CEO Blog: What Makes a Good Salesperson?

We are hiring. In fact, we are hiring in a pretty big way. As companies grow and begin to really hit their stride, sometimes the culture of the company gets diminished along the way. Sometimes standards are compromised. We are hiring salespeople, sales engineers, lead development people, and engineers. We go to great lengths to convey our core values: we deal with integrity; we look out for the customer's well-being; we treat each other with respect (albeit with a few lively battles from time to time); we execute with discipline; and we love, love, love machine-generated data because it is changing the world. We are not a cult, but I confess there are a few cult-like qualities. I think that's OK.

The most difficult positions to fill are salespeople. The reason is that there are some who are bad, many who are fair, and very, very few that are truly good. The majority of salespeople, whom I consider to be fair, tend to be somewhat money-driven, sociable, reasonably smart, and reasonably happy. They also tend to be less organized ("I'll wing it"), a tad bit narcissistic, and over time tend to substitute the "value of their years of experience" for good, solid work ethic. Don't get me wrong, I know many people who fit this exact mold, including some who are good friends, but they are not what I consider to be truly good salespeople. They are good people in their own right, but the truly good salespeople are few and far between.

The best salespeople are defined by a clear focus on helping people and companies solve problems. They are less interested in selling a product than they are in finding solutions. They are usually very, very smart. They have an ultra-strong work ethic, and generally start their day very early. They are more apt to be understated than the life of the party. They are not only aware of others around them, but generally bring a sincere concern for others' well-being. They are organized and meticulous. They read people and situations well. And most, while very dedicated and very focused, bring a sense of balance to their work. They proceed in many instances with a sense of purpose and even urgency, but seldom if ever with a sense of panic.

Great companies are built with great people. Of this I am certain. We invest in our team, with constant training and ongoing management support. We don't get everything right, not by a long shot. But I will say that people on our team know they are expected to have a strong work ethic. They know that high integrity is not a negotiable trait. They know that actions speak louder than words. And they know that they all play a part in instilling this very culture into the company so we can grow and scale properly as a result.

And they know that as much as they love machine-generated data today, the advances and progress in the market will have them loving it more tomorrow.

THAT is who we are.

And we are looking for good salespeople who will thrive in that environment.

Interested? Then contact us here.

Regards,

Don