Victory Lap

I am so thoroughly impressed and pleased with the curriculum, instructor, and staff of Victory Lap.  Their program will prepare you for a successful career in technology sales without question.

The in-depth topics they teach, paired with their sincere desire to have you ready on day one, are just the elements I needed to get my career started right.  

I recommend this boot camp to anyone looking to break into the tech sales industry. Read less

Having "Steve Gowan", as my instructor was definitely a rewarding experience. I truly gained great value in the learning alone. Steve identified my strengths and showed great intent in strengthening my weaknesses, in a way that felt more tailored than generalized. Read less

The content for Inside Sales is always changing and there is no perfect solution to being the best SDR. Steve does a great job teaching you to think critically while also teaching the fundamentals of being a successful SDR. The main reason I would recommend Victory Lap is due to the instructor and how much he wants everyone to have a successful career. Steve is always willing to help outside of the course and even when the course is over. While you can never structure a course to meet everyone's needs, Victory Lap does a great job trying to tailor your experience to what benefits you the most.  Read less

Victory Lap had a very positive impact on my new SDR role and how to best attack it. Steve was my instructor and he did a fantastic job at tailoring the course to each students learning style and specific needs. Some course work was a little tedious at the time but in reflection, all of the lessons and homework helped a ton and brought a unique approach to how to best engage prospects and set meetings in your SDR role. Highly recommend this course for anyone in a tech sales role or looking for one.  Read less

This Bootcamp is great for any level salesperson (beginner, intermediate, or advanced). You cover all the basic terminology of sales and the in-class work was extremely helpful. I've put many of the subject matter into use at my current role. Our instructor, Steve, was very knowledgable and an all around great guy. I loved how each warm-up lesson incorporated useful videos that weren't just about sales. It really spiced up the learning process! I'd recommend this SDR Bootcamp to anybody looking for a career in sales. Read less

Because I'm a career changer in his early 40's with a family to support I think this program was not as ideal for me as for someone early in their career (early to mid-20s) who can take on more risk with the career switch. There's no question that the curriculum will prepare anyone to do very well in an entry-level Business Development Rep or Sales Development Rep role at any company. How to effectively cold email, how to set a manageable yet successful outreach cadence, what it means to listen and respond to prospects' pain points. It's all there. It's just unfortunate that BDR/SDR roles (the only roles I was set up to interview for through their partner network) only pay $45-$55k as a base salary (with commission compensation on top of that, of course, anywhere between $12.5k to $25k). I just would not be able to make ends meet on that salary as the head of a household while pushing for the additional commissions. This is partly on me for not thinking more carefully through what would be possible after the program but I think Victory Lap also needs to carefully consider the types of people they accept into their cohorts. If you're ready to make the leap and have just yourself to support then you should totally do this and you'll definitely get a job at a $45-55k base and potential for $12-25k on top of that for uncapped commissions. You'll also be prepared to excel in that role and probably get a promotion to Account Executive within 6-18 months and then be making a base salary of more like $80k. If that sounds enticing, then do this program. But just be prepared to dig in on all of the content, don't miss a single live class, ask a bunch of questions, and then be ready to block out the next 6-18 months to crush it in the BDR/SDR role by putting the job first for at least 6 days a week. Lastly, be aware that Victory Lap is based out of Chicago, and I'm in the Hartford, CT area. This limited the companies that I was able to interview with as many don't want remote staff. This may be why I was only offered interviews for entry-level business development roles rather than getting a shot at an Account Executive role. 

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This is kind of a late night, in my feelings, on the fly review, so if I miss anything, oh well.

TLDR: I got a very well paying job due to Victory Lap's training. With a company culture I love. The ability to work remotely and therefore travel while I work. Just, nirvana.

Victory Lap completely changed the course of my life. I simply applied to their job listing on indeed right before I relocated to my dream city. I briefly spoke to Blake, who upon hearing my reasoning for trying to pursue sales as a career choice, waived a requirement which was really cool of him. Importantly though, Blake made me a promise that sounded like an off hand remark you would say to someone you're just trying to hook. He said, "We'll get you that 50k sales job man". I said, "Alright I'm in".

So fast forward a month and a half. I'm now in the city I want to be, eagerly awaiting the program start. VL had a very fleshed out curriculum. We learned how to prospect, time management, how to write good sales copy, how to advance as quickly as possible from an SDR to an AE etc.

They brought on hiring managers and past VL graduates to tell us more about the industry and their and how they got started. They brought in people from Groupon who put Groupon on the map when it was no-name. Keegan, who sources these companies for VL graduates is also one of these people. She put Groupon on the map when she was coming up.

