Overview
Imagine being a seasoned SaaS salesperson, comfortable in your role, when suddenly, a game-changing opportunity presents itself—one so intriguing that it pulls you into an entirely different industry: ad tech.
That’s exactly what happened to a sales professional who had spent a decade in SaaS, mostly in health tech. Despite initially overlooking emails from a stable, growing company due to a seemingly entry-level title, curiosity led him to open one, revealing a role offering a $150-$200k salary—much higher than his current earnings.
After going through the interview process, he landed an incredible position that not only met his financial expectations but also offered him a chance to flex new leadership and strategy skills.
Details about the company & role
The startup he joined provides a free app targeting a specific audience, monetizing through advertising products and services to its users. They were already generating substantial revenue with major retailers like Amazon and Walmart but wanted to break into the lucrative healthcare market by convincing insurers to advertise on their platform.
His LinkedIn profile, showcasing his health tech experience, made him an ideal candidate. The company quickly hired him to size up the market, build a go-to-market plan, and execute their vision.
The Best of Both Worlds
Now, he enjoys the perfect blend of continuing to work with an industry and persona he loves (healthcare) while gaining a crash course in advertising and data—new but fascinating and highly lucrative.
The deals he works are substantial, often ranging from six to seven figures, and he gets to manage the relationships from start to finish which is both challenging and rewarding.
A Perfect Fit
He’s fortunate that the company is established, has traction, and is perfectly positioned for the healthcare market, given their platform and user demographics. He’s “lucky” in a way that the company is established, has traction, and is perfectly suited for the healthcare market given their platform & user demographics. I’ve heard some horror stories of companies testing new markets only to quickly scrap them once they’ve realized the new market/industry isn’t viable or won’t drive the returns they are looking for.
Doing your due diligence and asking the hard questions can be everything when vetting a new opportunity (but even the best sleuths can’t get it right all the time…I’ve personally mis-fired on 2 opportunities in my past).
Moral of the Story
This story is a reminder of the importance of staying open to unexpected opportunities—they might just lead to a career-defining role (and open those emails from recruiters) 😉