Tech Sales is for Hustlers

Consider making prospecting a team sport. Asking for help, input, and ideas from seasoned colleagues throughout his outreach cadence upped Reuben Hagen’s confidence.        Now a Commercial Account Executive at Datadog, Reuben recommends learning from experienced pros and peers alike. Trial and error make up a large percentage of a sales education and you can’t be afraid to fail, seek advice, and...

The SDRs sitting next to you might be your best teachers. To uncover your style and save time, Curtis Giles advises taking full advantage of your environment.   Now Account Executive at Ambassador Labs, Curtis walks us through a measured and strategic approach to navigating the job market. Know your worth, find a product you believe in, and pay attention to details before pursuing the next step in...

Dig until you strike gold. There’s no shame in the process; Emie Moore challenges her team to ask questions, push boundaries, and focus on the work.  Now Boston Managing Director at memoryBlue, Emie shares her journey from SDR to MD, unpacking struggles, lessons learned, and achievements along the way. Founded in her passion for mentoring and helping others meet their full potential, Emie adapts h...

Quality over quantity is the name of the game. 20 dials a day may seem dramatically low, but Casey Rials curated a list building strategy that has her connecting with 15 prospects a day.   Now Inside Sales Team Lead at Stem, Casey recounts her low daily dials as her signature for quality prospecting. Prioritizing product, prospect, and industry specifics is her secret to booking over a third of he...

Take a page out of Nike’s book and just do it . Rejection is part of the sales game, but Albert knows the most successful sales reps drop the excuses and keep consistent effort.   Now Enterprise Account Executive at Checkit, Albert shares why selling at startups is not for the faint of heart. Competitive, self-sufficient, determined, and resilient are only some of the traits required to reap the r...

Young people face many challenges and dilemmas and generally find it very difficult to make decisions about change. Whether they are in college, have graduated, or are already working, they deeply consider every new opportunity because they are afraid of change and possible failure.  But if you go through certain obstacles on the way to success, face various challenges, and take risks, you gain se...

Driving sales from 0 to 100 — in less than 4 seconds: like his Lamborghini Gallardo, Nick Boustead’s sales career leaves the competition in the dust.    Now Director of Sales at The Taverna Collection, Nick pops the hood on closing $400,000 deals. Shifting into management meant taking on more responsibility, longer hours, and navigating damage control.  In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustler...

Prioritize building a relationship, not making a sale. Focus less on selling and more on helping your prospect find solutions for their pain points.  In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Northern Illinois University Director of the Professional Sales Center Chuck Howlett shares the best ways to establish trust, solve problems and provide long-term value.  

Let rejection roll off your back and keep things moving. When Aaron Aggen hears the word “no,” he sees an opportunity to gather more information, build rapport, and expand his network.  Don’t be fooled by his easy-going demeanor; back as a Direct Hire Account Executive at memoryBlue, Aaron sets high standards for himself and makes no excuses.  In this episode of Tech Sales is for Hustlers, Aaron t...

Sales can get you the golden ticket to the other side of the velvet rope. Breaking into something this exclusive requires a focus on learning, active listening, and resilience.  In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Director of Oregon State Sales Academy Caitlyn Gill rebukes stereotypes about sales and illuminates the reality. A career in sales means helping people solve problems, gaining...

Choose the battles you know you can win. Focus your time and energy to grow your career, your pipeline, and your team in the most impactful ways.  Now an Account Executive at Thycotic, Jesse Matthews debunks the belief that a successful career must be linear. After a year in the DM role at memoryBlue, Jesse decided to pursue the AE role he’d always wanted. The diverse exposure to various clients a...

Put in the reps and reap the rewards. Through hard work, persistence, and a dedication to continual learning, Trevor Shan stays logging enviable gains.  Now, Business Development Manager at Openprise and fitness entrepreneur Trevor says the key to being exceptional lies in finding ways to stay in the right state of mind. Whether pushing SDRs to reach their full potential or kicking off a new clien...

A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. If you want to thrive in sales, you have to get a little uncomfortable and learn to embrace the unfamiliar.  In this episode of the Campus Series, our hosts Kristen Wisdorf and Libby Galatis welcome Weber State's Director of the Alan E. Hall Sales Center Brock Adams. Dr. Adams discusses the importance of being adaptable, why k...

More talent = More money. After a decade of continual growth, Mike Mishler built a legacy of recruiting all-star sales professionals and creating unstoppable teams. As Automox’s Director of Sales Development, Mike knows that it's always worth making room to bring on top performers. Prioritizing team culture and retention means leaning into the interview process, leading by example, and being...

From a new skill to a new subject matter, you can learn almost anything on the job. Halfway through senior year of college, Taylor Moore decided to launch her career in tech sales at a company that invests heavily in training.  Now, Prisma Cloud Sales Specialist at Palo Alto Networks Taylor recommends never allowing a lack of experience or knowledge to keep you from taking on an untapped market. C...

It's less about what you know and more about who you know. Prioritize making genuine connections with people and don't worry about having all the answers up-front. In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Director of Center for Sales Success at the University of South Carolina Beth Renninger empowers students to embrace their failures, be curious and open-minded, and set career ambi...

Think big picture and never underestimate the basics. Andy Gager says the most successful reps he’s seen always prioritize cold-calling outreach.   Now a Sr. Commercial Account Manager at Ivanti, Andy recounts strategies he adopted throughout his career maximize his time and drive results. When things don't go according to plan, Andy notes the importance of leaning on knowledgeable and trustw...

If you want to advance in your career, you have to be willing to learn. And learning can happen anywhere — during a challenging sales call, a lunch break, or an important meeting. But the key to success is to always bet on yourself. In this episode of the Tech Sales is For Hustlers podcast, our hosts Marc Gonyea and Chris Corcoran welcome Justin Henry, an Account Executive at Zoom and a former mem...

Learning happens out in the field, not always in the classroom. In sales, you can gain skills that are valuable no matter where you end up in your career and often result in expedited growth.  In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington Matt Lastner talks about using real-life experience in the sales industry to dete...

You can’t control the cards you’re dealt, but you can control how you play the game. Inheriting his mother’s no-excuses attitude, Alex Rodriguez will do whatever it takes to succeed.   After graduating from college, where he worked 60 hour weeks while attending school, Alex knew he would excel in a career where hustle brings success. In two and a half years with memoryBlue, Alex elevated from SDR...

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 int...

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 ope...

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.  ⠀ ⠀ 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...

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. </span> Now a successful Account Executive at Canary Technologies, Brandon brings a work ethic and a hate-to-lose mentality to everything he does in pro...

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 take...