March 9, 2023
Pellentesque et tempor ante, sit amet consectetur ipsum. Mauris ex turpis, fringilla ac lectus a, luctus accumsan tellus. Curabitur consequat felis porttitor ornare dapibus. Mauris pulvinar, justo at blandit lobortis, purus justo fringilla dui, non laoreet lectus dui sed tellus. In sit amet nunc mauris.
Post Tags :
Share :
March 2, 2023
In this week’s episode of MoC JR and John have a great conversation with JT Ibe, former college football player at Rice University then the University of South Carolina before a stint with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. After breaking in to sales at HashiCorp he’s currently working as an Enterprise Account Executive at StrongDM, helping companies secure their valuable resources. JT blew us away with his thoughtfulness and mindfulness. Tune into the podcast to hear what makes JT a true sales pro and read on for JR’s insights on this very thoughtful conversation.
You hear “elite football player” and you may think you have some sense of what that person might be like. If that’s the case, all it takes is a few minutes with JT Ibe to realize that your assumptions likely are only partially correct. JT is in fact competitive and disciplined and driven. But JT is also a big-picture-deep-thinker who makes his moves thoughtfully and deliberately. I don’t know whether JT plays chess, but if he did I’m not sure I’d want to play him—he definitely thinks about life a few moves ahead!
JT talks fondly about his former teammates, and invokes the name of “B Mac” frequently. According to JT, B Mac was wise beyond his years and was “next level” in his views on life—he believed in the power of singular focus, that to be successful you can’t chase two things at once. You can’t have a Plan A and a Plan B in play at the same time. If Plan A doesn’t work, then you focus on your Plan B. This approach might not be for everyone, but it worked for JT. We tend to gravitate toward the people we want to be like and to emulate them. I’m not saying JT wasn’t focused on academics—I’m merely saying that football was JT’s Plan A. It’s so important to find a mentor who is successful in the ways that matter to you and take as much as you can from them. Ask lots of questions. Find your own style, uncover your own foundational values. Then build on those as you learn and grow and shift from Plan A to Plan B. This is clearly what helped JT get his feet under him as he was starting life after football.
JT readily admits that he is still transitioning from college, but that doesn’t mean he’s all over the road—it means he’s still adjusting, and he’s ok with that. He talks about his biggest shift, moving from a world in which everyone thinks alike to having to learn to work with different-minded people all the time. He had to adapt to being in situations where he couldn’t feed off the energy he had grown accustomed to—the collective energy generated by a group of people focused on a shared goal. JT developed a very sophisticated process assess opportunities as he was transitioning—and interestingly enough, his highest priority was not finding the thing he missed most. The key takeaway here is that everyone needs to develop a process, but it doesn’t have to be the same for everyone. Find your fit based on the things you value. You can hear all about how JT did that in the podcast.
As part of executing with a single focus, having a good routine is critical. JT’s morning trip to the gym is non-negotiable, but his workout regimen might surprise you. No heavy barbells. No music, alone with his thoughts. A spin on the bike, some work with dumbbells, and a few hangs is what he needs to get him into the day. It’s what gets his brain rolling with positive thoughts and allows him to achieve what he calls “breakthroughs.” Having a strong mental game that delivers clarity is a key contributor to JT’s success; it gives him the focus he needs to be strategic about each and every move. Starting his morning at the gym is the first piece of a consistent operating rhythm that gives JT a structure and momentum that is crucial to his success.
“Be learning or earning”
JT is perpetually curious—he was a guest of ours but he took the chance to turn the tables and asked us some questions while he had us on the line, reinforcing the value of asking questions and taking advantage of whatever resources are available to you.
Tune in to the podcast to learn all about JT’s process for prepping for and evaluating offers, how he’s grown his career, and how he plans to get to his ultimate goal. Be prepared to take notes—this guy has some amazing tips you won’t want to miss.
Post Tags :
Share :
February 23, 2023
This week, JR and John chat with Kat Mackey, former Colby College women’s hockey player and current Senior Manager of Inside Sales at Dell EMC. It may be Season 3 but our MoC podcast guests continue to keep things fresh and provide actionable new insights and great ideas to help athletes transition to sales—both in landing new jobs and advancing their careers.
Listen to the pod for Kat’s unique perspective on finding the right role, career growth, and longevity—and read on to get JR’s take on the conversation.
Kat Mackey makes some interesting points in a unique way. Two of those things that go hand and hand (not coincidentally) are what I want to focus on.
Kat’s only employer since college has been Dell EMC—she’s had a focus on the long game from the start. For me, this long-term view highlights five important things that are part of a shift to tech sales and continued career progression, aka longevity:
This runs parallel to an end-to-end career path, or at least it should. We often advise people looking to shift to sales careers to:
We stress the importance of finding a company willing to invest in you and your development at least as much as you are willing to invest in yourself. And that’s true as you advance your career too. Being a coachable and curious hard worker will help get you there and it will help keep you there—working for a company willing to support you in this growth is key!
