Tech Sales is for Hustlers

Whether we want to admit it or not, sales is in every part of our lives. The way we make agreements or negotiate is the same way salespeople close deals. Even when we apply for a job, and we are asked to come for an interview, we present our skills and experience in a way so as to sell them to the "buyer" (potential employer). But what is it like to be a professional salesperson?

Brian Collins, Professor and Director of the Sales Center at Virginia Tech, says people have misconceptions about what a salesperson is. Many think salespeople only want to earn a buck regardless of their clients' well-being. As Brian will tell you, that's simply not the reality. Professionally educated salespeople are focused on delivering the best solutions for their clients. They build relationships and seek long-term collaborations. 

In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers: Campus Series, Brian Collins and hosts Kristen Wisdorf and Libby Galatis discuss the crucial lessons students must learn before entering the sales world. You'll hear Brian explain why it is natural to make mistakes in your first job, and why you should let yourself fail. Embrace a mindset of professional growth and these critical lessons will lead to long-term success. 

Picking a career is not an easy task, especially when you’re a young student fresh out of college. Luckily for students at the Catholic University of America, they have Mark Weber to guide them towards success. 

Mark spent more than 30 years in high-tech sales leading sales teams and hiring sales representatives. Now he’s a different kind of leader, helping college kids get into the business and, even more importantly, thrive in the industry. With his ongoing support and professional input, it’s safe to say that he guides the next generation of sales superstars. Despite being a salesman at heart, he focuses on teaching his students what B2B selling is really about, rather than trying to get them into sales. It’s then up to them to make the final career decision.

In the first episode of the Tech Sales Is For Hustlers, Campus Series podcast, Mark shares his tips to becoming a successful salesperson and the steps students should take upon graduating from college to ensure they’re on the right track.

Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a potential $500K+ deal for nearly a full year, only to lose and find out the winning company had it in the bag the whole time due to a personal connection.

As Trey Surber will tell you, some sales lessons are powerfully painful. But through those lessons, Trey, now a successful Account Executive at Tableau, forged a winning sales philosophy built on repeatedly earning client trust.

Inspired by his father’s successful sales career, Trey launched his own professional path selling bikes, ceiling tiles, and, eventually, learning about high-tech sales at memoryBlue. His range of experiences include selling products as well as services, and selling into commercial and federal spaces. Through it all, he has emerged as a polished, highly accomplished sales professional.

In the latest episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, learn why building trust is paramount to Trey, how sales was always in his blood, and why he believes bringing energy to your daily routine will set you apart from the pack.

While you’re reading this, James Adeyanju has his head down, outworking you. That’s an instinct you learn quickly as a major D1 college athlete – always stay one step ahead of the competition.

After playing on a scholarship at Big Ten football powerhouse Wisconsin and graduating, James left football behind and threw himself into the world of professional sales. With zero experience but 100% enthusiasm, he moved from the Midwest to Silicon Valley and launched his career at memoryBlue. James, now an Account Executive at Zoom, honed his skills and put maximum effort into always going the extra mile. His willingness to be coached, study his own sales game, and outwork the competition quickly created a range of career advancement opportunities.

On this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, learn how James applies his college football experience successfully to sales, why he embraces the significance of failure, and how he maintains a mindset oriented around learning and growth.

Micah Asohan's professional journey starts with his relocation from Michigan to DC, and later to Texas, and back to Michigan. Micah likes adventures and challenges. He believes in hard work, loyalty, and taking the initiative. Professional choices allow him to combine his two passions- sales and traveling. 

Micah was born and raised in Big Rapids, Michigan. After graduating from high school, Asohan decided to take a year off, travel, and find his passion. After a one-year journey, Micah knew he wanted to do something in business. He went to Ferris State University and focused on marketing.  Advertising and marketing were not for him, and thanks to one professor, Micah discovered sales and was determined to build a career in this field. 

On this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Micah Asohan shares stories about his professional growth. The guest talks about the time he spent with memoryBlue and his current position at Fortinet. Above all, he encourages those struggling with both school and career challenges and says: ''Don't give up!''.

