Why ‘Sales Is Sales’ Doesn’t Work When You’re Switching Industries

Let’s be real.

You saw a sales job opening. You’ve got years of experience. You hit targets. You built pipelines. You closed deals. So, naturally, you apply — even though it’s in a different industry.

But… silence. No callback. No interview. Maybe even a straight rejection.

And then comes the frustration. You call the recruiter and say something like:

“I can do this. Sales is sales. It’s just the product or service that’s different.”

Here’s the hard truth:That mindset is exactly why you’re not getting hired.

Do you read between lines in JD?

🟠 Let’s break this down.

Recruiters don’t reject you because you’re not good at sales.They reject you because you’re not aligned with the customer base this role is built for.

A recruiter hiring for a B2B SaaS sales role isn’t just looking for a great salesperson. They’re looking for someone who:

• Knows the customer profile inside out

• Has navigated similar buying cycles

• Already has contacts in that space

• Can bring leads faster — not build from scratch

If you come from FMCG or insurance or retail sales — it’s not about your capability.It’s about the ramp-up time and the cost of onboarding someone who doesn’t know this market.

🟠 Let’s flip the table.

If you were the hiring manager, would you pick someone who needs to start from zero or someone who already has a foot in the door with the target audience?

That’s the game.

🟠 What candidates often miss:

• Reading the JD like a checklist instead of reading between the lines

• Applying based on the title instead of understanding the business context

• Believing that “skill = fit” — ignoring how customer context = performance

Sales isn’t just about persuasion. It’s about relevance.

🟠 So what should you do instead?

• Go through the JD and ask: Who is this company selling to? Do I know that audience?

• If you don’t, be honest — and either upskill or look for sales roles where your experience transfers better

• Want to switch industries anyway? Then start building your context:

  • Follow people in that space

  • Study their sales language

  • Do mock pitches

  • Create case studies that show you understand the new audience

    
    

Recruiters aren’t gatekeepers. They’re not just matchmakers either.They’re problem solvers for businesses.

They don’t just “fill roles. ”They find people who can solve specific problems in a specific context — fast, efficiently, and with the least risk.

That’s why your experience in sales isn’t enough. What matters is whether your experience fits this problem, this customer base, this product, and this urgency.