Selling at Box isn’t quite the same as working on the sales team at a lot of other companies. While there’s plenty of time spent working the phones, people on Box’s sales team spend as much of their time learning about how they can improve their client’s business as they do actually selling the product — for them, the two go hand in hand. We stopped by to get to know some people on the team to see what it was like first hand.
EMPLOYEES: 2,000 globally, 130 in NYC
FOUNDED: 2005
WHAT THEY DO: Box is a cloud content management company that empowers enterprises to revolutionize how they work by securely connecting their people, information and applications.
WHERE THEY DO IT: Flatiron District
PERKS: Unlimited PTO, uncapped commissions and an employee stock purchase plan.
IMPRESSIVE ROLODEX: Box works with big clients like Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and General Electric.
STARTED IN THE VALLEY, NOW WE’RE HERE: With over 130 people in their NYC office, the Box team is expanding rapidly, filling out their new offices in the Flatiron District.
Jessenia Pacheco, SMB Sales Account Executive
Jessenia spends her days finding new businesses to work with while helping existing clients maximize their investments.
BEYOND WORK: Outside of the office, you’ll likely find Jessenia on the squash court. Feel free to challenge her to a game, but be prepared for a tough match — she’s been playing since she was 11.
You work with SMBs — what’s the sale like for companies of that size?
What tends to be the ‘aha!’ moment for most companies is when they experience our workflow automation, AI and machine learning, and intelligent security capabilities — services that other cloud platforms can’t provide. I like to share how pharma companies use Box to power their research and testing processes and how insurance companies build custom mobile apps with Box to engage their customers. After that, it’s pretty easy for most SMBs to grasp the capacity of our platform. Because SMBs require a solution that can grow strategically with their business over time, they choose Box.
We’re known for putting our customers first. When it comes to collecting product feedback from customers, a three-person startup use-case is viewed as just as valuable as those of an industry-leading enterprise customer.”
Does Box have features that were designed specifically for SMBs?
We’re known for putting our customers first. When it comes to collecting product feedback from customers, a three-person startup use-case is viewed as just as valuable as those of an industry-leading enterprise customer. For SMBs, being able to access files remotely and trigger automated processes, all while using their preferred productivity tools, is key. We give them the platform to make it all possible.
Do you work with potential new partners? What advantages does Box offer during the prospecting process?
My time is spent growing existing customers whose businesses span across all industries, as well as securing new business opportunities. When working with prospective new partners, executive teams almost always have a basic understanding of our services and recognize our brand, which helps. Our sales enablement team has also made significant investments in sales prospecting and pipeline building tools for us so that we spend less time on tasks and more time with our customers.
Paolina Harris, Mid-Market Account Executive
Paulina looks for companies that were not early adopters of the cloud and educates them about how they can change their industry.
BEYOND WORK: When she’s not at work, you’ll find Paolina traveling, writing or attending storytelling events somewhere in the city.
What gets you excited to come to work every day?
There is so much more going on at Box than changing the way people work in the digital age. We are changing the way people work from a cultural standpoint as well, fearlessly challenging the norms that were set at old tech companies. Box is a very inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can succeed. That’s what inspires me to come to work every day — I feel truly valued as an individual for my strengths and supported through my weaknesses. Because Box empowers me, I am able to bring my authentic self to the office and grow into the person I want to be, professionally and personally.
There is so much more going on at Box than changing the way people work in the digital age.”
It seems like everyone has heard of Box, but a lot of people seem to think of it simply as a cloud-storage provider — what else do you offer? How do these offerings fit in with the sales process?
I tell clients that taking the plunge with Box is necessary to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced business environment. These days, companies are awash with content and it’s everywhere. Content sits in email attachments, on your work server, in a Dropbox account, in Salesforce — it’s everywhere. And that’s what Box does that no other product can: unite all of your content into a single source of truth where everything can reside, even your most sensitive documents. By having one standard for your content, users can get their jobs done quicker and more efficiently and organizations can remain secure and compliant by having total visibility and control of all of the company’s content with a single, simple, bird’s-eye view.
What is the biggest challenge that companies look to Box to solve?
It’s all about security. The biggest challenge that organizations face with content right now is with fragmentation and dispersion. That’s annoying for the end user, and it slows down the time to market, but from a security and compliance perspective, companies can really get into some trouble here. This is one major area where Box can provide a painless solution quickly.
How does the team support you when you’re close to a big deal?
It’s all hands on deck at Box and, in my opinion, one of the most fun parts about selling here. I have people selling with me on the front lines, as well as people helping to get things moving for me internally. The executive support we have is unparalleled. Even our CEO, Aaron, has agreed to talk to a 350-employee company for me in between his meetings with Fortune 500 companies. I love that big egos are not standing in the way of business here. It’s a team environment through and through. The support at Box is fantastic.
Leighton Spencer, SMB Sales Account Executive
Like Jessenia (profiled above), Leighton spends his days finding new businesses to work with while helping existing clients maximize their investments.
BEYOND WORK: Leighton is a runner and cyclist, and when he’s not working out, he also volunteers in his community.
What’s the office environment like on the Box sales team?
As you can see, nobody is in cubicles and it’s a pretty social environment. That said, when we need to draft an email, create a quote or dig into an account, you’ll start to see the headphones pop out. We definitely have a lot of fun in the office, and I enjoy coming in every day. I really appreciate that I work for a company that allows me to be my true self at work — it’s something that a lot of companies say they offer, but it’s rare to actually see it lived. Box allows us to pursue our passions and even provides the structure and, at times, the funding to share those passions with others.
I really appreciate that I work for a company that allows me to be my true self at work — it’s something that a lot of companies say they offer, but it’s rare to actually see it lived.”
Do you hang out as a team outside of the office at all?
We hang out as a sales team and as an office in general. It’s not like people on the sales team will only hang out with other people on the sales team — we all interact with everyone in the office. We have some great people here at Box, and we often go out together for some food or for a couple of drinks at one of the bars we have right around the corner from the office.
How easy is it to move around to new positions?
Moving into a new role is absolutely possible. When I started, I was working with government clients, but now I sell into the commercial space. Those sorts of moves are encouraged here.