Patrick Stillmun approaches each project with an open mind. He also believes learning from successful people leads to desired results. And above all else, he understands that no goal is too lofty if you are disciplined and ready to embrace a good challenge (even if it means taking it personally and fighting for yourself).

After graduating from Catholic University, Patrick landed his first job at memoryBlue as a Sales Development Representative. As a former college athlete, the things he learned on the football field absolutely helped him progress rapidly in sales.

In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Patrick talks about his early days at memoryBlue and how that road led him to his current position in Sonatype. Along the way, he recaps his college days in the DC area and explains why discipline and competitiveness are crucial for sales success.

Matt Genoa always wanted to be in sales, even before he entered college. That’s what made his eventual career path so unexpected.

Hired into memoryBlue as an SDR, he had the chance to get heavily acquainted with the world of CRM software and it quickly piqued his interest. That early exposure to sales operations, combined with a corporate reshuffle later in his sales career that led to a job loss, helped Matt crystalize his professional aspirations. He reinvented himself, playing the long game and focusing on his love of Salesforce, and he ultimately made his own future. Today Matt is a successful Regional Success Architect Director at Salesforce.

In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Matt reveals how he followed his passion to become a sales ops consultant, the twists in his path that led him to Salesforce, and the work he put in to ascend into his current role. Careers don’t always move in straight lines, and Matt is living proof that that’s a very good thing.

Heather Bodenhamer didn't plan on entering tech sales, or the tech market, in general. She had her sights set on working in sports, but after coaching a professional women's soccer team in Switzerland, and realizing that she would never make enough money as either a women's coach or working for a physical therapy clinic, she went into bartending. That's when a friend of hers told her about memoryBlue.

It took Heather some convincing to take the job, given she had been a shy person, but after doing cold calls, she became more confident. Her work path eventually led her to larger, Federal companies that gave her further insight into her current job path. In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Heather shares her thoughts on discipline, she recounts the transition from SDR to AE, and recounts how sales helped her come out of her shell. 

Huy Nguyen moved to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was seven years old. He had never been on an airplane, didn’t speak English and had never lived in a house (or anything other than a hut made of leaves). 

His path to tech sales was atypical. When he graduated with a marketing degree from the University of South Florida in 2018, he took a job as a graphic designer at a financial firm. He wasn’t a fan of the work, however, so he bought a one-way ticket to London to perform improv and make websites on the side.

Unsurprisingly, his couch-surfing lifestyle wasn’t sustainable, so he moved back to the U.S. where he discovered high-tech sales and memoryBlue in Austin, Texas. 

But Huy’s early days as a Business Development Representative were just as rocky.

“I didn’t have any money back then,” Huy says. “I had maybe $200 or something in my name. I had probably $3,000 in debt. And I ended up living at different Airbnbs for like $30 a night. My girlfriend came to visit me at the time, as well, and we were just sleeping in my car.”

On this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Huy, now a successful Enterprise Business Development Professional at Couchbase and a Finalist for the 2020 memoryBlue Phenom Award, discusses how he improved at selling despite nearly quitting several times. He found success by asking his coworkers for advice, taking the time to get to know the people he was calling and finding a routine that worked for him.

Katie Lowry is competitive by nature. Her drive to compete led her to participate in 12 seasons of six different sports (with nine of them at the varsity level) while in school and eventually to a career in professional sales. 

After graduating from James Madison University with bachelor’s degree in digital communication and Media/Multimedia, Katie landed her first job at memoryBlue as a Sales Development Representative. She thrived thanks to her drive to get to know prospects and their challenges. In fact, because of her ability to book many high quality meetings, she became a legend at memoryBlue, even earning the nickname “Katie the Killer.”

On this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Katie shares how LinkedIn in particular has helped her connect with prospects and why you shouldn’t act like the stereotypical “dumb salesperson.” According to Katie, knowledge is power and will help you succeed in tech sales.