Hitting performance metrics will always play a pivotal role when it comes to internal promotions within a sales organization.
But that’s not the only factor that can lead to an upward trajectory.
For many tech companies, meeting sales targets is only the beginning of launching into leadership roles. We caught up with three sales leaders to learn more about how salespeople grow within their organizations.
Brett Andrew, AlertMedia’s chief revenue officer, filled us in on the rapid growth of their startup’s sales department. This growth has included the hiring of a VP of sales, a sales enablement leader, individual team leaders as well as opportunities for individuals within the team to head up special projects. When these opportunities pop up, there are a few things Andrew and his team look for.
Our CEO loves to roll up his sleeves ... showing our sellers firsthand what it takes to earn new business.”
What does your sales team look for when promoting internally?
AlertMedia values good people. While we care passionately about an individual achieving and exceeding set goals, we also want to reward them for following best practices, being a solid team player, bringing positivity to the workplace and setting the pace with a great work ethic.
How soon could a new sales rep be bumped into a new role?
When a company grows as fast as AlertMedia, opportunity avails itself often to strong performers who exceed their goals and exhibit our core values. We expect team members to first succeed in their current roles before any type of advancement, so it’s common to see our sellers take on a bigger role after their first full year of selling. Our team leads all had between one to two years of proven success before taking on more visible roles.
How does AlertMedia support internal growth in sales and beyond?
We use talent development software to help train the team on the nuances of our sales process. We offer certifications for what matters most to our sales funnel: prospecting, discovery, the conversational demo and pricing to close. We created a leadership role specifically designed to help our sellers improve on everything they do. This director-level leader sits side by side with sellers as they make calls, write emails and give demos, coaching people to reach their potential.
We also provide our sellers with ongoing exposure to our leadership team. Our VP of sales and I meet individually with each seller to strategize around key accounts and explore areas of improvement. Our VP of customer success supports key sales calls, teaching our sellers through example how to inspire buyers in our customer-first organization. Our VP of marketing shares communication best practices, lessons on positioning and tips to help our sellers become more efficient with their outreach and follow-up. And our CEO loves to roll up his sleeves, solve problems, and get on the phone with prospects, showing our sellers firsthand what it takes to earn new business.
Arlin Owsley, Shopgate’s VP of sales, said the company invests heavily in its staff. On the sales side, this takes the form of weekly training seminars hosted by Owsley himself, industry events, cross-functional team initiatives and product repositories.
We focus on organic growth with trusted ability to execute in a scalable manner.”
As Shopgate grows, what leadership opportunities become available in sales?
Shopgate has grown immensely in a very short amount of time, and the sales department has been a primary catalyst of this growth. With our updated platform, aggressive growth forecasts and targets in place, organic opportunity is a natural byproduct. We’ve either created or plan to create leadership roles across the department, including roles in sales development, mid-market sales, enterprise sales and sales operations.
What does your sales team look for when promoting internally?
Internal promotions are more than just pure focus on activity and performance metrics. Calling upon my experience, I have found that leading individual contributor attributes don't always translate to leadership. As such, I focus on every individual team member’s goals, aspirations and motivations to identify unique plans to recognize the aforementioned qualities. It's a solid blend of performance, communication, cross-functional collaboration, willingness to learn and serve, and personal accountability, to name a few.
How soon could a new sales rep be bumped into a new role?
Increased responsibility can happen quickly; however, role alignment isn't something that will happen overnight. We focus on organic growth with trusted ability to execute in a scalable manner. However, this doesn't disqualify relevant situational experience. If a member of our team has executed in other environments and meets the above criteria, it wouldn't be uncommon to find talent transitioning roles in six months.
