Sales Professional Layoff Guide: Job Search Strategies for Sales Reps, AEs & Leaders

If you've been laid off from a sales role—whether SDR, BDR, AE, or sales leader—you know that sales is a results-driven profession, and your track record will be your best asset in finding your next role. This guide covers everything you need to know to leverage your experience and land your next sales position.

Current Market Reality for Sales

Market Dynamics

Challenges:

Tech sales roles particularly impacted
Longer deal cycles affecting hiring pace
Some companies restructuring sales organizations
Quota attainment more scrutinized in interviews

Opportunities:

Good sales reps are always in demand
AI and data companies still hiring aggressively
Non-tech industries need sales talent
Experienced AEs valued across sectors

Realistic Timeline

SDR/BDR: 1-3 months
Account Executive: 1-3 months
Enterprise AE: 2-4 months
Sales Manager: 2-4 months
Director/VP Sales: 3-6 months

Sales hiring is often faster than other roles because companies can measure ROI quickly.

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Immediate Actions (First Week)

1. Document Your Numbers

Before losing access to CRM/systems:

Screenshot quota attainment history
Export deal history and pipeline data
Document account wins and sizes
Save any recognition or awards
Calculate key metrics

Key Metrics to Capture:

Quota attainment by quarter/year
Total revenue closed
Average deal size
Win rate
Sales cycle length
Notable logo wins

2. Preserve Relationships

Customer Contacts:

Connect on LinkedIn (without soliciting)
Note key contacts for references
Respect non-solicitation agreements

Internal Contacts:

Sales leadership for references
SE/SA partners who can vouch for you
Cross-functional collaborators

3. Update Your Presence

LinkedIn:

Headline: "Enterprise AE | $XM Quota Attainment | [Industry]"
Enable "Open to Work"
Update experience with numbers
Request recommendations

4. Financial Setup

File for unemployment (state guides)
Review health insurance options
Consider base salary timing
Use our Budget Planner

Sales Resume Optimization

Resume Fundamentals

Sales resumes must show numbers. Period.

Format:

1-2 pages maximum
Clear and scannable
Numbers visible at a glance
Results before responsibilities

Key Resume Elements

1. Headline/Summary

Enterprise Account Executive
$3M+ Annual Revenue | 120% Quota Average | SaaS/Enterprise

2. Performance Metrics Section
Create a mini "W-2" section at the top:

SALES PERFORMANCE
• Career Revenue: $8M+ closed
• Quota Attainment: 115% average (3 years)
• Largest Deal: $800K ARR
• Notable Logos: [Fortune 500 companies]

3. Experience with Numbers

Weak:

Managed enterprise accounts
Built pipeline through outbound
Collaborated with SE team

Strong:

Closed $2.4M in new ARR across 12 accounts, achieving 135% of annual quota
Built $5M pipeline through outbound prospecting (300+ calls/week), converting 15% to opportunity
Partnered with SE team to deliver 50+ demos, maintaining 40% win rate on enterprise deals

Quota Attainment Story

Be prepared to explain:

What your quota was
What you achieved
Context for any misses
Territory/market conditions

If You Missed Quota:

Be honest about context
Show what you learned
Highlight turnaround if applicable
Focus on overall trend

Sales Interview Preparation

Types of Sales Interviews

Recruiter Screen (20-30 min)
- Background and numbers
- Compensation expectations
- Role fit assessment
Hiring Manager (45-60 min)
- Deep dive on quota history
- Deal walkthroughs
- Process and methodology
Mock Demo/Pitch (30-60 min)
- Pitch company's product
- Discovery call roleplay
- Objection handling
Panel/Team (45-60 min)
- Cross-functional fit
- Culture assessment
- Peer conversations
Executive/Final (30-45 min)
- VP/CRO level conversation
- Strategic fit
- Final assessment

Preparing Your Pitch

Know Their Product:

Study the company website
Use their product if possible
Understand ICP and value props
Know competitors

Prepare Your Pitch:

Practice demo/pitch of THEIR product
15-20 minute presentation
Discovery question sequence
Handle common objections

Common Interview Questions

Numbers Questions:

"Walk me through your quota history"
"Tell me about your biggest deal"
"Why did you miss quota in Q3?"
"What's your average deal size?"

Process Questions:

"Describe your sales process"
"How do you build pipeline?"
"How do you qualify opportunities?"
"Walk me through a deal from start to close"

Behavioral Questions:

"Tell me about a deal you lost and why"
"How do you handle objections?"
"Describe a difficult negotiation"
"How do you work with sales engineering?"

Situational Questions:

"Your pipeline is light—what do you do?"
"A customer wants a discount—how do you handle it?"
"You're behind quota at month end—what's your approach?"

