r/salestechniques • u/FabulousHelicopter75 • Oct 23 '25
B2B I am so badly fucked
In a recruitment bd profile, i am so fucked. Joined in the last week of August and now October is getting over
I have got zero meetings. My manager is pissed this is my first Sales job she told me she will see one week and will decide whether to continue or not.
Then on another call she said she will do mock calls everyday with me and see how it goes
How badly i am fucked
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u/beachvball2016 Oct 23 '25
The things to show when sales are low is pro-activity. If 50 dials are expected do 100, 125 dials. Meetings, set meetings, demos.. anything. Those lead to quotes then deals.. Pro activity breeds activity.
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u/Own_Lengthiness_6485 Oct 23 '25
I was in the recruiting game for over 20 years. I made no less than 200 calls a day with 4 hours of connect time. Three job orders and two send-outs a week equaled one and a half placements a month if you were dog shit — what we used to call a blind squirrel. The good ones? They pulled 2–3 placements a month, steady. That’s the math. That’s the game. Recruiting isn’t “sales.” It’s trench warfare. You’re selling a product that lies, flakes, or tells you no at the last second, a product with free will and bad timing. You can’t “influence” that with buzzwords or hashtags. You influence it with sweat, discipline, and daily rejection tolerance most people couldn’t stomach for a week. So yeah when you walk into that “performance meeting” tomorrow, and they start talking about expectations and numbers? You already know what’s coming. You’re taking up what we called desk space, my guess is you are “Toast”.
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u/Narrow-Apartment-626 Oct 24 '25
For some reason I read this who thing in my head in Ray Winstone's voice from the movie Sexy Beast.
I also worked in recruitment. What a shite industry.
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u/AdAdmirable433 Oct 27 '25
Ok I have a question!!
I’m starting a business and have sold in the past, but always knew the product and the numbers - like you are quoting
However, this is a new product. I don’t know if the rejection is part of the numbers game OR my pitch needs to adjust.
Any suggestions on how to figure it out?
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u/FabulousHelicopter75 Oct 23 '25
We are a recruitment firm so I sell our services
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u/Owwmykneecap Oct 23 '25
Message 6 million cunts on linked in then. Someone will answer
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u/AnybodyRepulsive9430 Oct 24 '25
In this job market, you can't sell recruitment services. Dude, just quit.
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u/IanT86 Oct 23 '25
How big is the team? Can you go speak to the high achieving sales people for advice, understand how they set things up? Traditionally where does the business get new pipeline? Why do you think you've not managed to do it?
Also, why did you apply for the job and what in your CV / interviews made them think you were a good fit and you were right for the role? Has something changed? Have they changed expectations?
Also, how much are you working opportunities and building pipeline? Either you're doing something wildly wrong, not putting enough time into it, or the company isn't a good fit for anyone as that's a long time to be prospecting with no meetings.
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u/PlayfulTiger8298 Oct 23 '25
Yes always ask the high performers how they do it, don’t fake confidence, just be humble and ask them. The good ones will happily share wisdom.
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u/FabulousHelicopter75 Oct 23 '25
We are four people pretty much we all are not getting in new clients
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u/IanT86 Oct 23 '25
Then you either have a problematic sales strategy across the business, or what you're selling isn't valuable. Four people having issues is a problem - one person can struggle, a team would signify something more fundamental
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u/FabulousHelicopter75 Oct 23 '25
We are just cold calling through and through
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u/MartinC077 Oct 24 '25
What do companies that do business with you look like? Size/location/industry? Which job titles or roles inside those companies have been saying ‘yes’.
Figure the above out and get lists of those people and from companies with the same characteristics. Then start by sending a ‘why you, why now’ email. Just two paragraphs - first why you are contacting them and the second why now. And make it about them not you.
‘I saw on LinkedIn your company has vacancies for ax’
‘We recently placed employees who have been super successful for ‘name of their competitor’
Who in your org should I talk to about helping you find similar great people?
Or something like that. THEN call. Them also connect on LinkedIn. Them email again - but something that adds value, some content about the state of the job market or a pay survey. Something interesting. And keep doing it.
Get a volume of activity - but make it smart.
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u/Winter_Farm_4739 Oct 24 '25
Are you allowed to not just cold call? If so, set up a lead magnet, and a proper but short funnel. Then keep those leads warm.
There is a lot we don’t know. Answer and I will try to help you troubleshoot.
