#151 Former IBM Sales VP: Why Tech Sales Reps Get FIRED (And How to Get Promoted)

🎯 Want to accelerate your tech sales career? Book a 1-on-1 strategy session with Chris: 👉 https://calendly.com/bussingventures/tech-sales-accelerator-strategy-sessionConnect With Shari 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/shari-aser📲 Free 10 Step Cold Call System: 👉 https://docs.google.com/document/d/13ZAVPoM0_T96m3Nl6jtnPjmfR-hfxrct5-gyzHcMg80/edit?tab=t.s8ljd8iykang#heading=h.ilpy1prpgwaoMost sales reps get fired for reasons they never see coming - and promoted for one move they keep avoiding. Former IBM Sales VP Shari Aser breaks it all down.Shari Aser spent decades building and leading high-performing tech sales teams at IBM. In this conversation, she shares the real reasons reps get let go, what separates the ones who climb, and the exact conversation she had that led to her own promotion within a month.In this episode:- The #1 reason reps get fired (it's not always missed quota)- Why "nothing good ever happens after 11 PM" at sales conferences- The silent forecast mistake that kills careers before reps even notice- How to quantify a client's problem to win executive buy-in- What executive presence actually looks like on a sales call- The exact conversation Shari had that got her promoted at IBM within a month- How to handle a boss who genuinely doesn't like you- Why asking for what you want is the most underused career move in salesAbout Shari Aser: Shari Aser is a former IBM sales executive and go-to-market advisor who has built and led high-performing tech sales teams throughout her career. She is also a competitive ballroom dancer who raised nearly $100,000 for charity supporting adults with disabilities.Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro00:42 - Why Sales Reps Get Fired02:44 - How Conference Behaviour Can Destroy Your Career08:19 - Winning a Ballroom Competition and Raising $100K12:18 - How Missing Forecasts Gets Sales Reps Fired16:18 - The Hard Questions That Stop Deals Dragging On19:39 - Finding a Compelling Reason for Customers to Act21:56 - Quantifying the True Business Impact of a Problem25:48 - How to Reduce a Customer’s Fear of Making the Wrong Decision30:01 - What Executive Presence Actually Looks Like39:29 - Can You Get Fired Because Your Boss Doesn’t Like You?46:47 - Why High Performers Still Get Passed Over for Promotion50:46 - Taking Risks to Advance Your Career52:33 - How to Know Whether Leadership Is Right for You54:14 - Why Sales Managers Can Earn Less Than Their Reps55:52 - Closing Thoughts and How to Connect With Shari#techsales #salestips #SDR