Tech Sales is for Hustlers

Jake Akin learned quickly that accepting feedback and adapting your strategy early on in your career can have benefits, not only on your teammates, but the prospects you call.  

In less than 4-years of being a memoryBlue alum, Jake is now the Regional Vice President at Randstad RiseSmart. Jake started his role eager and ready to make things happen. With feedback, he soon realized that level of intensity could be a real turn-off. Adaptability and social intelligence are now defining elements of his leadership and coaching style. His advice? Take in an array of feedback, apply what makes sense for you, and develop your authentic voice.  

In this episode of Tech Sales is for
Hustlers, Jake discusses career development coaching, the misconceptions
surrounding the SDR position, and the importance of taking a dynamic approach
with prospects. 

If you think that you're not cut out for sales — think again. Sales is more than being persuasive; It’s about building relationships, cultivating a network, and understanding your target audience. 

In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Director of the Professional Selling Program at Appalachian State University Bonnie Guy encourages you to let go of the fear of failure so they can open themselves up to learning and improving. By opening yourself up to new challenges, you may embark on a career you never thought possible. 

Where you start doesn’t need to dictate where you go. Watching his parents work multiple jobs to provide for their six children taught Omar that hard work and resilience can carry you far.  ⠀
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Now the Corporate Account Executive at CrowdStrike, Omar, the first of his family born in the United States, got his first job while still in high school, showing his hustle mentality early. Years later, he met former memoryBlue AE Taylor Pierce, who recognized Omar’s determination and drive while working at the same moving company and referred Omar to memoryBlue.⠀
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In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Omar shares what it takes to control your own narrative, why limitations are a fallacy, and firsthand advice on how to tackle adversity and uncover opportunity. 

Watching your parents sleep in a car and make unbelievable sacrifices to build a successful donut shop business leaves a powerful imprint on your professional DNA. Brandon Gip didn’t have to look far to find ideal role models for his future.

Now a successful Account Executive at Canary Technologies, Brandon brings a work ethic and a hate-to-lose mentality to everything he does in professional sales. Whether you're selling donuts or closing deals in the tech space, you're dealing with people. Brandon’s focus on active listening and prioritizing the human element of sales creates the edge he needs to accomplish his goals.

In the latest episode of the Tech Sales is for Hustlers – Silicon Valley Series, Brandon digs into the best way to tackle larger goals, compares and contrasts the SDR and AE roles, and highlights why patience can pay off when considering your next sales career move.

After graduating college, you may be stuck thinking “what’s next?” especially if you are not pursuing something specific to your major. What’s on your diploma doesn’t always dictate your career, but your commitment to learning new skills does. 

In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Director of the Professional Sales Program at the University of Washington Barry Erickson shares what it takes to be successful in sales beyond your degree, the career benefits of flexibility and getting comfortable with change, and factors to consider when picking a company to work for. 

After a game-changing injury that ended a promising career in the NFL, Will Ossai needed a new outlet for his competitive drive and relentless grit. Enter: professional sales. 

From NFL rookie to memoryBlue SDR, and now an Associate Sales Manager at Radware, Will Ossai is the first to tell you how quickly plans change. Shortly into his rookie year with the Colts, Will received a diagnosis that ended his NFL career before it could even begin. Some would allow that to bench them indefinitely, but Will took this as an opportunity to use his network to find a company that aligned with his drive and put his grit to good use. 

In this latest episode of the Tech Sales is for Hustlers – Silicon Valley Series, Will shows us that there are many ways to achieve the life you want, how being coachable opens unexpected doors, and why there is something to learn from everyone if you are listening.

A winning team is built from the top down. And Joe Reeves is precisely the type of leader needed to create a championship squad. 

Managing Director of memoryBlue’s Silicon Valley office, Joe has turned his six years with the company into something special. He quickly progressed from SDR to DM, and, ultimately, now steers the ship as the leader of a rapidly growing office. From coaching sports to stage direction to his management experience, he’s observed and absorbed the best of a variety of leadership styles. And that knowledge has helped him lead the Silicon Valley office to over 200% SDR growth and an internal management team that has tripled in size since he took the helm. 

In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Joe discusses the way he had to master patience to improve as a manager, the effective methods he deploys to get the most out of a high-performing team, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to create a great office culture in the midst of a global pandemic.  

Omari Morgan has mastered getting outside of his comfort zone – and his commitment to playing the long game with his career is paying off in a big way. 

From his start in sales at memoryBlue seven years ago to his position now as a highly successful Channel Account Manager at SecurityScorecard, Omari has cultivated a powerful network from coast-to-coast. Incredibly self-aware and immeasurably well-versed in his professional craft, he offers up a wealth of knowledge here based on his personal career journey.

In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Omari joins us in our Silicon Valley office to outline the importance of increasing diversity in tech sales, highlight the differences between channel and direct sales, and share why company culture is a vital consideration when planning your next career move.

Can introverts succeed in sales? Caroline Sullivan’s career is undeniable proof that the answer is an emphatic yes. 

The 2021 memoryBlue Phenom Alumni Award winner collects accolades and honors in her role as an Inside Account Executive at Rubrik because she understands an important sales secret: demonstrate that you genuinely care about people, prospects, and colleagues, and the achievements will follow. That secret, along with her competitive nature, helped her hit two different quotas on the way to winning two major sales awards in one quarter at Rubrik.  

In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Caroline discusses the unique elements of her daily routine that unlock big results, highlights the difference between selling a product vs. selling a service, and demonstrates what the ascension to a closing role really looks like.  

If you’re going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk. Christina Ierullo lives that mantra with an unapologetic style dedicated to elevating her team.

Being the Director of Sales Development at Apty never stops Christina from getting her hands dirty and jumping into the sales trenches alongside her team. There’s no better way to earn respect than leading by example. From her running start at memoryBlue, where she booked three meetings in her first day, to her commitment to building a productive and diverse team, Christina is an undeniable force. 

In the final episode of the Tech Sales is for Hustlers Austin Series, Christina reveals the inner motivations fueling her journey into sales, the steps she takes to build credibility as a leader, and why she’s passionate about creating a diverse team.