Hunting to Farming: Transitioning from sales to post-sales

From closing deals to driving engagement and retention, transitioning to a post-sales role could be a fit for someone interested in building and nurturing long-term relationships with customers. Beyond getting them to buy, a post-sales role is about ensuring a successful long-term partnership.

Titles can vary between orgs, as can the associated responsibilities. Pro tip: read the job description! No matter the small print, you’ll likely be responsible for ensuring seamless communication, managing customer expectations and priming for renewals. This role positions you to be both a product and customer expert.

In our panel discussion “Hunting to Farming”, Diana Duri (Handshake), Nicole Olshan (Udemy) and Katie Capuzzo (WISE), shared their perspectives on jumping from sales to post-sales and how you can position yourself to be successful in this role.

Here are some key takeaways to guide you on your professional journey.

It's about the long game.

On the post-sales side, your mindset shifts from closing the deal, to making sure the relationship sticks and is successful long term. Don’t lose sight of your goals and make sure to keep track of everything because you’re in it for the long haul.

Running from vs. running towards.

Burnout is real and many feel this strongly on the pre-sales side. When expressing interest in transitioning roles, it's important to show that you're not trying to escape your current situation. Instead, showcase the positive impact you're already making and the value you'd bring to a new role.

Organization is key.

Whether you have 3 accounts or 90, staying organized and discerning priorities is imperative for solidifying trust both with your internal team and external customers.

While prioritizing, learning and understanding how to support your customers are essential post-sales, it is also important to know how to navigate internal relationships with your own teams. Build trust with them and make sure you understand their whys so you are not making empty promises to your customers.

Lastly, if you are thinking about transitioning to post-sales or to any other role, make sure that you are crushing your goals wherever you are now and that you have a proven record of success. You have to establish a strong personal brand and reputation so people can advocate for you when you make your ask.

Want to learn more? You can stream the full event recording here.

Thank you to all of the WISE partners for making this event possible and our panelists for sharing their time and advice.