Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

 Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day job.

Tell us about yourself and your job.

I'm a Bay Area kid (born and raised in San Jose) working in tech sales. My current role is an Inside Enterprise Account Executive which means that I work as part of a larger account team to sell our software into large enterprise companies.

Outside of work I try to maintain a healthy balance of relaxation and self-improvement.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

After spending 2 years in Professional Services for an ETL company I realized that I really enjoyed learning and talking about big data space but I didn't have the technical prowess to stand out in Professional Services. By moving into Sales for a big data company I was able to continue learning about the space and interacting with customers without needing to know all the finer details regarding implementation.

Shifting to Sales has allowed me to focus on understanding what challenges my customers are trying to solve as opposed to just being defined by a statement of work.

What does a typical morning look like on the job?

Answering emails, coordinating with internal teams, and meeting with customers.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

Same as the morning.

What types of projects and meetings are you involved in?

My work is focused on generating pipeline (potential customers), closing that pipeline (new customers), and ensuring my current customers renew their subscriptions.

The type of meetings varies depending on what stage in the sales cycle the customer is in. This can include technical demos/whiteboard sessions for potential customers, negotiating contracts and agreements with Procurement Agents for new customers, or RCA meetings for current customers.

Who do you collaborate with in meetings and projects? Cross-functional teams? What's it like?

1. Customers

2. Procurement Agents

3. Lawyers

4. OrderOps/Deal Desk

5. SDRs

6. Sales Directors

7. Internal Finance teams

 Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

The hardest part is the silence. A lot of my job success relies on talking with potential customers to get them to sign for an initial subscription or working with my current customers to expand their current subscriptions.

Any kind of response is valuable even if it's a no because it's better to know where you stand than just sending emails/calls into the ether.

What are some characteristics that can help someone succeed in your role?

High EQ and a competitive streak.

Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those just starting off?

If you're applying for entry-level sales roles like Business Development or Sales Development I would focus on highlighting any past customer service experience and make sure you come across as someone they'd want to hang out with outside of work.

What's something that surprised you about your job?

That deal isn't done until everything is signed and verified.

Verbal commitments or a yes we'd like to move forward email does not mean the deal is going to close.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to do what you do?

The stress of carrying a quota is not for everyone. If you're able to view it as a goal to work towards as opposed to a milestone you have to make then the stress becomes more manageable.

 Drinks

Chat more over coffee or tea?