Sales is often considered an art, but when you’re selling tech, it’s also a science. For salespeople new to the tech world, it can be intimidating to branch into unchartered territory — unless, of course, they’re part of teams that work with them to provide the support and encouragement they need.
The following companies have a few key strategies to make their sales teams perform at their best — think: clear expectations and a friendly attitude.
Nicholas Holder was one of the first account executives to build a brand new vertical market at Dataminr, a company that uses AI to provide real-time insight into breaking news. He talked to us about what it’s like to be on his team, and how trust leads to peak sales performance.
Describe a normal day on the job. What are your tasks and responsibilities?
My main responsibility is to generate revenue for our PR and communications vertical. I target relevant professionals to engage in strategic conversations about the challenges they face when it comes to staying ahead of critical events and breaking information that can affect their brand. Every day, I focus on coming up with creative ways to cut through the noise and make my outreach as impactful as possible. I also love having the opportunity to talk with communications professionals about their information needs and challenges, understanding how real-time information fits into their workflow.
What does it mean to be on the sales team at your company?
I joined Dataminr as one of the first account executives to build a brand new vertical market. Being able to bring a new product into the market has been a challenging but incredible experience. Hundreds of millions of people turn to social media to share firsthand accounts that have the ability to affect the reputations and market values of global companies. Arming my clients with this real-time content is powerful, and it’s incredibly rewarding to feel like I’m making a real impact.
How has your experience on this sales team been different from your experience at other companies?
We are selling into a new market and the team at Dataminr trusts me, giving me the autonomy to try new ideas and solidify our impact as a key player in the information discovery space. It’s so refreshing to be in an environment where members of the sales team work together and push one another to be the best we can be. The best salespeople never stop growing, and that couldn’t ring truer than here at Dataminr.
Account Executive Samantha Tugentman’s experience at marketing tech company Yotpo has been unique, as it’s her first time selling SaaS. Fortunately, the team’s supportive attitude helped make her feel like a natural. She went over what it’s like to be on the team.
Describe a normal day on the job. What are your tasks and responsibilities?
What I love about working at Yotpo is that every day is different. Some days, I’m running demos for prospective clients. Other days, I’m focusing on leads that have come inbound, and then there are days I’m touching my opportunities that could potentially close. Sometimes it’s all three. I’m also involved with some of the “extra” stuff at Yotpo, like assisting with the interview process, bringing CEOs in to speak to the company, or helping to plan team events. Fridays are obviously the best days, because that’s when I bring my dog, Farfel, to the office.
What does it mean to be on the sales team at your company?
It’s pretty freakin’ awesome to know that your team is basically the lifeline of the company. It’s really exciting to see the deals rolling in throughout the month. Knowing that you’re contributing to the overall revenue at your company is extremely rewarding.
How has your experience on this sales team been different from your experience at other companies?
As far as the job goes, this is the first time I’m selling SaaS, so that was a huge challenge for me at first. Luckily, this sales team is one of the most supportive I’ve ever been a part of, and because of that, we are not only great friends, but we also help each other constantly. I feel really lucky to be a part of such a kickass team and company.
Account Executive Austin Birky has been with SaaS platform BetterCloud for six months. When comparing the team with his previous sales team experience, he noted that it’s the company’s dedication to transparency and culture that keeps the group performing at their best. He explained what it’s like to be on the team.
Describe a normal day on the job. What are your tasks and responsibilities?
I’m responsible for a portion of BetterCloud’s revenue each year. Over everything else, my day-to-day revolves around ensuring I hit that number. Depending on where I’m at for the month and quarter, I could be prospecting new accounts, working with my SDRs on targets, running discovery calls, demonstrating product functionality, or negotiating new partnerships.
What does it mean to be on the sales team at your company?
BetterCloud solves problems native to high-growth, cloud-forward companies. To be a part of this sales team represents a unique opportunity to educate a customer who is agile, smart and has seen every piece of software under the sun. I like the challenge of finding the best ways to cut through the noise. At a higher level, I think the market opportunity for BetterCloud is going to continue to grow as cloud adoption increases and applications per company multiplies.
How has your experience on this sales team been different from your experience at other companies?
I’ve worked at two other SaaS companies in NYC. You can tell BetterCloud has invested in building culture and retaining talent. As a salesperson, that’s encouraging to see, given the current state of the job market and accepted level of turnover in the tech industry today. Also, leadership is clear on targets and expectations for the sales organization — and I’m betting that the right combination of culture and transparency can enable BetterCloud to exceed their lofty goals.
