How do you transition from sales to a demand generation role?

Great question. Difficult to answer, without knowing more about you as a human (feel free to reach out to me on LI and we can chat more specifically). That said, here is my general thinking on the subject: First, leverage your experience. You sales background is a huge asset. Use your experiences to help the Marketing team get a better understanding of customer pain points, buyer personas, and the nuances of the sales funnel. Your team will find your knowledge to be invaluable in crafting effect ...Read More

Great question! I have some former Sales team members on my ABM and Demand Gen team today, and at former companies as well. The immediate traits I would work to exhibit are (1) being coachable (2) being curious. There are so many resources out there today, whether structured, digital, or even through AI tools, to learn about demand generation strategy, channels and tactics, as well as measurement. Take advantage of these learning sources and get familiar with how DG teams speak and work, and the ...Read More

I think you know this, but just to be crystal clear... I didn't come from sales, so I'm going to answer this from a slightly different angle than you might expect. I came from film sets and nonprofit arts organizations. Before I ever wrote a creative brief for a tech company, I was assistant directing a feature film in Scotland and volunteering at independent film festivals. My path into demand gen was anything but linear, and honestly, I think that's exactly why I feel so strongly that the "unc ...Read More

I’d say the biggest thing to realize is that sales experience is a huge advantage, not a gap. A lot of great demand gen leaders come from sales because they understand how deals actually move, what objections sound like, and what conversations matter. That context is incredibly valuable in marketing. The first step is to start thinking less about individual deals and more about patterns. In sales, you’re focused on your accounts and your number. In demand gen, you’re looking at trends across seg ...Read More