I've been in Sales for almost 10 years, starting as a BDR at a small company and working my way up to an AE for a well known international software company. But the reality is that I suck at sales. I have been lucky enough to hide it for quite a while, especially given that I used to be very confident when talking to customers or to colleagues.
Back then, no one could have guessed that deep down, I felt like I really didn't belong in sales. I've had some success, of course, but I'm pretty sure that 95% of the deals I closed were due to external factors.
Lately, this has really affected me, and my confidence has vanished. The competition between reps, the dashboard (I'm definitely at the bottom), the (empty) pipeline reviews, chasing prospects (I'm the type to think "If you're not interested, I don't really care, it's your problem), deals over which I have no control, people buying and then canceling their orders etc. All of it makes me sick, and I feel like I just don't want to do it anymore.
But I have absolutely no idea what else I'd do. This is the biggest issue that I have. Bad results make me feel like I'm not good at anything. Not to mention the pay cut I'd have to take if I quit sales. It's hard to admit it, but I feel like whatever I do, the consequences will be negative.
What's your advice? I'm not even sure you can help, but maybe me asking this question might help all the underperforming reps out there and help them realize that someone in this world knows what they're going through. Thank you either way.
