You've spent five years in sales. Strong track record. Good relationships. Proven numbers. But you haven't sold cladding. Or insulation. Or lighting. Or whatever the specific product is in the job ad.
And that feels like it disqualifies you.
It might not. But it changes how you need to approach the process. The reality of hiring in building products is that most companies want someone with aligned experience. Not necessarily the exact product, but close enough that the learning curve is manageable and the market knowledge transfers.
Understanding what "well aligned" actually means, and how to position yourself when your experience is adjacent rather than exact, is the difference between being overlooked and getting the interview.
What "well aligned" means
It's not about having sold the identical product. It's about how closely your experience connects to the role across several dimensions.
Product alignment. Have you sold something in the same category or with similar applications? If the role is selling insulation and you've sold plasterboard, that's aligned. Both are internal lining products used in similar construction stages, specified by similar people. If the role is selling insulation and you've sold software, that's a much bigger gap.
Market alignment. Have you sold to the same type of customer? Selling to architects is very different from selling to builders. Selling to builders is very different from selling to end-users. Each buyer group has different decision-making processes, different priorities, and different relationship dynamics. If you've sold a different product but to the same market segment, that alignment carries significant weight.
Channel alignment. Have you worked in the same route to market? Specification sales, project sales, distribution, direct to trade. The mechanics of how you sell matter as much as what you sell. A candidate who's done specification sales in a different product category understands the specification process, the long sales cycles, and the relationship dynamics with architects and designers. That transfers.
Technical alignment. Some products require deep technical knowledge. Structural systems, waterproofing, fire protection, anything where compliance, codes, and engineering are involved. For these roles, you need either direct product knowledge or qualifications and experience that demonstrate you can operate at that technical level.
The closer the alignment across these dimensions, the stronger your candidacy. You don't need to tick all four. But the more overlap there is, the easier it is for a hiring manager to see how you'd transition.
Where good candidates come from
People move into building products sales from a range of backgrounds. The ones who transition most successfully tend to come from places where the skills and market knowledge overlap.
Adjacent construction sectors. HVAC, electrical, plumbing supplies, civil materials. If you've sold products used in construction to people involved in construction, the fundamentals transfer. The customers, the project cycles, and the industry language are familiar.
Trade backgrounds combined with sales experience. A former carpenter, electrician, or builder who's moved into sales brings something that can't be taught. They understand how buildings go together. They can talk the language of the customer. When you've actually installed the product or worked on a site, architects and builders trust your knowledge differently.
Interior design or architectural backgrounds. If you've worked in A&D and moved into a commercial role, you understand specification, aesthetics, and how design professionals make decisions. That's directly relevant to any building products role selling into the architecture and design channel.
Other B2B sales with similar sales cycles. Someone who's sold complex products with long sales cycles, multiple stakeholders, and relationship-driven decision-making. The sales mechanics transfer even if the product is different.
The common thread is that something in your background connects to the building products world. The connection might be the customer, the product type, the sales process, or the industry. But there needs to be a bridge.
The honest truth about career changers
People are able to change industries. Everyone starts somewhere. If you're a good salesperson, you can learn a new product.
But I need to be honest about something. Recruiters are often the least able to assist with this process.
We're paid on results. What we're paid to deliver is candidates who match the brief. And the brief almost always specifies industry experience or closely aligned experience. Presenting a career changer to a hiring manager who's asked for building products experience is a hard sell, and if the candidate doesn't work out, the recruiter carries the risk.
That doesn't mean it's impossible. But it means that if you're trying to break into building products from a completely different industry, a recruiter might not be your best entry point. Applying directly, using your network, leveraging connections in the industry, or targeting companies known for hiring on potential rather than pedigree might be more effective paths.
From a strategic and advisory point of view, a recruiter can still help. I'll always give honest advice about whether a move makes sense and how to position yourself. But the reality of the recruitment model is that it favours candidates with aligned experience.
How to position yourself in interviews
If your experience is adjacent rather than exact, here's how to approach it.
Lead with the alignment. Don't wait for the interviewer to notice the connection. Make it explicit. "I've spent four years selling to commercial builders in the electrical sector. The customer base, the project cycles, and the relationship dynamics are very similar to what this role requires. The product knowledge is the gap, and here's how I'd close it."
Emphasise your track record. Revenue growth. Territory development. New account wins. These numbers transfer regardless of industry. A proven hunter who can open doors and create revenue is valuable in any product category.
Show attitude and adaptability. Hiring managers who are open to candidates from outside the sector are looking for resilience, tenacity, and the ability to learn quickly. Demonstrate these through examples. How you've adapted to new products before. How you've entered unfamiliar markets and succeeded.
Acknowledge the gap honestly. Don't pretend you know products you don't. "I don't have direct experience with your product range, but I understand the application and I've sold technically similar products to the same buyer group." Honest and confident beats vague and evasive.
Talk the language of their customer. If you've dealt with architects, talk about specification. If you've worked with builders, talk about site delivery and project timelines. If you've got a trade background, talk about installation and application. Demonstrating that you understand the customer's world is sometimes more valuable than knowing the product catalogue.
The salary reality
This is the part nobody wants to hear.
If you're moving from outside the sector or from an adjacent product category, it's often hard to match the salary of someone who's been in a BDM role for five years selling the same product in the same market.
You might need to take a step back to take a step forward.
That's not a reflection of your ability. It's a reflection of the risk the employer is taking. They're investing in your potential rather than paying for proven delivery in their specific market. Once you've established yourself, the salary catches up. But the entry point might be lower than what you'd get if you were a like-for-like replacement.
If the opportunity is right and the career trajectory makes sense, a short-term salary adjustment can be worth the long-term gain. Just go in with realistic expectations.
The variables you need to get across
Building products sales isn't simple. There's a lot to learn beyond the product itself.
Codes and compliance. Building regulations that affect how and where products can be used. These vary by state and by application. Getting across the compliance landscape takes time.
Specifications. How products get specified into projects. The documentation, the approval processes, the relationships with specification consultants and architects. This is a skill set in itself.
Construction stages. Understanding when in the build process your product is relevant. What comes before, what comes after, and how your product interacts with other systems in the building.
Customer dynamics. How architects make decisions differently from builders. How developers evaluate differently from contractors. Each buyer group has its own language, priorities, and pain points.
If you're coming from outside the sector, being aware of these layers shows the hiring manager that you understand the complexity of what you're stepping into. You don't need to know it all on day one. But showing that you know what you don't know demonstrates maturity and realistic expectations.
Quick checklist
- Identify your alignment. Product, market, channel, or technical. The more overlap, the stronger your position.
- Lead with the connection in interviews. Don't wait for the interviewer to see it.
- Back it up with numbers. Track record transfers regardless of product.
- Be honest about gaps. Acknowledge what you don't know and explain how you'll close the gap.
- Consider whether a recruiter is the right entry point. For genuine career changes, direct applications and network connections might be more effective.
- Be realistic about salary. You may need to take a step back to take a step forward.
- Learn the complexity of the sector. Codes, specifications, construction stages, customer dynamics. Show that you understand what you're stepping into.