Rise to the Occasion: Partnering Through Challenging Times
As any sales professional can tell you, our industry is constantly in flux. There are good and better quarters, moments when new accounts are coming in hand over fist and others when we have to roll up our sleeves and get creative in order to make an impact. In the sales world, we are familiar with fluctuation and change. We know how to innovate in response to what’s happening and now is the time to put those adaptive skills to good use. While the coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the pace and pattern of daily life, as professional saleswomen we have the skills and expertise needed to navigate this challenging time. I want to share with you the story of another trailblazer, Tamara Scarlett, an Account Executive at Salesforce. Tamara was recognized by Salesforce sales leadership as Rookie of the Year. Tamara began her professional life as a recruiter, a position she credits with teaching her to understand how large organizations work and to pinpoint their needs. In her previous roles at AOL and Oracle Data Cloud, she learned the value of understanding and using data to drive growth, and made the transition from recruitment to sales. “I wanted to have a better understanding of data overall,” Tamara recalls. “I wanted to understand how consumers interact, how they respond, what excites them, how to motivate them and how to use this information to make strategic buying decisions for the brands.” With Tamara, data is the key to her success in sales — it transforms her work to show her clients evidence of how she can help them succeed. Smart data drives successful partnerships. Today, Tamara works at Salesforce, where she leverages her deep understanding of media as a unique area of expertise for the company. In her first year, she was named Salesforce Rookie of the Year, a major achievement in a company with so many different technologies to learn while working with customers. Tamara consistently networks and builds relationships both with peers and mentors who have supported her growth in sales, including Seanté Baker, the Regional VP of Commercial Sales at Salesforce, and a trailblazer in her own right. For Tamara, this mentorship relationship with another Black woman was key. “She really helped me sit down with the customer and take time with them to assess their needs, and create a really great relationship,” Tamara says. “I think that it’s really important to identify a couple of key mentors to help guide you through the inevitably challenging times in your career. As much as there are positive things inside of your sales career, you need someone who encourages you to be vulnerable.” Tamara also works with Seanté on the Executive Leadership Council, a handpicked group of women and men of color designed to further open channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives. The importance of mentorship in Tamara’s journey is clear, and it’s valuable for all women of color as they progress in their careers. In the Diversity Best Practices (DBP) 2017 Inclusion Index, 76% of companies offer formal mentoring opportunities, however, only 15% of employees who participated were women. With such an incredible start to her career at Salesforce, it’s clear the Tamara Scarlett is poised for success in sales and beyond. Connect with the team at Salesforce to learn more about sales positions and the Salesforce vision. Learning from Tamara’s Success What can you learn from Tamara’s story? No matter what’s going on in the world, there are important lessons you can apply to your own sales career right now: It’s All About Creating Partnerships! The best sales professionals know that this work is all about people. In challenging times like these, it’s important to reach out to each other with understanding and lead with compassion. With uncertainty on the horizon, the best way to weather this storm professionally is to be there for your customers, anticipating their needs and finding creative solutions to their current problems. 3 Tips to Partner With Clients Right Now 1. Hustle—With Empathy Yes, you’re going to have to hustle to keep going in this economy. Everyone is. But that doesn’t mean choosing opportunism over empathy. As you reach out to current and potential customers, be a problem-solver working in their best interests. Take the time to do your research, diving deep into their current problems so you can demonstrate your alignment with their needs. That extra effort will build your credibility in this crisis—and that won’t soon be forgotten. 2. Acknowledge Time and Place You can’t get anywhere with your clients without starting with their financial situation. Are they in the hard-hit travel industry, or are they in tech and possibly seeing growth? Whether you’re working to soften a blow or speed growth, use your insight into your clients’ current finances to position your value story and build trust. 3. Brush Up on Financial Fluency If you’re unsure of the economic impact of coronavirus on your client’s needs, you have homework to do! Study up on 10-K reports to see where you can provide solutions and drive strategic decision-making. You’ll also want to immerse yourself in your customer’s industry as it stands right now so you can speak their language when you reach out. Want to dive deeper on how financial insights can improve your sales outcomes? Sign up for our Financial Fluency Masterclass here! Your job won’t be easy in the coming months, but there is an opportunity to make a real difference for your clients during this time. Seize this moment to learn about their new needs and find timely solutions, and you’ll build partnerships that will last long after this crisis has passed. Here’s to selling Mastery, -Cherilynn Head of Education and Growth Cherilynn Castleman, Sales Trainer/Executive Coach, has been a sales executive for 20+ years. With a natural talent for teaching and a drive to sell, Cherilynn uses her skills to coach and train other sales professionals. Sistas in Sales, LLC (SIS) is a community for women of color sales professionals to network, advance their careers and most importantly, find sisterhood – offering events, thriving Slack community with companies hiring now,
