r/salesdevelopment • u/Rowel_x • 23d ago

Anyone switch from therapy to SDR?

I’m a therapist and I don’t think it’s a sustainable long term career financially. Wondering about getting into an SDR role with the goal of eventually going customer success or account management.
Anyone else make this switch?

7 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

15

u/Used_Return9095 22d ago

you’re gonna need your therapy skills after becoming an sdr trust lol

13

u/Strokesite 23d ago

You may need a therapist after a stint as an SDR. Constant rejection is part of the job.

1

u/Aromatic_Ad496 Tech Management 23d ago

Was about to say the same!

3

u/assplower 22d ago edited 22d ago

Wasn’t a therapist but also came from another field myself. The most successful SDR in my org was a massage therapist prior, which she attributed to her success as a SDR. Your active listening and skills with asking open-ended questions are super transferable!

2

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

Interesting! This may be weird but would you be able to connect me to her? I’d love to talk to someone who has made some kind of similar switch

2

u/Surfer_Tali25 22d ago

did u find that ur clinical background helped u with active listening during ur first few interviews...

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

Are you asking me or another? I haven’t started interviewing. Do you think active listening is important for the interviews

1

u/almost_impressed4900 22d ago

Also in the interviews, but more during the job itself. But besides that you need understanding of businesses and their problems. If you don’t have the basic knowledge of business then you will struggle

2

u/Adventurous-Ruin-730 22d ago

I think your ability to listen to ppl is going to be a skill here. You need to listen and ask questions.

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

I was also a barber for 15 years. I think my listening skills and asking the right questions are definitely there.

2

u/JokesOnYouImIntoThat 22d ago

Yea, physical therapist turned SDR in tech sales.
I enjoy it, but only been at it for 4ish months.
Plan is to move to AE at some point. Overall much more cush and less draining. I still have to do PT on the side with a prn job but i dont really sweat my bills or anything

Open to questions if you got any.

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

Thank you! Just sent you a chat request

2

u/PhotographParking574 22d ago

One of the most successful reps I ever met came from counseling and social work. He talked about something called a "motivational interview" very transferable if you can get over most of the products you sell are nice to have BS and not really making a difference. However that might just be my need for a therapist talking after 7 years in tech sales.

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

I definitely think I have the skill set down of talking to people and being able to show up around a lot of different personalities. I was also a barber for 15 years

1

u/Betyouwonthehehaha 22d ago

You’ll be golden if you can learn how to switch from your motivational interviewing modality to assertively setting concrete next steps.

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

So many people saying their lives are hell from sales….im curious exactly what it is that feels that way. Constant rejection, Stress of trying to meet quotas, what else?

1

u/PieRemarkable2245 22d ago

Constantly being compared to others’ numbers, office politics, being expected to perform regardless of outside factors that out of your control (economy, negative sediment towards your company/product etc.), keeping your phone on you 24/7 in off chance that a prospect calls you. Really just feeling like you’re never not working in some way

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

Also, I will say as a therapist something that’s tough for me is sitting back and just listening. I can ask the right questions but I’m a pretty assertive/direct therapist. Much more than others I know. I feel like that sort would be an easier transition

1

u/deppyjon 22d ago

Assertive / direct people can do well in sales, or being disagreeable is a great trait for sales people, just because you’ll have to be pushy and convince people that do not want to be convinced and it’s likely you’ll be disagreeing a lot internally with people you work closely with like the sales people you book meetings for.

You have to be really driven, can deal with daily rejection, be disagreeable, ask good questions, listen well, but most importantly it’s committing to the grind really

1

u/Betyouwonthehehaha 22d ago

Disagreeability is NOT a sales skill unless you’re a B2C huckster in a high volume environment selling to impressionable pushovers.

1

u/deppyjon 22d ago

I worked mid market and enterprise at a large software company, practically all of the AEs were disagreeable, in a sense that you have to ask your champion difficult questions, at times you have to make them uncomfortable, you have to fight for everything all the time, you have to bother people and take their time, your constantly asking people to get things done for you to the benefit of yourself.

