In this Q&A, we chat with Tomas, an Account Executive on the Sales team. We delve into his experience transitioning from a Business Development Rep to an AE, what he likes most about working in sales, and what really makes a good salesperson.
Tomas, thanks for chatting with me. To start, can you tell us about your current role at Mappedin?
My role at Mappedin is an Account Executive, which means I create and manage relationships with our global customer base. I guide prospects through our pipeline from discovery and understanding what their problems are, all the way to finding out what kind of solution we can provide to them, and ultimately selling them that solution.
From an interpersonal side, the role is to solve the problems of our prospects in the most efficient way possible.
You started at Mappedin as a Business Development Representative, and later transitioned into an Account Executive role. How has your journey been?
Not a single day has been the same. Starting off as a Business Development Rep, you’re mostly tied to drumming up new business, whether that’s inbound or outbound, and your job is to secure and source as many conversations as you can. With the transition to an Account Executive position, you have to learn to take a backseat on some of the day-to-day tasks and focus on the more long-term aspects of an account.
This takes a bit of getting used to because in Business Development it’s very fast paced, it’s very binary, and typically you have your answers within a day. As an Account Executive, it’s more of a long term play. The transition is challenging, yet unique in its own way, because the AE role is spread out over multiple weeks rather than over multiple days as it was as a BDR.
What made you decide to join the team?
Ultimately I was looking for a tech sales job in Waterloo. The reason I chose Waterloo is because it’s a growing region for technology, and I wanted to join a company that I knew would be around for the long haul. Mappedin was my choice given the products that we sell; maps aren’t going to disappear tomorrow and it’s something people need day in and day out.
What do you like most about working in sales?
I would say the best thing about working in sales is the diversity of people I get to meet and the things that I learn from different cultures. As much as making sales is rewarding, it’s really cool being able to speak to a very diverse group of people across a global scale.
It’s not something that I thought of when I joined tech sales, because I didn’t realize that I’d be on calls with people from Finland, Dubai, Brazil, and so on. It’s nice being able to speak with a bunch of different people from all walks of life.
What makes a good salesperson?
Having the ability to listen and be patient are the most undervalued skills a salesperson can have. If you listen, your prospects are telling you what their problems are. If you have the patience to not overstep and quickly jump in to suggest something that may not be right for them, not only are you going to solve that customer's problem, but you’re also going to build longer lasting relationships with them.
What makes a good salesperson is really being able to listen to what people are telling you, regardless of the lens or connotation they’re speaking through, and to have patience. Our sales are not quick pitches, B2B sales are patient and more strategic. If you lack patience and jump the gun too early, you can risk shooting yourself in the foot.
How do you handle client rejection?
Through reflection and transparency in communication. Being able to reflect within a 24 hour period as soon as a rejection happens and trying to understand why it happened is important because it prevents you from making the same mistake over and over again. Asking the prospect what went wrong and what could have been done differently goes a long way.
It also ties in with patience and understanding because it does happen quite often. A rejection is not a reflection on your personality, rather to the product offering because it doesn’t fit with the solution they’re looking for.
How do you stay motivated?
Knowing that what we’re selling is something that’s valuable and very useful, and something that people are using everyday. Especially with new features that we roll out like Accessibility Mode, which help people navigate through complex venues regardless of their needs. It’s a good feeling knowing that once you sell maps to a mall, stadium or a campus, people on those premises have the tools that they can use during their visit.
I understand the frustration of being lost, it sucks, especially if you’re late for something. Realizing that on a smaller scale we’re making a difference in how people navigate around a premise, it’s a good feeling and it’s one that I like to chase.
Is there one thing you like most about working at Mappedin?
I would say the best thing about working at Mappedin is the freedom and flexibility of being able to work in a way that works best for you, while ultimately ensuring that you bring value to the company and your prospects.
Another thing that I like about working at Mappedin would be the support. Whether you’re a developer, BDR, or the head of Engineering, all employees make time for one another to ensure that the wheel keeps moving.
Mappedin is currently hiring for a Business Development Rep. What would make someone a good fit for this role?
Someone that is curious and hungry. If you’re not a curious individual, I don't think this would be the role for you because people give you a lot of answers and you have to understand where those answers are coming from.
Without curiosity, you're not going to ask the questions of why, and if you don't ask the questions of why, you're not going to get very far in conversations. If someone tells you “no I'm not interested”, okay, well why aren't you interested? Curiosity is a sign of someone who is very good at uncovering opportunities.
Staying hungry is also important because the rejections happen more on a BDR level than they do on an AE level. It happens on a daily basis, you'll get 3, 10, 15 emails a day “not interested, not interested, not interested”. If you let those rejections cut you, you’re going to bleed out. You have to stay hungry and stay curious; ultimately these qualities will make you a great fit for a Business Development Representative.
Interested in working with Tomas? We are hiring a BDR to join him on the Sales team. Also, check out our Careers Page for all open roles, or send an email to our recruitment team at careers@mappedin.ca.
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