Mary, my colleague, told me that she’s a part of a sales community. 

The next week, I learned that she negotiated a raise based on advice that she got from being in that community. 

So now I wanted to join a sales community as well… but hold on, which one should I join? And should I join only one or all of them? And what should I even expect to get out of it?

Does this sound like your inner voice? 

You think you should be in a community, but should you? And why are there so many of them?

Relax the creases in your forehead, let your sweat beads cool down, and read on to learn more. 

My journey in sales communities

When I started as a sales tech founder, I knew that I had to engage with sales communities. I learnt a ton from just hanging around sales folks, talking to them, asking questions, and learning from their experiences. 

And I made some amazing friends - who I would always root for, and who root for me. 

I also learnt that salespeople enjoy being in communities, but there are just too many of them. And if you’re like I was, you are wondering - where is it worth spending my time? 

Where should you hang out, grow your network, and learn the skills that are MOST RELEVANT TO YOU?

Should you even join a sales community?

Is the answer to any of the following questions a YES? 

Are you an aspiring sales leader and want to learn from the pros? 

Do you want to become a better SDR/AE, and want to learn how?

Do you want to make a lateral move or break into a specific industry (like SaaS)?

Do you want to learn about the best practices and improve your close rates, email reply rates, and cold call rates?

Do you always crave to stay up to date with the latest in sales techniques, technology, and the best places to work?

While the above could be strong reasons to get into a sales community, some of the not-so-obvious questions whose answers might lead you to the same path are:

Do you sometimes want to just make new friends in the sales world and find a beer buddy?

Do you want to vent when you’re going through a hard time and just need a bunch of folks to make you feel seen and heard?

And… do you want to just laugh out loud about shared experiences?

You can achieve some or even all of these aims without joining a sales community. But joining one could be your preferred way to achieve your goals. If that rings true, let’s dive ahead!

A word of caution

As with anything else, spreading yourself too thin seldom works. 

Don’t join too many communities, hoping to learn everything under the sun and make a gazillion connections. 

Join a few that resonate with you, and contribute to them. You’d make deeper connections and learn more specific skills. 

Each community has its own nuances and opportunities for growth. You need to figure them out and choose what’s most relevant for you.

Let’s dive right in!

The Super 6 Sales Communities

RevGenius

Jared Robin and co have transformed what a sales community looks like over the last 2+ years. With over 27k members on Slack and a growth rate that the best software startups would envy, it is a community of choice for many sales and marketing professionals. 

RevGenius is a community for revenue pros - sales, marketing , RevOps, and customer success. It is for professionals looking to leverage a community for network, jobs, hiring, mentorship

You can find answers to your burning questions on tactics and strategy that has worked for others before. Finding jobs, getting promoted, hiring, and becoming a mentor or mentee also are important areas to go to RevGenius for, as well as an inclusive community that allows all in the space in without a cost.

Their mission to bring inspiration and creativity to all revenue pros certainly holds true with the giving environment and energetic atmosphere.

I’ve known some members of the community personally. They are not just helpful but also don’t mind sharing their knowledge and expertise. 

If you want advice on a piece of your tech stack, or want to hire candidates or find a hack for a certain activity, RevGenius is a great place to find answers from those who’ve been there, done that. 

Thursday Night Sales (TNS)

Scott Leese and Amy Volas are the architects of this community that doesn’t just inspire and helps you grow but also ends up becoming a sort of family. Note: this community recently closed its doors. Sadly. :( 

TNS is on Slack, but its primary appeal is in a weekly Zoom event hosted every Thursday night. Scott and Amy have sold a ton, built amazing sales teams, and mentored folks, helping them achieve their career goals. On Thursday nights, they answer questions and help the community improve themselves, find a safe space to tell their stories, get valuable advice, and make friends along the way. 

Come for the vibes, stay for the friends you make. 

Modern Sales Pros (MSP)

MSP is for sales leaders, sales enablement leaders, and CXOs. Leaders ask and answer questions, help each other grow and get better at building their team, their tech stack, managing expectations and a lot more.

MSP hosts regular events for its 25k+ members, and if you’re a sales leader, it’s definitely worth taking a look. The Google group is pretty active and the people who help you figure out “How to do X” are typically the best in the business. 

Sales Hacker

Some communities are focused on certain rungs of sales, or in certain areas like SaaS. 

Sales Hacker, on the other hand, has one of the most wide-ranging sales-related conversations happening all the time. 

Perhaps even more importantly, it’s the best place to find relevant content for all things sales. 

Want to learn how to deliver a killer demo call? 

Want to learn what all the fuss about sales engagement software is? 

Sales Hacker has content (video, podcasts, articles, you name it) on a variety of topics, and is a useful resource even if you don’t actively contribute to the community. 

AA-ISP

AA-ISP is for inside sales professionals, and inside sales has overtaken field sales in many industries now. AA-ISP has a steep membership fee, but it might be worth it if you plan to be actively involved. 

AA-ISP hosts a ton of events for its members, including webinars, roundtables, and retreats. Its annual leadership summit attracts the best sales companies and executives, as well as up-and-coming startups wanting to learn more. 

HYPCCCYCL

Pronounced Hype Cycle, is a community hosted by Justin Michael and Julia Nimchinski. Justin has played the sales game many times and has a vision for the future of sales (which he has eloquently put down in his book Tech Powered Sales). 

HYPCCCYCL is best known for its GTM games, where sales and marketing pros compete on each other’s skills and learn along the way. They have a strong Slack group as well, brimming with advice on GTM stacks and content. 

Bonus Communities

Apart from the 6 above, there are other sales communities that deserve special mention:

1. Women in Revenue: heard great things about it!
2. Sales Enablement Collective: for sales enablement pros and enthusiasts!
3. Pavilion: A paid community for reps and leaders alike. It has lots of educational content, events, and an active member base. 
4. Bravado War Room: with a Reddit-like interface and a focus on usernames, it allows quite an open discussion on a variety of topics. 
5. SalesHumor: this is a LinkedIn page and one of my personal favorites. Hop on for some memes, GIFs, and other humorous content to lighten your mood after a stressful day of work. 

Conclusion: Find your Tribe!

Consider this an introductory post on sales communities. It’s important to explore and find what makes sense for you to join based on your preferences and goals. 

I’m indebted to many of these communities for what I’ve learned, the people I’ve met, and the resources I’ve gotten. 

For more views on the same subject, also read this post by Kate Erwin, an amazing content creator, and this expansive post by Vidyard. 

Which communities have you found to be the most useful? Let me know!

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