Anyone have insights on going from PE to software sales. Looking to break out of the the high finance world and tap into a more sales role. Although I obviously want a more senior role than a standard BDR sales rep role. Does anyone have experience making this jump, where to start, and what roles to apply for?
| +70 | Any tips for sleeping well? | 36 | 22h |
| +56 | Wealthy Parents / Jaded | 18 | 9h |
| +44 | Venezuela Debt Restructuring - LAZ vs CVP | 16 | 6h |
| +40 | Background check issue IB Full Time | 22 | 12h |
| +38 | How are hours rn for SA (interns) | 23 | 1h |
| +27 | Investment Banking in Mexico | 7 | 9h |
| +26 | HL vs WB | 19 | 1d |
| +24 | MM bottom bucket bonus | 9 | 1d |
| +23 | UBS GIG, LevFin, FSG Interns working Sundays and 85 hour weeks their first week? | 11 | 1d |
| +21 | Excel macros for QOL formatting | 0 | 1d |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Following. I was thinking similarly and thought making the pivot to the Sales (S&T side) of finance would be best. Something like fixed income or equity sales as I don’t necessarily have a burning desire to be in tech but curious to hear thoughts.
Bump
Following. Been seeking to do this as well.
Bump
I can offer some insight here:
I graduated college with finance degree and didn’t make it into IB, instead went tech sales route right away as an SDR. 18 months later promoted to AE and have been making great money for my age since.
To this day I still think grass is greener in high finance but will say my WLB is great.
I would suggest networking within companies you’d like to work for and showcasing your presentation and negotiation skills in interviews if you want to skip SDR world.
Always open to chat feel free to dm for more advice
Did you have previous sales experience?
I can provide some insight here (worked at PE firm & Tech Sales). For someone like you, you really have 2 options;
1. Business Development Roles. (Think creating relationships/partnerships vs selling directly to customer). You’d likely still have a quota and geography but you’d be able to leverage your seniority and generally get paid handsomely. Wouldn’t be focused on cold calling but more so attending trade shows/random events.
2. Account Executive Roles. These are going to be harder to break into because much like PE, there is a pretty set path that they hire from (SDRs who have spent 12-24 months cold calling and hitting quota). So, you’d have to network fairly hard to get a chance to interview. But, you can for sure make alot of money in these roles.
Your hardest uphill climb is having HR/Resume screeners recognize the successful career you’ve had. They likely won’t recognize “PE or IB” and you’ll have to find the right company that will recognize these skills and give you a shot without any sales experience.
If sales was easy, everyone would do it. You need to understand if your personality really fits with closing customers consistently and realizing it can be just as stressful of a life. Having worked in both, yes Tech Sales is not a job where you’re going to be pulling all-nighters, but you’re going to still have a few late nights and very stressful times. It isn’t 2021 anymore where every tech company is in grow-mode.
One last thing - Sr Roles can make fantastic money & sometimes they stock options are just as lucrative .. but what happens in down months/economic downturns where you’re only hitting 20% of quota? You’ll be living off 1/3 your old salary.
All that being said, happy to suggest a few companies in the space or you can just look into ERP/CRM/Workforce Mgmt companies that work closely with sponsors or other high-finance personas. You’d likely get more traction with those.
OP here, thanks really appreciate the insight. If you don’t mind sharing some of the best companies, and role titles to target that would be awesome.
Essentially look at softwares you may have used. CapIQ, Anything in Fund Mgmt, Workforce Productivity, "Buyside" Vertical CRMs, Carta, etc.
What do you do now?
following
Just transition to PE business development. Big step down honestly to start out as a BDR. I think the golden age of the low IQ guy from you high school/ college making really good money selling enterprise software is over and the covid bookings bump is now played out. Things may turn back around with new AI products rolled out but not something I could provide an expert opinion on.
I would much rather attend banker / industry conferences to sit down with management teams to hear their story vs. pounding the phone/email with “hey CTO you should really buy this infrastructure saas product” best, Brett, BDR (2.9 GPA | state school | sports management degree)
Delete
Sorry just to clarifying question. Are you talking about transitioning from private equity to tech sales inside of technology companies? Or are you referring to equity sales with a focus on technology?
Tech sales at a tech company
Yeah comp can be incredible. Big 3 cloud offers 180k new grad TC. It scales if you're good
Ignore my title
Was in IR and did this through partnerships, was a much easier pitch leaning on deck building skills. I’m not making enterprise saas money but pay is decent enough for a very chill gig. Can easily pivot into an AE seat if I wanted to from here without having to deal with the bs BDR/SDR step.
Something to consider if you’re serious about this and have seen many others from finance also go this route.
Do you mind sharing your partnerships comp?
Low 200s
Would be curious to hear more about what sort of partnerships you’re working on. Thanks!
Is this 200K TC cash or with options?
seen a senior MM S&T trader go to tech sales (in his late 40s early 50s maybe)
Dolor dicta aliquid minima voluptatibus. Nesciunt numquam labore enim atque fugit. Quaerat nulla qui ut earum. Iure consectetur facilis inventore eligendi. Accusamus illum quos ad aut illum. Quo sint non porro culpa. Incidunt unde nostrum accusamus eos excepturi sed excepturi quia.
Sed aperiam non et fugit et. Quos animi aspernatur dolor cum ut aut quis rerum. Est eum fugiat omnis mollitia quaerat.
Et repellat labore quasi earum repellendus velit. Saepe sequi mollitia hic adipisci non ipsam magnam corporis. Quidem quam a voluptatem quis cupiditate quaerat quam. Laudantium repudiandae rerum nihil quis sit laboriosam. Nostrum ut nihil iste laudantium qui quod quo qui.
Esse aperiam exercitationem quisquam maxime eveniet inventore soluta. Tenetur vero voluptatem fugit qui laudantium sequi eos. Sit saepe cumque aperiam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Non sed quo eius est dolor. Impedit expedita distinctio natus.
Fuga cum quae nobis modi sunt. Atque aliquam neque harum sint numquam impedit est est. Optio ea molestiae inventore neque. Iste repudiandae nulla ex. Atque maxime accusantium natus sit.
Quibusdam ut ex distinctio alias occaecati. Maxime corporis velit veniam officiis. Fuga nihil nisi sunt adipisci.
Culpa nisi dignissimos odit atque unde est numquam. Accusantium quae enim harum aut facere modi. Rerum animi architecto quaerat quae. Et eaque quod aut beatae voluptatem similique ipsa. Laudantium a aut deleniti in nobis repellat. Sed et beatae molestias. Eaque harum ea neque cupiditate delectus dolorum qui. Corrupti sunt ea tenetur.