Sales Strategist

With changing dynamics and need of professionals wearing multiple HATs growing, combination of two or three similar line of streams to create new positions are getting prominent.

Few years ago, I didn’t know the job title “Sales Strategist” existed. I was a Software developer, and I enjoyed coding. I enjoyed interacting with stakeholders to collect requirements, and laying out the user friendly design specifications. 

I have been doing rounds of research on - “What is this role Sales Strategist? How to get there?”

Positions like sales strategist are amalgamation of plethora of skills from a basic development understanding clubbed with presales skills, a strong flavor of sales governance, an appetite for Operations knowledge and finally some good sales skills to sell your idea to sales leaders and associates.   

Whether a position like Sales Strategist exists depends largely on the size of your employer, and how dedicated they are to the idea of promoting from within. A large company may have formal promotion tracks set up, and if you’re really lucky, with internal management training. A smaller, flexible company may allow you to define your own role. You might take on some management tasks in addition to your developer duties and choose the transition path that’s best for you.

Problem in Hand

There isn’t really a prescribed path to becoming a Sales Strategist. Some awesome Sales Strategist began their careers as Developers and Technical Business Analyst. These roles are great to gain expertise on customers and their pain points. Some Sales Strategist began their careers as Pre-sales. Many Sales Strategist I personally know were software developers or QA once. Some successful Sales Strategist don’t have an MBA degree — they studied Tech, Mechanical, Electrical and some have engineering degrees, and some don’t.

With so many opportunities to climb up and learn in decent organisations, going for an MBA after 4 - 5 years of work spending Rs. 15-20 lacs on educating your-self is not my idea.
This problem in hand has two options to go about traditional (going for an MBA) or carve out your own (like make your own sundae for free).

Decision

Psychology says a person only decide the best when its free to take decision and nothing very important on stake but on contrary does anyone has to decide anything when nothing on stake. Moreover, every single decision that changed our lives had everything on stake for the decision maker. That decision changes lives not only yours but others too. 
Deciding whether to take the step into management sounds like a personal decision, but whenever you’re talking about management, there’s a team to think about.
To give you a lil more push lets consider being a manager as first step:

Everybody’s had one of those managers who doesn't know a thing of code and giving you lectures. If you don’t want to work for that manager, why not be a manager yourself?
Or consider this one for those who are in transition and taken a step towards being sales strategist :
A sales person creating and explaining hollow strategies without any data or predictions in a town hall when their leaders expect them to implement and not to waste time to create sales favourable strategies. If you are tired of hearing them every 3 months, think about having a view for creating a solid data backed strategy yourself?

Digging your way to Management

In modern times, when every organisation talks about empowering employees, by the time you’re ready for a change, your company will be more willing to consider a technical track, or leadership training, depending on what you want. But catch here is 'Convey what exactly you want and that can only be done by YOU'

You really need to be in touch with your own skills to be able to say “I’m not the best coder in the room, maybe I can be more useful in other ways.” If you can make an accurate assessment like that, you may have what it takes to be a good leader.

Just hang on! ... You have to push the limits to get the access to the top floor of your company,  to be on your feet to grab Training Opportunities, Learning programs, Find where your interest lies, Appear for IJP interviews, Prepare original management stuff which can disrupt existing processes, keep seeking time to present those and most importantly think like a LEADER. Believe me doing all this is much more easier than going by traditional route. This era is of DISRUPTIVE and STREET SMART LEADERS.

Please comment to share your thoughts and feedback.