Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

I still love doing sales so it's hard to answer. One suggestion would be to get out of the corporate market and into SMB area. There you can do both....while emphasising the marketing part

Michael

You should see what marketing things you can accomplish in your current job. It might just be a different way of organizing, a different method for contacting people, or new content for materials (emails, letters, etc.) You should also come up with some marketing ideas (good, well thought-through ideas) to pitch to your current company's marketing people. Cultivate a relationship with them and let them know you are interested in marketing, because even if you don't move to marketing in that job they may well mention to a marketing friend that they have a great person looking for a marketing job.

You will eventually find that your sales experience is valuable to a potential employer because oftentimes marketing and sales, who should be very integrated and in constant communication, lack a common language and have trouble communicating well. You can actually use all the sales experience as an asset!

The biggest thing is just to come up with ways to market differently while you're "doing sales" because marketing ultimately is just less-direct sales anyway. Marketing is all about thinking outside the box and being creative. At interviews for marketing jobs you will be asked for examples of how your sales background has enhanced your marketing skills and what ideas you have moving forward. Have something to offer!

My biggest suggestion would be... make yourself a success in sales. Bringing a real, live success in the sales world to an interview will open a lot of doors. Including those on the marketing side.

My own experience was close to yours. And, by growing as a salesperson, I grew into the role of managing both sales and marketing.

You could take a snow ball approach and start picking up small marketing jobs. this could include volunteering your marketing expertise to non-profit organizations that usually have the need but not the resources. Not only does it feel good to help out, you will network with decision makers from both large and small companies. At that point, any number of options could present themselves. Good luck!