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When joining a new team, is it better to have the right soft skills and have to learn the hard skills of the job? Or vice versa?

Katie Harkins

Glide VP of Sales • 3y

When joining a new team, it's better to be open minded about changing your sales cycles and your approaches. Each organization has a different selling motion associated w...

651 Views

What are the most important sales skills or perspectives that others inside an organization could benefit from that would improve their day to day work?

Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)

HubSpot Director of Sales • 4mo

The two that immediately come to mind are discovery and negotiation. Discovery- Being naturally curious, seeking to understand, knowing how to ask 2nd and 3rd layer quest...

413 Views

How do you retain good talent, especially when sales roles are in such high demand across the industry?

Alicia Lewis

Rei Notionライフハック2万部突破！ Mid-Market Sales Leader • 10mo

Retaining top sales talent is my highest priority. One of the highlights of my career was going three years without any regrettable attrition, which I attribute to the cu...

693 Views

What hard skills are must haves to be a sales leader? What are nice to haves?

Katie Harkins

Glide VP of Sales • 3y

The hard skills that a sales leader must have are being a product expert, having industry knowledge, presentation + sales skills, and closing. You have to remember that y...

862 Views

How do you build a frame work for building manageable metrics associated with Soft Skills?

Katie Harkins

Glide VP of Sales • 3y

There are multiple tools you can use to build a management framework for your soft skills. Tools like Chorus or Gong will tell you if you talk too much or if you don't as...

600 Views

As a hiring manager, what do the best sales candidates have in common?

Adam Wainwright

HubSpot GTM Leader | Building Products that help Sales teams win | Formerly Clari, CallidusCloud (SAP), Selectica CPQ, Cacheflow • 3y

I'd say the one thing that winning candidates have in common is based on how easy they are to talk to. When an interview goes right its. Focused Educational Inpsired In...

2,086 Views

What advice do you have for recent graduates that want to go straight into sales?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 1y

For recent graduates aiming to jump straight into sales, here’s some advice to set you up for success:1. Develop a Resilient Mindset – Sales is full of rejection, especia...

696 Views

What are the most important soft and hard skills sales professionals can build to become successful in their field going forward?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 1y

To be successful in sales going forward, professionals need a mix of both soft and hard skills. Here are the most important ones to focus on:Soft Skills:1. Emotional Inte...

582 Views

I get a lot of critical feedback from my boss and I don't always know what to do with it or how to improve. Sometimes I don't even agree with the feedback. What should I do when I don't think the feedback is correct?

Justin Offermann

ComfyUI Head of GTM • Jun 16

Separate the signal from the delivery. Even feedback that lands wrong usually has a kernel, so ask yourself what would have to be true for this to be right. If you still ...

2,404 Views

How can someone from a different field transition to sales?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 1y

Transitioning to sales from a different field is very achievable, especially if you can leverage transferable skills and adopt the right strategies. Here’s a step-by-step...

504 Views

What intangibles separate the top sales reps from the rest?

Justin Offermann

ComfyUI Head of GTM • Jun 16

Not charisma. The best can hold tension without flinching. Sit in the silence. Ask the uncomfortable question. Push back on a buyer instead of folding. They're genuinely ...

371 Views

What's the best way to break into the tech industry as a sales professional?

Justin Offermann

ComfyUI Head of GTM • Jun 16

SDR/BDR is the obvious on-ramp but it's not the only one. Pick a company whose product you actually understand, get fluent enough that they can't ignore you. Domain affin...

368 Views

What communications framework do you use when communicating strategy 1) up to C Suite or 2) out to stakeholders?

Greg Baumann

Outreach Sr Director of Strategic and Enterprise Sales • 8mo

I've encountered a number of helpful communication frameworks, but I don't have a preference and have not adopted one specifically. What I do recommend, however, is tha...

780 Views

How do you think about AI and how best to keep up with it's evolution from a training and sales process perspective?