Deal Walkthrough Prep

Prepare 2-3 detailed deal stories:

Structure:

Customer background and challenge
How you found/qualified them
Stakeholders and buying process
Competition and differentiation
Negotiation and close
Deal terms and outcome
What you'd do differently

Best Deals to Discuss:

Your largest win
A competitive displacement
A multi-stakeholder complex sale
A deal you rescued from loss

Job Search Strategy

Where to Find Sales Roles

Sales-Specific:

RepVue (company reviews for sales)
Bravado (sales community and jobs)
Sales Assembly
LinkedIn Sales roles

General (filter for sales):

LinkedIn Jobs
Indeed
Glassdoor
Built In

Startup/Growth:

Wellfound (formerly AngelList)
VentureLoop
BreakoutList

Targeting Your Search

Consider Your Background:

Industry vertical (fintech, healthcare, etc.)
Deal size (SMB, mid-market, enterprise)
Sale type (new business, expansion, renewal)
Product complexity (simple vs technical)

Target Alignment:

If you sold $50K deals, don't target $500K enterprise roles immediately
If you sold to IT, look for technical sales
Industry experience compounds

Beyond Tech Sales

Industries Hiring Sales:

Medical devices
Industrial/manufacturing
Financial services
Commercial real estate
SaaS (still hiring, despite layoffs)
Professional services

Networking in Sales

Sales Communities:

Bravado
RevGenius Slack
Sales Hacker
Pavilion (formerly Revenue Collective)
Local sales meetups

Networking Approach:

Connect with former colleagues
Reach out to hiring managers directly
Ask for referrals to open roles
Maintain relationships with recruiters

Types of Sales Roles

Role Progression

SDR/BDR:

Lead qualification
Outbound prospecting
Meeting setting

Account Executive:

Full cycle sales
Quota carrying
Deal closing

Enterprise AE:

Large deal focus
Longer cycles
Complex stakeholders

Sales Leadership:

Team management
Quota allocation
Strategy and process

Specializations

New Business:

Hunter role
Logo acquisition
Competitive wins

Account Management/Expansion:

Customer relationships
Upsell/cross-sell
Retention

Channel/Partner Sales:

Partner relationships
Indirect sales
Ecosystem development

Sales Compensation

Research Pay

RepVue (sales-specific)
Levels.fyi
Glassdoor
Bravado salary data
Comparably

Compensation Structure

Typical Components:

Base salary (40-60% of OTE)
Variable/commission (40-60%)
OTE (On Target Earnings)
Accelerators above quota
Bonuses/SPIFs

Negotiation Approach

Negotiate:

Base salary (floor security)
Quota reasonableness
Territory quality
Ramp period and guarantee
Accelerator structure

Questions to Ask:

What % of reps hit quota last year?
What's the average ramp time?
How are territories assigned?
What's the quota-setting process?
Is there a draw or guarantee?

Red Flags:

Very low base (<40% of OTE)
No one hitting quota
Unrealistic quotas
Poor territory

Handling Sales-Specific Concerns

Quota Miss History

If you missed quota:

Be honest about context
Show what you learned
Highlight any turnarounds
Focus on pattern of success

Example Response:
"In Q3 2023, I achieved 75% of quota. That quarter, our largest deal ($400K) pushed to Q4 due to customer budget freeze. I ultimately closed it in Q4 and finished the year at 110%. That experience taught me to better identify budget timeline risks earlier in the cycle."

Territory/Market Challenges

If your territory was difficult:

Acknowledge objectively
Show what you did despite challenges
Demonstrate problem-solving

Layoff Timing

If laid off mid-quarter:

Document pipeline and deals in progress
Show what would have closed
Get manager reference if possible

Mental Health for Sales Job Seekers

Sales-Specific Challenges:

Performance anxiety after quota misses
Rejection fatigue (in job search too)
Commission uncertainty affecting finances
Comparison to former colleagues' success

Healthy Practices:

Treat job search like a sales pipeline
Track metrics (applications, conversations, interviews)
Celebrate small wins
Connect with other sales job seekers
Remember: companies layoff teams, not just individuals

See our Mental Health Guide for more.

Action Checklist

Week 1

[ ] Document quota history and metrics
[ ] Screenshot CRM data before losing access
[ ] File for unemployment
[ ] Update LinkedIn with numbers
[ ] Reach out to sales network

Weeks 2-4

[ ] Complete resume with metrics
[ ] Prepare 3 detailed deal stories
[ ] Practice mock pitch for target companies
[ ] Apply to 20-30 positions
[ ] Schedule informational conversations

Month 2+

[ ] Maintain consistent applications
[ ] Expand target industries if needed
[ ] Consider short-term contract/consulting
[ ] Continue networking
[ ] Evaluate offers carefully

Key Takeaways

Numbers are everything—document your quota history immediately
Sales hiring is relatively fast—expect 1-3 months typically
Prepare deal stories in detail—you'll walk through them in interviews
Practice your pitch—you may demo the company's product
Network in sales communities—referrals are powerful
Consider non-tech industries—sales skills transfer broadly
Negotiate base and quota—not just OTE
Ask about rep success—what % hit quota?
Be honest about misses—with context and learnings
Treat job search like sales—it's a pipeline you're working

Your sales skills—relationship building, negotiation, problem-solving, resilience—are valuable across every industry. Good sales professionals are always in demand, and your track record will speak for itself.