As Shift Group celebrates its first-year anniversary, I sit here proud of all we’ve accomplished. We are in it for the long game, and we are committed to continuous development. For our candidates, that means access to world-class training, even after you’re on the job. For our partners, that means you can be confident in your new employees, knowing that your Shift Group hires have successfully completed a world-class sales training camp and that they have ongoing access to training that helps them sharpen their game.
Tune in to the podcast to hear how the focus on the long game has helped Kat become a true sales pro. And reach out to me if you have any questions about how Shift Group can help you—whether you’re a candidate or a hiring company, we can help you set yourself apart from the competition.
Post Tags :
Share :
February 16, 2023
Start strong, finish strong. Repeat.
We closed out Season 2 of Merchants of Change on a high note in our final episode with Zoltan Mesko (if you missed it, check it out). That conversation set the bar exceptionally high for Season 3…as an athlete, you know what a huge challenge it is to keep grinding and to keep the momentum going, and especially so when it might be easy to sit back and coast a little.
While the struggle is real, we at Shift Group are up for the challenge and are starting Season 3 strong. In this episode we spend some time with Mark Thurmond, who played football at Hofstra before going on to an extremely impressive tech sales career leading to where he sits now, as a motivated and motivational leader and COO of Tenable, Inc., a company that helps organizations understand and reduce their cybersecurity risk. Read on for JR’s insights on the convo and listen to the pod for all the details!
If you’ve been listening to Merchants of Change for a while, I suspect some things have been jumping out at you. Maybe you’ve picked up some tips or seen a few patterns. Maybe you’ve sought our more detailed advice from a mentor. Maybe you read a book that was recommended. That’s all great stuff. It’s the same for me. This conversation with Mark cements a few important themes I’ve heard along the way, things I am sure I’ve touched on here before and I can promise you I will touch on again. It reminds me how important it is to keep actively listening—there’s always something new to be learned. Every time I hear something in someone else’s words, when I see the view from their perspective, it’s like I’m hearing and seeing something for the first time.
Consider this. In 2021, there were just over 20.3 million college students in the United States. Of those 20.3 million people, only 2.4% of them (493,292) were student-athletes. If you played sports in college, make no mistake—you are part of a very small and disciplined group of individuals.
So don’t sell yourself short, especially if you weren’t “that great,” or even “horrible” (as Mark describes himself as a football player). If you’re dedicated enough to make it through a college-sports career—you have a unique experience and a unique toolset. Don’t for one second forget that as you face career choices and challenges. You have what it takes. The numbers don’t lie.
We joked about Mark being “horrible” at football, and we laughed when he said that if his former teammates were to describe him as a player, the first thing they would call him is “slow.” This discussion illuminated something in Mark that shines brightly—he is acutely self-aware. He uses words like “horrible” and “slow” in a self-deprecating and humble way. He may not have starred on the team, but he loved the game, a passion that fueled him to be a great teammate. And you can’t have a great team without great teammates. Mark tells me that his former teammates would likely describe him as energetic, intense, hard-working, and fun, key influencers on the chemistry and dynamics and success of any team. Not everyone who makes amazing contributions to a team is making headlines and setting records.
Athletes are naturally competitive. And just as you can’t teach people to be competitive, it’s hard to un-learn competitiveness—which in the tech sales world is a great thing. Mark started his career in the diagnostic division at Abbott Labs. He received world-class enablement and training (you athletes know the importance of a good coach and a good program!) and was named “Rookie of the Year.” But it was a local “mom bragging” situation which lit a fire under Mark and led to his career in tech sales. When Mark learned of someone who was, essentially, winning bigger, he reached out to that person, sought out advice, and made his way into the tech sales space. While some people might rest on accolades, others do not. Mark’s competitive fire burns strong today—but because of his perspective and his self-awareness, he channels his competitive nature in an extremely empathetic way. Empathy is so important in sales because it’s a key component of trust, and trust is foundational to the relationships needed to sell effectively.
Mark learned from his parents at an early age that “hard work is the great equalizer” and later learned the “2X Principle” from one of his former bosses (now a mentor). The principle is simple but effective—look at the top performers in your organization and do twice as much as them. They call 100 people. You call 200. They spend two hours doing something, you spend four. These two guiding principles are evident in Mark’s work ethic. He doesn’t just talk—he walks the walk, another key characteristic of a great leader.
Consider these three themes as you’re making your career shift toward tech sales. And tune in to the episode to hear Mark’s insights on becoming a true pro—it’s more #requiredlistening from Shift Group.
Post Tags :
Share :
February 2, 2023
In this final episode of the Merchants of Change Season 2 podcast, JR and John sit down to talk to acclaimed former NFL (and Michigan) punter, Zoltan Mesko. This podcast is the can’t-miss episode of the season. Check out JR’s thoughts on the conversation with Zoltan and listen to the pod to hear the details right from the horse’s mouth.
Usually when I write about a podcast it’s part-summary, part my interpretation, part other related thoughts, in varying degrees, depending on the conversation. But this conversation with Zoltan was unique, so different from any other podcast this season, that I’m going to gently demand that you listen to it start to finish. No interpretation from me will do this one justice.