Jessica Holmes

Adobe Director, Adobe Sales Academy • 1mo

This is a question most sales leaders are actively wrestling with right now — because the honest answer is that nobody has fully figured it out yet.Here's my perspective:...

329 Views

Where do you see the future of sales heading?

What skills will a future account executives need that they don't have today?

Rachel Mayes

Carta Senior Director of Sales - Venture Capital at Carta • 1y

I think there’s a lot to be said about optimizing sales processes with AI. As software continues to improve this will allow AEs to be more productive, manage larger books...

1,437 Views

What is your favorite sales interview question and the best answer you've heard?

Maddy Hobbs

Figma Director of Sales, SMB • 8mo

I don’t have a single favorite question, but there are two traits I love to test for: curiosity and grit. Curiosity: In my mind, this is hands down the most important tra...

1,639 Views

What would you tell your 22 year old self just starting out in sales?

Justin Offermann

ComfyUI Head of GTM • 4mo

What I’d tell my 22-year-old self starting in sales: stay relentlessly curious and optimize for learning, not a perfect plan. At 22 you’ll feel pressure to “pick your lan...

683 Views

As someone majoring in communication and economics, how would you recommend using that background and applying it to a career in sales. I’m interested in business development and and curious about how to break into the industry.

Jessica Holmes

Adobe Director, Adobe Sales Academy • 1mo

The combination of communications and economics is great because one (economics) really helps you understand how businesses work and make decisions, and the other (commun...

392 Views

For sales interviews, what are helpful resources you'd recommend and types of questions to prepare for from both hiring managers and cross-functional partners?

Scott Barton

Bluevine Head of Sales, Lending & Credit • 2mo

I follow this framework:Write down questions that I'm curious about without doing any prep/research.Do research on the company, competitors, the industry, and then write ...

169 Views

How does one gauge autonomy in a sales interview?

Lucy Ye

Pinterest Head of US SMB Sales, Client Direct • 3y

I believe you're referring to assessing the level of autonomy you will get in the sales role you're interviewing for. In most instances, autonomy and flexibility are give...

1,566 Views

What are the most common mistakes you see candidates make during an interview for a sales position?

Adam Wainwright

HubSpot GTM Leader | Building Products that help Sales teams win | Formerly Clari, CallidusCloud (SAP), Selectica CPQ, Cacheflow • 3y

The most common mistakes have to do a general lack of preparedness - It's hard to know exactly what to prepare for when hopping on an interview - but generally speaking...

2,169 Views

Do you generally recommend that candidates go 'above and beyond' in preparing for interviews?

For example, putting together 30-60-90 day plans or a report on the company/product and strengths/weaknesses/opportunities to give the interviewer a glimpse into how they think? In which situations do you recommend this approach or not?

Maddy Hobbs

Figma Director of Sales, SMB • 8mo

I think the best thing you can do is show up prepared and genuinely curious. That doesn’t have to mean overdoing it ... it means doing the right kind of work ahead of tim...

1,237 Views

What are the key questions you like to ask and why? How would the proper answers to your questions look like?

Lucy Ye

Pinterest Head of US SMB Sales, Client Direct • 3y

Some questions I like to ask are: Tell me about a time you missed your goals. What happened? (Answer should explain why the person missed goal, what lessons they learned...

1,754 Views

How can I improve my interviewing skills for a sales role?

Adam Wainwright

HubSpot GTM Leader | Building Products that help Sales teams win | Formerly Clari, CallidusCloud (SAP), Selectica CPQ, Cacheflow • 3y

The best way to improve interviewing skills is super simple - and this is going to sound reductive - Go ask your most respected colleagues & peers to interview you ...

1,726 Views

What tools are you currently using to boost your productivity and sales?

Justin Offermann

ComfyUI Head of GTM • 4mo

For productivity boosts, I think setting up Clude and or ChatGT and or Gemini workflows is critical, if not necessary. I personally am pretty big on Claude for its integr...

427 Views

What are the most important skills (both tactical and intangible) that are must-have for account executives?