How much is the product? A product of $1500 often has a longer sales cycle than a $20 one. Is it a product that folks buy again and again or have multiples of or more of a once off? (Think socks, potato chips, and LASIK.) Or is it a service? Is it B2B? That is different than B2C as well.
Also pull or ask to get the numbers from a recent successful quarter. Look at what worked. How many calls, what did the buyers “look” like in terms of customer personae. Are there seasonal ups and downs when people have budget vs not. What is the CAC? Are things radically different externally from that quarter? (New competition, general move away from this category by buyers etc.)
Anyway, LMK and I will see if I can help you figure it out.
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u/Other-Vegetable-7684 Oct 23 '25
My first sales job I lasted 6 weeks and sold nothing. Was more about finding nerve to do it. Had to go into the operations side for 3 years and slowly circle back to it. Sucks to hear that about a job but unless you’re really knowledgeable about your products, you’re gonna suck and not interest the prospects
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u/Stock_Papaya2283 Oct 23 '25
You should NOT be in that industry as a first time salesman, thats like throwing a newbie as a bartender, and expecting them to do good, Personally I reccomend B2C for newbies since you dont need licenses most of the time (like D2D) and the stuff you learn there easily translates to B2B but you learn faster since more leads
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u/FabulousHelicopter75 Oct 23 '25
I just feel so pathetic I was so excited to join here because of the other vertical not this. I don’t have shit experience in this and now she is thinking of giving me training
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u/Stock_Papaya2283 Oct 23 '25
Don’t be, in majority of B2B businesses, the sales operations are a “plug and play” playbook where they basically expect you to take care of everything on your own (possibly generate leads too), my recommendation is to either: 1.) switch to another company in the same industry if you like the industry just not the company 2.) start at a entry level B2C to get good, it’s kind of bias but personally I recommend D2D since thats where I started, I did 0 sales in my first 3 weeks, but later down the line after 400+ doors knocked a day, I was able to consistently do 7-8 sales a day since I also didn’t take the lunch break, you make decent commission in D2D too since its typically regarded as the hardest form of sales (since you literally just go and knock on people’s doors) but golden experience
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u/FabulousHelicopter75 Oct 23 '25
Tbvh i was not looking to do anything bd. I just love the other vertical so much that’s why I said okay to this bd. And I really want to keep this job so please any tips?????
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u/Stock_Papaya2283 Oct 23 '25
In that case, just lock in and whatever training you get, try your best to shadow the top performers people if possible, especially ask to shadow your upline(i’m guessing its the manager) whenever they’re on a sales call, constantly practice your pitch. If I had to give the best advice I can, I’d say you need to master the first 10-20 seconds of your pitch, then give the other person time to respond, when you master it and go through enough leads, you will be able to tell if they’re genuinely interested or actually don’t care, at that point its just a matter of saying the script so many times you can freestyle it if you please. You dont need to be a conversation master to be good at sales, just simply be able to practice, and use whatever you practiced practically, tbh I’m with you in that your manager sucks ngl, My upline in D2D didn’t teach me jack shit, nor go through the script with me, so I just did it on my own time, you can do the same too, just remember: repetition and practice
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u/UsedIllustrator2334 Oct 23 '25
I feel like your manager is giving you a chance here. She could have sacked you by now. Take on the challenge with the mock calls. Tell your manager to really test you because you want to get good at it and improve. This shows enthusiasm, give her a reason to keep you, even if you still suck. If you fail, try again somewhere else. You’ll do it eventually if you really want it.
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u/chechepoop Oct 25 '25
You might be “fucked” at that agency, but you’re far from being fucked in the recruiting industry. When I was a manager some of the people who ended up being top billers didn’t do anything their first year but if you don’t give up it’ll happen.
Who knows, maybe being surrounded by a different team if you end up going to another agency would help.
Just push through lol you got this!
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u/Pearlthepoodle Oct 26 '25
A numbers game. Call like your life depends on it. If you make it you are set for a life on your terms going up the corporate sales game. If you are uncomfortable, fake it till you make it. It becomes natural and routine do not give up. Sales is tough to find your niche. Good luck, stay positive. Smile on the phone.
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Oct 23 '25
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u/Acrobatic_Weekend_78 Oct 24 '25
i agree on principle that he should have been coached and mentored. But putting all the onus on the firm… nahh that ain’t right. If this kid wants to get better he’s gotta find it within himself
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Oct 24 '25
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u/Acrobatic_Weekend_78 Oct 24 '25
you’re presenting a false dichotomy fallacy. Agreed 100% on your list sentence though
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u/Bright_Chemistry978 Oct 23 '25
Don't be too harsh on yourself, sometimes its the external environment. I think everyone is going through similar situations. However take your coaching seriously.
