Broke down in tears in call with new manager

[breskingg]

I've had a rough month at a newish job ( 3 and a half months ).

I'm in a business development role where I need to essentially generate revenue.

I have been working very very hard since I started and I started with three others.

We are going into a new market and have found it quite challenging to gain traction so far.

I've had a lot of conversations and have done a lot of work. I was deep into projects for the whole of February. Having lots of calls, demos, stakeholder alignment etc. unfortunately two of my main projects have fallen through.

My old manager has agreed ( as he worked with me on everything very closely as I'm new ) it's been a product fit issue / alignment issue with the companies we were working with- rather than execution. I was quite deeply into these projects with my manager helping as I'm new.

Anyway since the projects have fallen through, manager has changed his tune hugely. As if I don't feel shit enough, he keeps talking about how good others are at the job and have been generating all these new projects on their own.

Then today came the final blow where he said I've not been doing enough to get new stuff on the go.

This is essentially all I've been doing ( along with my colleagues who are new ) and we've all been struggling to gain traction as we are new to the market.

I've actually had a lot of conversations but our offering just wasn't a fit. It's very hard.

I feel so disheartened because I feel like the amount of effort that's gone into everything has not been at all acknowledged. My manager also sent a scathing report detailing everyone's activity and mine seems quite low ( not the lowest ). But a bunch of my stuff isn't even included in the report. I also don't send a lot of mass emails, whereas the ones on top of the table just send thousands of emails to people.

My colleagues and I are literally spending every waking hour trying to get stuff going.

During the period where I was deeply working on existing projects, I had a slight lull in activity. This is entirely normal and expected and the focus should be on the stuff you're trying to move along.

Anyway I guess it just got the better of me and I broke down in tears in front of my new manager on a one to one call. I am quite embarrassed but also just feel so down about everything.

Our manager knew things would take time but he was really quite harsh today and I just don't know if I can do this anymore.

I don't know where to go from here and just feel so shit about myself.

Yeah anyway it's tough. It's just so up and down emotionally.

Is that normal ? I get so down when things don't go well or when my managers aren't happy.

Is it just what I do that's like this or are all jobs like this ?

I was feeling so great and like I was doing such good things just a few weeks ago and now I'm just crying all day.

It's kind of soul destroying just not knowing if I can get people interested to talk to me. Living with that uncertainty. Working your arse off and then failing anyway.

Speak to your manager manager as you should not be blamed

Lots and lots of deleted messages!

In my experience? In sales you're essentially going to spend a lot of time talking to people without knowing if they have any interest in what you're saying to them. At best you might know they're interested in your type of services and open to an approach. It's not a field I could spend any length of time working in, I don't have the right mindset for it, but I know people who absolutely thrive on the challenge.

The shifting goalposts, being belittled, criticism in place of well structured feedback and feeling like you've failed even when you've met the targets you were set? That's shit-poor management and a toxic workplace culture. You can 100% do better, don't let them make you think it's you.

You poor thing

I have no idea why ! I didn't think the posts that I read were unusual or anything at all. I didn't report them or anything like that.

@Gliblet I've been doing it for a long time now. The last couple of years have been soul destroying.

I was feeling very hopeful about this new role but I'm not so sure now.

I’ve done business development, field account management and been a sales manager and it’s a tough job but can be rewarding. The usual time you are given when starting is 3 months, this should be enough to generate interest and get your name out there and start seeing consistent numbers. I wouldn’t dwell too much on what the manager is saying as they will be feeling pressure too. Concentrate on your next move as BDM roles really is a rollercoaster. By next week you could have 3 sales drop in your lap from all the work you’ve put in! Keep positive and believe you can do it, send the mass emails and speak to people daily, knock on doors etc as it’s just a numbers game, the more people you reach the more interest you’ll generate. Good luck!

Sounds like you're flogging a dead horse?

Look for an alternative role

Are you working to live or living to work? Ask yourself and decide what you want. This is not going to improve quickly is it? You are replaceable at work but not at home. Look for something else.

I notice this on tons of threads, and they always have pleasant replies to them (like OP has done here) so I can’t think that they’re offensive or anything. I started a thread on site stuff the other day but it didn’t load properly so that was that 🥴.

But yes, I’d love to know why.

If one poster has had all their posts deleted, it usually means they were a troll and MNHQ mass-deleted all their posts when banning them.

Sorry, I only just noticed this.

But the posts can be very recent. For example I might read a post at 10am, that was started at 9.30 and has a reply deleted at 9.50, with the OP having replied to the now-deleted post saying ‘oh I’ll check that out, thanks’ as if it was a normal or kind or informative post. But still, a deleted post. Then I come along within ten minutes and it’s gone.

Yes, posts can be deleted at any time.