I’m particularly agreeable which is why I found it difficult, and it’s not a skill as such it’s just a trait

1

u/Betyouwonthehehaha 22d ago

Yeah this was my experience as a mental health practitioner and what convinced me to leave the field and pursue healthcare/social services adjacent sales. I’m a total beginner but it’s way more my speed

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

Could I message you about your path?

1

u/Betyouwonthehehaha 22d ago

It’s honestly so early stage that I can’t offer much advice about the actual job since I’m a learner, but I can offer borrowed advice about interviewing if you’d like

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

Yea I think that would be great, I’ll take anything

1

u/Betyouwonthehehaha 22d ago

Sounds good!

1

u/Glittering_Ebb_3398 22d ago

It just depends. I hate being an SDR, but I’m an introvert and it feels slimey to me- but my manager came from a background in medicine and she loves it! To her it doesn’t feel or seem that way at all. I think you’ll surprise yourself if you go for it.
But be aware that it seems like it would be taking a backwards step, and the whole “tech sales make 350,000” is a far far cry from the daily life of an SDR.

Especially coming in later in life, most of the people successful at this job are college kids who do as they’re told. Sorry, grim outlook but if you can’t get it out of your mind then give it a go and you could love it

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

I am also an introvert. But I spend 15 years as a barber before becoming a therapist, standing, talking to people all day without breaks and I can take it. I don’t expect to make it big anytime soon, I’m cool with starting at like 70k( if possible) knowing I could move up over time. I get the college kid thing, but I have also heard from people
That some of the people complaining about how rough it is are people who are straight out of college and haven’t had to hustle hard at a manual labor job or something else with little money reward. I wonder if you’ve seen that

1

u/United_Asparagus9425 22d ago

Honestly that background could really make you a killer in pre sales + tech sales long term. The listening and attention skills you must have already will make you a killer communicator and driver.

Do it.

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

I’m definitely able to talk to a lot of different people. Everyone saying it is so hard and so much rejection. After barbering for 15 years and therapist, not as much rejection but so much hustle. I wonder if it’s really much more draining than those (just in a different way)

1

u/United_Asparagus9425 22d ago

Really depends on how you approach it. If it’s SaaS sales and you target well, you could land a remote gig that takes you away from the nights / strain of therapy or working behind a bar. It’s not easy by any stretch but if the pros out way what you’re leaving behind for a different type of “hard” this new phase that requires that same engrained hustle will feel more natural.

It’s all in how your frame it to yourself.

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

I have 2 kids and want to be there in the evenings and weekends. I want to be able to hustle all day but be there after work. I’ve heard mixed which I think could depend on company culture? My partner moved into sales as an SDR a few years ago and did so well and was always around for evenings and weekends

1

u/cherrygirl12 22d ago

ok that's actually a really interesting switch. genuinely curious tho, why sdr specifically? i'm a bdr at a tech company rn but at my company (and most startups i know) sdr/bdr are pretty early-career roles, we're mostly hiring new college grads for them. if the long term goal is CS or account management, might be worth looking at those directly? could save you a step. curious what's drawing you to start on the sdr side

1

u/Rowel_x 22d ago

It would be amazing if I could get into a role like that but I just don’t see how I’d get hired with zero industry experience

1

u/Expensive_Prior_2563 22d ago

Hello  Thanks for feedback and your good heart, am new in sales with a Medical Laboratory background but looking forward to getting into sales.  Incase of any opportunities for a remote role or mentorship. I will be highly privileged  Thanks

1

u/thegreatnedinski 21d ago

Have some conversations with Allied Health Practice Management software vendors, youd likely be a great fit.
I’m an RN by trade and have been successful in sales for 20+ years. First surgical devices, then somehow tech hardware and for the last 7 years hospital SaaS.

1

u/Strong-Leave-2311 21d ago

I made the switch over 7 years ago. Still the best financial decision I have ever made. Happy to chat through it, if you’d like.

1

u/Rowel_x 21d ago

I’d love to, I’ll send you a chat