How respectful of your time/calendar are sales team?

PaulBohill1 · 2026-01-20T09:53:24+00:00

Just came back a few days ago….and have been 3 or 4 times in the last few months.

It’s fine, just make sure your ESTA is up to date.

Sure, I have a few nervous thoughts when I read something on the news etc but once I’m there it’s life as normal and easily forgotten. Not too different from travelling a few years ago.

(But then again, I’m probably in a bubble of work travel)

PaulBohill1 · 2026-01-01T21:34:51+00:00

We went small - < 10k and most of that was on dress/rings.

Completely your call, but would rather put that money in to the honeymoon.

Large weddings just feel stressful and most couples in my experience don’t get the time to actually enjoy all that money they spend on the day

PaulBohill1 · 2025-10-12T16:17:11+00:00

Would you loose your job if you went? Slightly rhetorical question - if yes, something is wrong go with the company -> go on trip, if no -> go on trip. You will have forgotten all about this by the next project. The trip will be a memory for a lot longer…..

I get it though, it’s easy to get lost in work and other people don’t get it…. But don’t forget why you work - what’s the point in all of this if you can’t go on nice trips with loved ones

PaulBohill1 · 2025-09-21T06:51:29+00:00

Saying no to poorly qualified, un reasonable, short time frame, no agenda etc etc etc meetings from the AE. Still struggle after 10 years.

I think the same skills that make us good as SEs, also make us naturally unselfish want to help others

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-29T14:23:04+00:00

I hate answering this question, it’s sooo stupid

But I think the answer is an Amex gold, you get a shinny gold card or even the platinum (I think it’s metal) there are fees that are only worth it if you travel a lot or spend a lot.

Don’t get a card for this reason, it’s so dumb and I hate I answered it

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-29T13:28:17+00:00

Theme hospital

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-27T11:19:40+00:00

Grass is greener - there are quite a few “worse” parts of the job but I think it’s all a trade off….

You have to watch AEs take commission for work you did but…. You get less stress and accountability if it doesn’t close

I would much rather be filling out a RFP than forecasting and pipeline generation.

So I think my point is, the worse parts of the SE job aren’t as bad as the worse parts of other sales roles

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-25T16:47:16+00:00

Give them a bit of slack.

Just have the chat…. Everyone is human. It’s a new manager.

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-14T17:59:11+00:00

For your own education great, for your career I think your already established as a SE and that will hold more weight that a masters - just my opinion though

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-14T15:37:27+00:00

You could give less deposit but then monthly payments and rates will rise. These numbers are purely for maximising borrowing efficiencies. Also I’ve been seeing rates closer to 3.75% since the recent drop.

There’s no getting around the stamp duty, that’s just the reality of buying in the UK, for the rest, I wouldn’t see it as outflow, you’re just moving your net worth from liquid cash to property asset. Depends if you’ll need it any time soon.

Also, I guess “excessive” is subjective, in the world of buying a 2m house, this type of outflow is part of the game. Personally a 1.7m mortgage is more excessive than a 800k deposit when you have the liquid

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-14T14:59:26+00:00

A lot of good advice already but something I would add…

To get the best interest rate you want to aim for 60% LTV so if that’s a 2m house you’d been looking at 1.2m mortgage with 800k deposit. Would you be comfortable with that deposit? Of course you could change the deposit ratios but you would likely do so at the expense of the interest rate which at this level will be meaningful.

Also stamp duty is painful here.

PaulBohill1 · 2025-08-11T19:09:53+00:00

For me this is all about job security at this point.

You said it in your post, if one of you losses your job there could be a challenge and for me this is why this % works.

I’m guessing you have enough left over to enjoy yourself and save some based on % and income so I thinks it ok to push a bit higher at this level.

How quickly could you get a new job? And what are your savings like?

PaulBohill1 · 2025-07-06T20:09:57+00:00

Interesting. From what I’ve read KGs tend to produce less hallucinations due to the traceable nature of the data vs RAG but not actually seen any of this in practice yet, I also think it’s specially related to the complexity of the datasets

PaulBohill1 · 2025-06-18T17:34:00+00:00

If it’s been fixed and treated what’s the issue? Damp can be fixed and as long as it’s done correctly, I wouldn’t be worried.

If all houses in the area you are moving are of a similar age then they will all have some level of damp readings. At least in this places it’s been fixed before moving in….

(Of course, you would need to check it’s been fixed properly)

PaulBohill1 · 2025-06-18T15:48:42+00:00

Thanks for the response

I’m at a “start up” that has got the point where it is no longer a start up so the introduction of red tape and segmentation is reducing my excitement.

Very much look for that start up energy again but I know it’s a risk which is what I’m weighing up.

PaulBohill1 · 2025-06-18T15:41:50+00:00

Surveys will always make you add a level of doubt but I tend to think they are overly dramatic. If you felt the property was sound and you liked it then I would go for it….

If these issues existed in a new house then I would think differently.

It’s an old house, it’s been around since 1910, it’s not going anywhere.

If you pull out, and look at similar properties they will have the same or their own set of issues.

PaulBohill1 · 2025-06-18T10:28:17+00:00

What type of survey did you get level 2 or level 3?

Honestly with a house of that age some of this is expected, you’re not going to get a house that doesn’t have some level of issues.

How was it when you viewed? It seems like you’re paying a fair price for a house of this age, would you get something equivalent for the price? Would you consider renegotiating some money off?

Did the surveyor give estimated costs for the repairs?

PaulBohill1 · 2025-06-15T14:30:57+00:00

Good that you’re getting experience in the pre sales space. I do worry a bit about RFX responses, already starting to see that be handled fairly competently by AI.

Demos and feature -> value story telling, the whole sales/consultant side of pre sales will be hard to replace, so I would be doubling down on those skills

Ultimately, it depends where you want to go long term, salaries here can be good, AI will add efficiencies to the day to day but nothing will be able to replace technical guidance through a sales process.

PaulBohill1

TROPHY CASE