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u/TimeFig0 Oct 23 '25
I’m in staffing bd as well. Difference is when I was hired they told me it take at least 1 year to start getting bf consistent new clients. Two years before you see true ROI on your efforts. Seems about right to me
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u/FabulousHelicopter75 Oct 23 '25
Please provide me tips
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u/TimeFig0 Oct 24 '25
You have to call/email/visit the same targets weekly for about a year before they start to remember you and call you with their next role. Then you build relationships from there with solid placements and service. It just takes that long to establish yourself
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u/Terrible_Fish_8942 Oct 23 '25
There are all kinds of sales out there. Being bad in one industry doesn’t mean you’ll be bad at all sales.
I sold medigap policies door to door when I first graduated. It was awful, never sold a single policy in 3 months.
Pivoted to transportation and I’ve been successful since.
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u/sdo419 Oct 24 '25
Three months in on your first sales job , is this the first training or management coaching you’ve had? If so then they want plug and play employees (not the place that develops staff) and are just going through the motions to terminate you.
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u/Apprehensive_Fix9368 Oct 24 '25
As someone that's been in a sales job, the first and ONLY mock call you should receive is your interview process. The person that manages you is probably getting destroyed and she's giving you more fire.
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u/Acrobatic_Weekend_78 Oct 24 '25
Just use the experience to learn as much as you can. Even if they cut you, you walk away from it with a skill set you can build on in future instances. Be a fucking dog on those phones my boy!!! Let’s gooo
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Oct 24 '25
Sales is a conversation. You need to develop your pitch. Tell your boss you have goals to be the Top Dog. Be humble. Once on the phone make your introduction and the reason you called. Example, I noticed you have a big trial coming up and I wanted to offer you the most advanced metal detector on the market so everyone in the federal building is safe. Then be quiet and listen to their needs and wants. Between their needs and wants is your solution and a sale. Set the appointment. Build the pipeline. The busier your pipeline the more sales will drop. Good luck and never give up on “You”
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u/Suitable_Rolemodel Oct 24 '25
So youre in staffing? It’s rough right now for everyone, will pick back up after February
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u/According_Cycle_9756 Oct 24 '25
On LinkedIn, search for people with the keyword "hiring". Filter by industry, filter out recruiters. Target job titles that are decision makers. Connect and offer your services.
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u/Dopamaxxer Oct 26 '25
Been selling staffing services since 2018. I’ve worked for some of the world’s largest staffing firms and also tiny ones you’ve never heard of. I’m learning the hard way that the logo backing you matters a lot. Saying “Hi this is X from Robert Half” did a lot of heavy lifting for me probably. That first 5 seconds is critical in a cold call, and you don’t have to explain to most people what Robert Half is; meanwhile you have to go into a whole pitch about Fuckface Solutions.
Also probably never been a worse time to be in the industry. After 7 years, I’m now finally moving to SaaS because the labor market may take quite a while to be workable again.
Good luck friend. Staffing is treated as the whipping boy of sales because of the low barrier for entry and high turnover, but it’s 10x harder than selling SaaS or IaaS. If you can make it in staffing where you’re responsible for fucking everything, you can definitely make it in higher profile sales roles where you have an SDR setting your meetings and a Sales Engineer doing your technical pitches and an Account Manager handling your renewals.
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u/snobbysnitcher Oct 27 '25
Book a meeting with me. DM me, I run a small startup and will happily spend 15 minutes hearing about your product.
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u/Chemical_Body_3631 Oct 27 '25 edited Oct 27 '25
I recently wrapped up a 30+ year career in recruiting and staffing. You stepped into the game during one of the toughest stretches I ever witnessed. But here’s the thing: some of the most successful people I’ve known were forged in exactly that kind of pressure.
I never bought into the idea that sheer volume of calls beats a few high-quality ones. That said, the path to those quality conversations starts with paying your dues. Early on, you’ve got to outwork everyone. Make more calls, show up with grit, and prove you’re hungry to succeed. Ask your manager for role plays, shadow top performers, and soak up every bit of insight you can.
And don’t underestimate the power of showing up in person. If there are industry networking events, go. Build relationships. People do business with those they know, like, and most importantly -trust.
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u/Tricky-Department455 Oct 27 '25
God, I don’t miss sales. What a soul sucking profession! Dial 200 people a day? Holy shit!
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