In sales, success is not solely driven by product — although an industry-leading solution definitely helps. Rather, success is often determined by the support of people within an organization who help make each person (and each sale) better.
We caught up with leadership from the sales teams of fast-growing ThousandEyes and Procore to learn what it's like to join their teams.
The ThousandEyes sales team consists of representatives split between commercial and enterprise divisions. With a total of nine individuals today, the company plans to expand its Austin team to 14 reps in the foreseeable future. Based out of San Francisco, ThousandEyes provides network monitoring software. Phil Lautman, the sales manager for the local team, filled us in what it’s like it to work alongside him and his teammates.
We are extremely entrepreneurial and reward those willing to take risks and who embrace lateral leadership.”
You’ve worked on numerous sales teams before ThousandEyes. What's different about this one?
We are writing the playbook every day. We are extremely entrepreneurial and reward those willing to take risks and who embrace lateral leadership. Reps here have the chance to truly be the CEO of their small business.
What’s the most helpful thing you’ve learned from a teammate?
Often times we have to teach our customers that the symptoms they are experiencing are indicative of a larger problem. Our customers need us not only to educate them about our solution but about their own businesses.
What will you be looking for as you continue to grow the team?
We look for coachability, a high level of technical aptitude, the ability to proactively hunt for new opportunities and the ability to build enterprise value. We can take five-figure deals… or we can push for the six or seven-figure ones.
Procore’s sales team is quickly growing worldwide. The company develops management solutions that connect people, applications and devices from inception through completion of construction projects. Jonathan Donaruma, a Procore sales development manager, said the team sells from a consultative approach, offering a formal evaluation after initial conversations to determine if a partnership would be beneficial.
To be a part of a team that not only has incredible drive but the ability to transform an industry is indescribable.”
What's different about Procore’s sales team?
The culture. I’ve been fortunate to work with some great companies in the past, but to be a part of a team that not only has incredible drive but the ability to transform an industry is indescribable. Furthermore, the incredible focus and steadfast dedication to the mastery of our roles, our industry and our product is something that I’ve never experienced prior to working at Procore.
Procore understands and embraces the ideology that lifelong learning and development are required to achieve mastery and to that extent, we heavily invest in the development of our sales team members.
What is the most helpful thing you’ve learned from a teammate?
When I started at Procore, I had a meeting with our EVP of sales that set the precedent of what working here was like. The focus of the meeting wasn’t centered around numbers or forecast, rather it was on my career choice, company choice and accumulating wealth. The ideas put forth were those of Andy Rachleff, the CEO of Wealthfront. The message was simple, but it will forever stick with me.
What qualities do you look for when bringing on new team members?
I look for humility and grit. We want team members who have a team-first mentality but are also willing to go above and beyond to excel in their individual roles. It's commonly said that finding a sale is the most difficult part of a sales cycle and that couldn't be more accurate. Successful sales development reps don’t mind picking up the phone up to 100 times a day. They don’t dwell on rejection but instead use it to drive them. On top of that, they are individuals who understand the value of partnering with their colleagues outside of the sales org in order to help drive company goals and initiatives.
