Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Devan Cohen interviews Neda Huda, a seasoned sales professional with expertise in data management and strategic leadership. Neda shares insights into his career journey, emphasizing the importance of understanding the "why" behind customer decisions and the evolving role of buyers in today's market. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from individual contributor to a leadership role and highlights the significance of collaboration and aligning with other teams within an organization. Neda also touches on current trends in buyer journeys, emphasizing the need for sellers to deliver value and understand customers' business goals.

About the Guest

Neda started his sales career right after university, boots on the ground knocking on doors, managing accounts to ultimately selling to enterprise organizations. Throughout his journey, he was truly focused on understanding buyer paths, as well as how to navigate large portfolios to bring the most value to customers.  When he’s done making deals at work, he is at home making deals with his daughters.
Connect with Neda Huda

Key Takeaways

- Transitioning into a leadership role involves a deep understanding of the "why" at various levels—territories, industries, and departments. 

- Effective leadership entails threading this understanding into conversations and gaining buy-in for strategic initiatives.

- Collaboration across teams requires sharing a compelling vision and fostering trust. Building relationships by investing time and supporting colleagues' efforts before asking for cooperation is essential for achieving common goals.

- Modern customer journeys involve extensive pre-engagement research. 

- Sales professionals must speak the customer's language and emphasize the business value of their offerings to effectively navigate this landscape.

- With professionals changing jobs more frequently, knowledge sharing and movement significantly influence technology choices. 

- Leadership involves understanding the "why" on a larger scale.

- Fostering collaboration across teams requires sharing the vision and building trust.

- Buyers are more informed and conduct extensive research before engaging with sales professionals.

- Successful sales now depend on speaking the customer's language and delivering business value.

Quote

“You don't just ask, you don't just take, you give before you ask... creating that trust and creating that collaborative approach, I find is the key to make sure that a large organization gets involved and advises your success.” – Neda Huda

Recommended Resources

Newsletter:

Shout-outs

Trent Dressel – Tech Sales Instructor at CourseCareers 

Brian G. Burns – Host of The Brutal Truth about Sales Podcast

Vin Mantano – Senior Account Executive at Demandbase

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