My job is evolving into one that I don't like

[Beetlebrooker]

I've spent 20 years in a technical field, providing consultancy support and guidance to clients. I joined a large consultancy provider a few years ago, but there was a sort of restructure and I was slotted into a new role.

The idea was that instead of supplying the consultancy services myself directly, I would be in a "strategic" role where I would establish a prospective clients needs, then be responsible for distributing the tasks down through our team if they signed up to the service.

But the senior management team used various external management and business consultants to devise an enhanced proposition and attract new clients, and far from discussing and distributing services according to defined requirements, I find myself caught up in lengthy, wanky "workshops" and "discovery meetings" where I'm supposed to lead a pitch on all possible services - including areas like software in which I have little knowledge - use techniques to convince a prospect that they have a gap and a risk, and then sell them services to resolve it.

I mean, that's just bloody sales surely? I'm shit at sales, that's how come I ended up in technical. My excitement at the mini-promotion and a new challenge is fading fast, I HATE it. Worse than that, new guy has been recruited to the same role title as me, in a slightly different part of the same field, so we have 2 SMEs (me and him) - but he's got a much more significant sales and oversight background than me and I have to keep hearing from my manager how great he is (and he really is) and how much value he's bringing to the business.

I can't compete and my confidence is nose diving. I can't talk to my manager, he couldn't care less. I tried to look for my original job description today but I can't find it. I just feel miserable and worthless, I need to get my shit together.

If you are technical then I bet you are good at logic and seeing where things could be 'fixed. So focus on that element? Can you identify those areas and hand off to your colleague for the sales part?

Focus on your strengths!

Yes I'm great at seeing the gaps that we can fill and shaping those services - there are limits to what we can supply of course.

But they seem to be expecting me to take over the selling of services across the board, not just in my field. Sadly because my colleague deals with a different element we won't often be on the same calls.

Oh God, I've just realised we've got a joint one next week as my original client wants to expand into new colleague's area. I was fine about it a month ago when I set it all up, invited the bigwigs and new colleague to the call to make the introductions, but with the latest knock to my confidence (being put down today by a patronising prick) I'm just going to freeze and look shit in front of Billy big balls.

An ex-colleague from my previous dept just accidentally let slip that on a recent call with my manager, he made a comment like "Do you want her back?", referring to me. She only told me because she wanted to tell me that she said yes, they really did want me back, but all I could think about was in what possible context would he have said that?

She kept insisting that it was in a jokey context and didn't mean anything, but I'm too far down the road of having lost all confidence and self worth for that.

I don't know what to do, I always felt secure and now I don't.

Technical and Sales are almost diametrically opposed! Clever people can often turn their hand to anything - although it may take a lot of energy - but it's a rare person who likes both Technical and Sales and can do both well.

If your role isn't working out the way you want it to, it's OK to try to change it. Can you see a different role in your department you would like to do? Or would you actually prefer to go back to your old department? There is no shame in that. Could your role there be tweaked to make it more interesting for you? How about somewhere else in the organisation?

If you stay silent about this, then you'll eventually end up moving to a new job. Which is also a very valid option if that's what you would prefer, of course. But if you generally like your current place then why not try to make it work for you first? You have nothing to lose by giving them a chance to fix things and keep you.

Your ex-colleague really has done you a favour by reminding you how valued you are within your organisation. We often feel powerless when we're really not.

Can you go back to what you used to do? Perhaps resell yourself as an expert technical consultant?
Honestly it’s bad business sense to send technical people out to win new business- that’s sales’ job.
Is there less business in your niche leading to this restructure?
And as @Nordicwannabe mentioned few people can do both (I’m good at both but even so lean more towards sales)

I hear you. I like technical stuff and can get my head around complexity and detail. I dislike sales with a vengeance. I'd also dislike jobs which are primarily management, though I accept that seniority will mean inheriting some management. That is because I don't like bs and I am not a people person.

I'd try to either find another job or go somewhere in the organisation where it is more tech focused. Your confidence is not going to get better, especially since you are being compared to your male colleague who is more of a natural salesman. Get out of there quick before your confidence is shattered. My confidence took a knock when I was in a job that prioritised churning out volume over handling sensitive complex matters that took time. But because my stats were bad, I was not valued by my manager. The job is not going to change and neither will you.

Plenty of other jobs and roles out there that are more suited for you. Start looking.

Sympathies OP. Same is happening in my role too; the changes need to happen to secure the future of the organisation and in that way I'm all for them, but do I actually want to be the person carrying them out? I'm not sure.
It seems that all the aspects of the job I liked best are going, to be replaced by a focus on the things I like less.
I'm a bit sad about it; trying to drum up enthusiasm for the changes (which could be good for my professional development) but I'm not sure I can.

Sorry for going missing after you all wrote such helpful and supportive posts - house move!

I've been distracted for a week obviously, but it's still there lurking in the back of my mind. I think there has been a change of direction, they are focusing in another area which is going to attract new clients and I guess that's why it's all super-sexy compared to the standard elements I deal with.

I can't go back to my old dept as it was a subsidiary, which has been dissolved. There are no other technical roles available without a significant demotion. I just feel like I've failed to make any real progress as things have evolved, I was always good at my main job and customers liked me, I get shit done and I know my stuff, but I'm no good at pitching for business using modern sales methods and disturbance techniques, or writing marketing slides. My slides are just technical!

The role assigned to me was never supposed to be salesy, it was meant to be "strategic" - planning and so on. Now I feel as though everything I was previously rated and appreciated for, is no longer of any value.

I'm looking around for other roles but I'm gutted, I like my employer and I don't want to leave. I'm just so sad to be worthless to them now. I can't even approach HR really, what would be the point - they'd only refer me back to the manager that doesn't notice I exist.

Wow I sound so negative! I need to get a grip. Someone must value my skills and 20 years experience somewhere.