The most in-demand jobs right now in Austin tech are engineering roles and — you guessed it — sales. Although intimidating for many entry-level folks, sales jobs in the tech industry can have some major payoffs, like all-inclusive trips, cash bonuses and more. We caught up with two local account executives to talk strategy, tips and best practices.
Interested in a career in sales? Take notes.
Having transitioned to a career in sales four years ago, Maggie Britt had previously worked in the service and hospitality industry for 13 years. To HotSchedules, a tech company with a restaurant management platform, Britt’s background was a perfect fit.
What has and hasn't worked for you during cold calls?
What doesn't work with cold calls is not doing them. Cold calls suck — embrace the suck because it gets you sales. What works for me during a cold call is not taking rejection personally and understanding that every no I get is one step closer to a yes. If someone is not open to sharing information about their current operations, I take what I can get, so I can consolidate that information into a more tactful approach. My goal for every call is to find the path to the decision maker.
How do you prepare for a demo?
Before I do a demo, I have a discovery call with my prospect in order to uncover their pain points. Without pain, there is no sale. Find out what their pain is to customize the demo to provide their desired solution. Understand where they are now and where they'd like to be. Additionally, I think it is important to do research to build an even firmer rapport with my customer. I respect my client's time, therefore it benefits me to know as much about their business as possible.
What are some of the most important things to remember during the sales process?
The most important thing to remember is to listen. Listening means you are NOT talking. Ask the best questions. People love to talk about themselves, and I take advantage of that learning opportunity. If we are not in line with the customer's timeline, I accept that and create a reminder to touch base.
What's the best advice you've ever received regarding sales?
The first piece of advice I ever received regarding sales was to get into a professional sales role. The second was the importance of prospecting to get sales. You are never too busy to prospect. But by far, the most important advice has been to have FUN with it. Once you accomplish this, you'll never work another day in your life.
Drew Betzer, an account executive for RunTitle, has been in sales for six years. RunTitle hosts a database of mineral and oil ownership in the U.S. and creates technology that analyzes this data.
The best piece of sales advice he ever received? Pipeline cures all.
What has and hasn't worked for you during cold calls?
For me, it is about being yourself and knowing your own style. I have struggled in the past trying to take on approaches that do not fit with my personality, like being assertive or pushy. There is nothing wrong with those styles and I have seen other reps be very successful with taking confrontation head on, but I found that does not work for me. I like to go into every call with a focus on treating each potential client in a way I would like to be approached — being personal, honest and uncovering ways our potential partnership could be mutually beneficial.
How do you prepare for a demo?
Generally, I try to steer away from demos as much as possible. I have found that the more genuine conversations I can have instead of a forced demo usually leads to better results. That being said, if I do have a big demo or meeting coming up, I try to collaborate and work with as many people across the company as possible.
Earlier in my career, I struggled in preparing for meetings as I would attempt to do all the work myself. A great piece of advice I received was to never fail alone. Everyone at the company has the same goal in mind and it never hurts to ask. That is the great thing about RunTitle: If I need additional help preparing, brainstorming or creating content, everyone across the entire company is ready and willing to help, including the founders.
What are some of the most important things to remember during the sales process?
Continually focus on moving deals forward and go into every meeting/call with a desired outcome in mind and next steps defined. To some extent, sales is about being selfish with your time and if you are not continually progressing forward, you will be stuck turning your wheels and wasting time on interactions that will get you nowhere.
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