We role played. Very hard. Kind of tough to sit their and shoot your shot in-front of your cohort. We did it, we came out better. Tom did it. It was all very intense, but rewarding.

We had advanced sessions twice a week in the morning and a big group session every Wednesday night.

I'll be honest, it was starting to be a pain in the ***. But I didn't quit, just kept plodding along. It's hard to put effort into something when you don't get an immediate return. I myself dropped out of school. I hated working for nothing... And here I was doing it again. I'm glad I didn't let my own negativity kill this opportunity.

About 75% through the course, I was offered a spot in their program to do cold calling with a company I believe was selling the crappiest product. It was hard. Our CRM was a long list scraped from yelp and our own phone numbers to call. THIS WAS EXTREMELY VALUABLE. Selling garbage (imo) to people who didn't want it was hard, and once again I was working for nothing, again...

I had to drop out that little project, it was too much to cold call for nothing (Although if I made a sale I would have gotten a dollar amount im not gonna specify here). Now I was like, "man, oh man, *sigh* ".

Finally we had our final presentation. We had to present infront of these companies they pulled to be an audience while we did a sales pitch to them. My presentation was quite average, I would even call it bad. But I did it and we all congratulated eachother and said goodbye. Strangely enough, the role playing was harder than the presentation, I had a company whose product could not be farther from what I ever wanted to spend my day to day thinking about and selling.

Finally we got let lose in the wild. I made it to two 3rd interviews and didn't get those jobs and the two interviews VL set me up with also didn't select me (the first one was my fault, I flubbed it). At one point I gave up, I said no harm no foul the only thing I lost was time. I went on with my life for a few months, slowly moving forward on other plans.

Than one day I got two more emails. Victory Lap matched me with two more companies. I figured I would do the interviews just to say I did, I didn't think anything of it. One company basically trashed my resume, GREAT!  But then I REALLY clicked with the sales manager. Bam! Second interview was with the CEO and the CFO. There was no third interview for once. I got the job. With a base+ote a good amount past 50k. Insane. I loved the culture there. Crazy. Victory Lap teaches culture a a crucial determinant. Here I was basically done with the whole thing. Out the blue Blake's promise came true with icing on top. 

Victory Lap definitely was a worthwhile investment, the only downside is the payments I have to make now because I'm way above the minimum for the ISA repayment hahahah :)

I would like to thank the whole Victory Lap cast and crew for getting me here. I would name everyone but its late at night and i'll feel bad if I forget anyone.  


(Ps. I remembered at the end, Brittney Scott helped to prep me for interviews and I think that was instrumental in helping me get over some bad interview habits).

(PPs. I really want to edit and format this nicely, butttt.... im too tired X_X . However, I do owe this to Tom and the program)

                                                                                           :)

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Victory Lap changed my life super cheesy line I know but I'm just being honest. To be honest, I thought there was a catch before joining. Like they state that they will help you break into the tech industry if you join their Bootcamp, but when I first spoke to Blake I could really hear the passion he had for Victory Lap and told me about their success, so I figured what did I have to lose.

The program itself was actually fun it's better if you engage yourself, but my instructor Steve Gowa was AWESOME! His passion and excitement whilst teaching were really enjoyable for me and made it easy for me to stay engaged. He had a lot of patience and really cared about the class. My only problem with class was I wish it was longer but I managed.

Everyone at Victory Lap has my biggest support and I recommend it to anyone looking to break into tech. Read less

I was introduced to Victory Lap Bootcamp by my son. He attended cohort 2 of Victory Lap Bootcamp. Victory Lap taught him sales fresh out of college and helped him land his first job in tech sales within a couple of weeks of graduating at Active campaign. Four years later, he is a happy veteran at the Active campaign. I attended cohort 56 in March-April 2021.
Steve, from you, I learned to be "pleasantly persistent" and to "have strong opinions loosely held," among many other things. The Bootcamp is 8 weeks. We had weekly 90 minutes very involved and interactive classes. Plus, we had two optional 45 minute weekly classes, which I will highly recommend attending.
The classes are well-paced, organized, and planned. There is weekly homework that matches the work done in classes. Steve was always enthusiastic about nudging and challenging us to do better. He gave us many tricks of the trade from his vast experience. He made himself available 1:1 24/7 via slack. He appeared genuinely invested in our success.
The feedback from homework and classes was clear, timely, and informative. Tom did a magical job for my resume, Linkedin, and Victory Lap profile. Jon, Blake, and Keegan prepared me to ace any interview down to a science.
It was definitely a worthwhile Bootcamp. I will highly recommend this to anyone considering a career in sales. Read less