Justin Offermann

ComfyUI Head of GTM • 4mo

Not in any particular order: Curiosity Curiosity to learn (new tools, new processes, new techniques, new ideas). Resilience Sales has its ebbs and flows. Being able t...

409 Views

How do you avoid burnout as sales professional when you feel like you have to start over again each quarter and year?

Jon Boyer

Blacksmith VP of Sales | Formerly Zapier, Postman and Slack • 3y

As a Sales professional we are often under a lot of pressure to close deals and meet our targets. If you're not careful you can quickly burnout especially when quotas res...

1,939 Views

What are the biggest frustrations you have as a sales professional?

Brian Bresee

HubSpot Senior Director of Sales | Midmarket • 1y

Sales can be a rollercoaster. You and your company are always judging your performance by what you've done lately. Missing quota is impossible not to take personally, and...

988 Views

What is your favorite sales question and the best answer you've heard?

Jon Boyer

Blacksmith VP of Sales | Formerly Zapier, Postman and Slack • 3y

I don't have a favorite question but I do prefer open ended questions in discovery. Close ended questions start with helper verbs. Every question beginning with these wo...

3,385 Views

What type of skill sets and experiences do I need to build in order to strengthen my career and move from being a sales manager to Director level and above?

What type of leadership career tracks do you see people continue their careers?

Jessica Holmes

Adobe Director, Adobe Sales Academy • 2y

Moving from a Manager to a Director means that you have the skillset to not only take action on tasks or initiatives given to you, but to be the one that provides the str...

1,643 Views

What's a typical career path for a sales professional?

Rachel Mayes

Carta Senior Director of Sales - Venture Capital at Carta • 1y

I don’t believe there’s a single "right" career path for a sales professional. Sales is an incredible foundation that can lead to countless opportunities because the skil...

1,108 Views

What metrics do you use to justify a pay raise?

Sarah Mercedes (Osborne)

HubSpot Director of Sales • 1y

In my opinion, it isn't one specific metric, but rather your consistency across all of the key leading indicator metrics. Attainment is one thing, but the "how" and what ...

532 Views

What advice do you have for those interesting in a company that isn't actively hiring?

Is it wise to proactively reach out to leadership to make your presence known/introduce yourself to others you have not met and try to make yourself the next natural choice?

Brian Tino

AlphaSense Senior Director, Strategic Sales • 3y

If you're interested in a company (even if they are not actively hiring), I would recommend starting to build relationships and delivering value without expectation. That...

884 Views

What are some of the most common red flags you've come across either on a candidate's resume or initial interview that you'd advise future account execs to avoid?

Alicia Lewis

Rei Notionライフハック2万部突破！ Mid-Market Sales Leader • 2y

Lack of Relevant Experience: It’s concerning if a candidate's resume lacks relevant sales experience or is not tailored in a way to showcase how their experience is relev...

1,059 Views

How does sales leadership differ between a small and large company?

Andrew Zinger

Ironclad Senior Global Director, Revenue Enablement • 11mo

Thanks for this question. I dont think it needs to be much more complicated than this:Sales leadership at a small company = GTM Architect + Player-Coach roles in sales.Sa...

554 Views

What's your framework to prioritizing needs/deliverables when you're the first sales leader at a company establishing the function?

Adam Wainwright

HubSpot GTM Leader | Building Products that help Sales teams win | Formerly Clari, CallidusCloud (SAP), Selectica CPQ, Cacheflow • 1y

When you’re the first sales leader at a company, establishing the function from scratch can be daunting. Here’s how I approach prioritizing needs and deliverables:Leverag...

676 Views

What framework do you use when assessing a new opportunity at a different company?

Jon Boyer

Blacksmith VP of Sales | Formerly Zapier, Postman and Slack • 3y

A mentor taught me to evaluate opportunities leveraging the VIP framework . The framework incorporates three inputs Vision, Impact and People. Here is a quick breakdown ...

2,037 Views

What are the fundamental differences between an account executive and a senior account executive?

