to dance around the fact they didnt hit quota? most if not all
It sounds like I have to lie on the job application as well. They asked if you were terminated from your last job, and want to know what happened.
What were the circumstances? How was the GTM strategy being executed? Did the company have a support system and team around? They all play into an IC success. We’ve all been there, tell your story with considerate reflection and how you have grown from it. You’ll be fine and welcome to the grind.