Victory Lap has simplified and decoded the mystery of software sales so that I feel comfortable transitioning into a career in sales.  The instructors provide clear, hands-on education that inspires you to transform any current limitations. They are very personable with consistency in communication and support. This bootcamp is the full package; the curriculum, interview prep, and job readiness are second to none. Take a leap of faith if you’re interested in a career in sales because you won't regret it. Read less

Steve is really such a great teacher in many respects. His encouragements and thoughtful criticism made me do better and try harder. As a sales novice I learned many new things and found out I intuitively knew some already. As an outsider I had a certain idea what sales was suppose to be, and this course gave me a whole new data driven perspective (I love data). The course material is detailed, engaging and I loved discussing it. Thanks for a wonderful time! Read less

Absolutely loved the sales bootcamp from Victory Lap. The instructors are knowledgeable and caring in their passion for sales and for helping all of their students. My only wish is the boot camp was longer to have more time to apply and fully implement all the sales knowledge you receive.  During and after the boot camp they have a great job assistance team to help you get interviews and prep for the interviews so you put your best foot forward.  Read less

I wanted to join Victory Lap's 8-week boot camp but they had only 4-week intense ones. I liked their curriculum and Steve, our instructor was great. For me it was a very intensive course as I had to invest time for self-study, searching content beyond the course work online, and had support from faculty whenever I needed it. So, if you can invest a good amount of time doing all assignments, attending live classes, and also enough self-study around the topics sincerely then you are all set for an entry-level sales role. Also, they have hiring partners mostly around the Chicago area, so be ready to relocate or search for jobs in your region. I wish the course was spread across 8 weeks for better learning. I just completed the course and waiting for the interviews to start soon. Hope I come back soon and update the placement status.  Read less

This program was nothing but phenomenal. The instructor Steve is one of the best in the business. He will stay after class and schedule time and help you whenever you need. The group environment is relaxed and picks up pretty fast. Do not miss a day, if you can help it. These sessions are short but extremely beneficial to your success. Sales experience is something I believe everyone needs and if you are curious about the transition this is the right move.  Read less

Background: Career Changer. Spent 4 years as a Teacher. Mid-twenties. 

Currently: Victory Lap graduate. In training for my new sales role.

What initially drew me into Victory Lap were these three things:

1. I was not able to get a job offer. (I had been interviewing for almost 5 months before enrolling). 

2. I was struggling to get interviews from quality companies. (I had been working with recruiters without much luck).

3. I wanted to confirm my interest in sales.

Here's how Victory Lap helped:

1. Less than 1 month of completing Victory Lap I was offered and accepted a sales position with a great company through Victory Lap's network. I can honestly say this opportunity only happened because I did Victory Lap. The experience and training from the course, Victory Lap's network (networking is so important), and the interview training and preparation made this possible.

2. The interview opportunities are as good as advertised on the website. I was excited about every single company that I interviewed with from the Victory Lap network. Victory Lap does a fantastic job of matching you with equally great companies. Additionally, the coaching and resources provided had me ready to nail the interview(s).

It's important to note that hiring/sales managers LOVE Victory Lap. Victory Lap has a trusted reputation that managers respect, sales managers brought that up in almost every interview I went on. For the interviewers that were unfamiliar (with VL), they were equally impressed by a candidate who takes initiative by enrolling in a Tech Sales training course. 

3. Not only did VL confirm my interest, but it also gives you up-to-date practical/relevant training to be ready on day 1. I'm currently in training and we are following the same format Victory Lap trained me in (talk about a confidence booster).

The coursework is presented in a fun way. Everything you learn transfers over to the real job. Steve is a sales wizard and a great teacher (Tom was also great). The live classes were engaging and flowing with sales information. An underrated component of VL is the peers you work with. My cohort rocked. It had a variety of people with different backgrounds/experiences/perspectives (which offered a lot to learn from). 

Everyone I interacted with from Victory Lap genuinely cares about you personally and professionally. Even after you finish the course Steve and Jon will still reach out to you, just to check in. They were generous with their time and I never felt like an inconvenience if I needed additional help.

Victory Lap is a pathway to success. Work hard and you will be rewarded. I would recommend Victory Lap to anyone who wants to get into Tech Sales.

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This sales Bootcamp opened my mind to sales from a different perspective. I thought I knew everything in sales. But when I joined this Bootcamp? I realized I was just at the beginning of my sales career. The sessions are informative and not boring. My coach is Tom Singell and he's like the Harvey Specter of sales. Read less