What are some clear indicators that someone is ready to become a senior account exec role and the responsibilities that come with it? And, when in the senior account executive role, what are the key stages that distinguish the different levels of senior account execs.

Helen D'Abreo

SurveyMonkey Director, Expansion Sales • 1y

AEs start by learning the ropes and and developing their skills, so they can start to be consistent in their sales performance quarter on quarter. When you move to a seni...

573 Views

When joining a new team, is it better to have the right soft skills and have to learn the hard skills of the job or vice versa?

Abdul Rastagar

Sirona Marketing CEO of Sirona Marketing: GTM for healthcare and life sciences • 5y

The ideal candidate will have both but that’s often not possible. For me personally, I think the soft skills are far more important. Especially at the more junior and eve...

1,084 Views

What questions should you ask during your one-on-ones with the demand generation and revenue operations team during your first month at the company?

Greg Baumann

Outreach Sr Director of Strategic and Enterprise Sales • 1y

Ok! 2 different questions here (in my experience!). Demand Generation: For Demand Generation--strong interest in understanding where leads are coming from, is there a fee...

589 Views

What should you aim to do in your first month and your first quarter when you're the new sales leader for a B2B SaaS company and are starting to scale?

Greg Baumann

Outreach Sr Director of Strategic and Enterprise Sales • 1y

In your first month as a new B2B SaaS sales leader, focus on listening, learning, and building key relationships across the team(s) -- your directs, your new boss(es) and...

851 Views

What are some examples of "quick wins" you should aim for in the first 90 days?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 2y

In the first 90 days as a sales leader, focusing on "quick wins" can help demonstrate early success and build momentum for long-term growth. Here are some examples of qui...

1,098 Views

What questions should you ask during your one-on-ones with your cross-functional teams during your first month at the company?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 2y

During your first month at the company, one-on-one meetings with cross-functional teams are crucial for building relationships, understanding processes, and aligning goal...

1,180 Views

What's your best sales 30-60-90 day plan to make a big impact at a new company?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 2y

30-60-90 day sales plan tailored to make a big impact at a new company:First 30 Days (Learning and Understanding):Understand the Product: Deep dive into understanding th...

1,340 Views

What is your 30-60-90 day plan when you go into an org with the intention of setting up a sales function for the first time?

Nick Feeney

Loom VP, Revenue • 1y

This isn’t a one size fits all approach. Every leader should bring a different focus to their 30-60-90 day plan based on their leadership style, the stage in which the co...

2,157 Views

I get a lot of critical feedback from my boss and I don't always know what to do with it or how to improve. Sometimes I don't even agree with the feedback. What should I do when I don't think the feedback is correct?

Andrew Zinger

Ironclad Senior Global Director, Revenue Enablement • 3y

The topic of 'feedback' is a passionate one with many people. For me, feedback is fuel, but at the same time it needs to be actionable and agreed upon for it to be that '...

3,237 Views

What's the most effective way to scale a sales team beyond the first few reps?

Edward DiRocco

Digital Lumens CRO • 3y

I agree with much of what Roee states. I think it's important to make sure that the people you bring into the organization have a positive attitude. I've found that yo...

You're the new sales manager for a B2B SaaS company that has 40 people and is starting to scale. What should you aim to do in your first month and your first quarter?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 2y

As the new sales manager for a B2B SaaS company that is starting to scale with 40 people, your first month and first quarter are critical for laying the groundwork for fu...

1,429 Views

Who are the most important internal stakeholders that you need to be fully aligned with when starting a new Sales leadership role and why?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 2y

Human Resources:The human resources team handles hiring, onboarding, training, and development of sales personnel.Alignment with human resources ensures that the sales te...

1,110 Views

What are red flags when taking a Head of Sales role that should make you consider leaving within your first 90 days?

Tim Britt

Freshworks VP Partnerships • 2y

When taking on a Head of Sales role, certain red flags may emerge within the first 90 days that could indicate challenges or issues within the organisation. While every s...

1,044 Views

Sales Career Path