Network of Trailblazing Women in Sales
When I think about trailblazers, I think about women of color who have forged new paths in fields that have previously been off-limits to them. Trailblazing women are among the first in their fields to try something new or take risks to pave the way for those coming behind them. This Women’s History Month, I want to share with you the story of a changemaker. I hope her story will inspire you to continue building your network and breaking new ground as a trailblazing woman in sales. A Salesforce trailblazer, Seanté began her career as a clinical researcher before discovering her passion for sales. After completing her undergraduate coursework with a pre-med focus, she started working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the UCSF Headache Center in San Francisco. When asked to tackle the clinic’s lack of research trials, Seanté’s interest in sales was piqued. The leadership team was impressed with Seanté’s ambition and innovative approach to the project. Although she hadn’t taken any business classes, Seanté led her career with a growth mindset and a fearless spirit. A Fearless and Agile Force A quick learner and self-taught, she leveraged internet research, networked with clinical trial scientists and doctors, and built a team that executed on her vision and business plan. When she started at the UCSF Headache Center, there were no clinical trials. By the time she left, they were running six industry-sponsored studies (pharma and med device companies) and five investigator initiated studies. She hired a team and pitched contract research organizations and pharmaceutical companies on her team’s ability to find and enroll qualified patients. Seanté’s efforts generated ~$700,000 in revenue with a 95% patient retention rate and 100% patient enrollment. Seanté was so engaged with her new project, she realized that studying for the MCATs was the last thing on her mind. The clinical trial project unveiled her passion for helping others, not through medicine, but through providing solutions. From the headache clinic, Seanté transitioned to pharmaceutical sales and then to medical device sales. Although this new career path allowed her to combine both of her passions, patient care and solutions, she struggled with an ethical decision. Building her sales pipeline meant finding people for the operating table, and this was a hard reality to face. Living in San Francisco, Seanté saw the Salesforce logo everywhere. She looked up at a Salesforce sign one day and said to herself, “I’m going to work there someday!” Four months later, Seanté joined Salesforce as a Small Business Account Executive. With her curious spirit and can-do attitude, she sought out numerous opportunities to blaze trails. Seanté recalls spending her first month at Salesforce in October 2014 sitting with a solutions engineer because she had no idea what an API was. Application Programming Interface (API) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. If you use an app to send an instant message, order a meal, or check the weather on your phone, you’re using an API. Despite having no technical background, no personal brand in NYC, and no established network on the east coast, she did not let this stop her career growth. How to Succeed in a Leadership role Here’s Seanté’s advice on how to succeed in a leadership role in a new market, for a new technology company: Seanté started with no technical background, but after two years as a Core Account Executive, she moved to the Heroku team in New York City. Now, this is no small feat. Heroku is one of the most technical products Salesforce has to offer. It’s a cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) for developers to integrate their applications in several programming languages. After five and one half years of demonstrating leadership and bringing innovative solutions to the table, she is now the Sales Regional Vice President for Commercial Sales, Manufacturing. “I am proud of what I have accomplished”, Seanté shares. “I’ve worked and continue to work hard. I’ve always been ambitious and will always have goals. But that being said, I also had some guilt that came with the ‘success’. I was given adequate access and resources throughout my life that many women of color are not provided. I was well prepared for life in the corporate world. That’s why I am so passionate about helping the generations behind me – I feel that it’s my duty to give back and to show other women of color that it is possible to not only reach these positions but also to excel in them.” Seanté’s final piece of advice for starting a new role is, “Don’t overthink it…People are people – we have feelings, wants, and needs, and we all bring something of value to the table. If you come to work with empathy and you can see the perspective of others, you will be successful. If you can step outside of your comfort zone you will go far in life. That’s what gets deals done, that’s what makes the big sales happen.” To learn more about Seanté’s impactful work and what it takes to become a trailblazing saleswoman at Salesforce click here. In the spirit of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, here are five ideas to keep us successfully blazing trails: Five Ideas to Keep us Successfully Blazing Trails You have what it takes to be a trailblazer, to succeed as a professional saleswoman in your company both on your team and as an individual. Words to remember: build a community and network to ensure that you’re not the last. Lift as you rise. You have the power to create lasting change. Here’s to selling Mastery, Cherilynn Head of Education and Growth Cherilynn Castleman, Sales Trainer/Executive Coach, has been a sales executive for 20+ years, a natural talent for teaching and a drive to sell, Cherilynn uses her skills to coach and train other sales professionals. Sistas in Sales, LLC (SIS) is a community for women of color sales professionals to network, advance their careers and most importantly, find sisterhood – offering events, thriving Slack community with