Here are some of the things the podcast will illuminate:
What struck me most was Zoltan’s strong sense of self. He has crystal clarity of what matters to him, and he aligns himself to succeed in those areas. A career in tech sales gives him the financial freedom to, as he tells us, “enjoy the ride,” but make no mistake—he puts in so much hard work, so much effort, but he wastes none of it. Zoltan knows what he needs to be happy, and he figures out how to optimize at every shift change.
Would you believe me if I told you that Zoltan Mesko found financial independence in his tech sales career after leaving the NFL? Buckle up for this wild ride of a conversation that brings intelligence and persistence and flexibility and dedication and self-knowledge together in a unique way with a unique guest who achieves unique outcomes. I’m telling you—don’t take it from me. Tune in and listen to Zoltan.
Post Tags :
Share :
January 26, 2023
Post Tags :
Share :
January 19, 2023
For this episode, John and I talk to our friend (and former teammate of JR’s) Brian Kolb. Brian works as a Senior Account Executive at Tidelift, a company focused on helping application development leaders take advantage of open source software so that it works better for everyone. We cover a lot in this podcast, and raises one key concept that is worth zeroing in on in more detail here.
As is always the case with a Merchants of Change podcast, our conversation with Brian covered a lot of ground, from our shared history at Holy Cross to how Brian broke into tech sales to what makes him successful today to his aspirations to take on more of a leadership role.
We’re at the end of a calendar year (though we still have a few more pod eps in S2 of Merchants of Change so stay tuned!) and there’s a natural tendency to look back on things, to reflect, and to use what we see to influence how we move forward. To adjust, to improve, to do more of, to do less of—it’s so much like sitting down and watching film. And something came up in this conversation again and again, something that we heard in some way or another in other episodes—though not to the extent that we heard it here. In this conversation, it was more of a theme, and I think it’s a really important thing to focus on. You can listen to the podcast to hear everything Brian has to say, but I’m going to keep the focus here ultra-sharp and dial in on the importance of authenticity.
In several episodes past (and this one was no exception) our guests have either alluded to or explicitly stated how important it is to find people who do the things you want to do and then to emulate them. This takes many forms. It may be that you see someone with a lifestyle you admire, and that’s what drew you into tech sales in the first place. It may be the traits and behaviors you see in people closing deals and achieving financial success. It may be more of a social thing, when you see people building and leveraging strong networks. Or it may be seeing styles and behaviors and characteristics and traits you want to avoid.
(Side note here if you’re looking/hoping for remote work: when you’re starting out in tech sales, being in an office surrounded by people focused on selling your company’s product(s) is an invaluable experience. You really will learn “by osmosis.” Listening and watching in 3D will teach you more than any Zoom or Teams meeting ever will. Being in person, being watched and seen, may help you learn to be more accountable, and it may help you avoid subconsciously and unknowingly developing bad habits. Find the right company for you, which may mean you have to be in person at first but that you’ll have the opportunity to “earn” flexibility. It’s worth considering. Don’t rule a job out solely on the grounds of whether it is in person, hybrid, or fully remote.)
While it is important to model yourself after the behaviors you admire, it’s critical that you find your own style and your own voice. Align yourself closely with your AEs. Work on communicating with them and building a partnership. Take deals as far as you can for them—pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work. Adjust and try again. This will help you uncover your best sales self.
Making your pitch in your “best sportscaster voice” won’t make you any more credible than someone who’s “on the level.” It’s far more important to show that you know your product, that you understand the customer’s needs, that you can demonstrate how your product will help them, and that they trust that you will act as a true partner. Sales is hard. If you’re spending precious time and energy on being something you’re not, you’re taking time away from the value-added activities that can have the most impact on single deals and on long-term relationships with customers. When you know your stuff, when you know who you are, and when you have a genuine interest in solving customers’ problems, doing the hard work you’re used to as a former athlete will feel more relaxed and more natural. Then, when the opportunities present themselves, you’ll be much better prepared to take advantage of them. Don’t waste time doing stuff that doesn’t add value—don’t waste time being an impostor.
As you develop and as your career progresses, you’ll be the one people are watching. You’ll be the one demonstrating those admirable behaviors and traits, and you’ll be the one acting in a way that engages and excites and motivates others. You’ll be the one defining the future for who knows how many athletes who are looking to succeed in tech sales. That would be pretty awesome, wouldn’t it be?
Post Tags :
Share :
January 12, 2023
Post Tags :
Share :
January 5, 2023
Once an athlete, always an athlete. And these words ring so true for Melissa Puleo, a three-sport athlete at Lawrence Academy, a softball player at Trinity College, and Enterprise Account Director at Talon.one, a platform for seamless integration of all customer data. The full scoop is in the pod, and my take on it is available here.
While Melissa fits the classic profile of a successful athlete turned successful salesperson, there’s plenty about how she works and how she thinks that sets her apart. John and I had the chance to talk to her about how her background in athletics has fueled her success in tech sales.
As an athlete, Melissa was the consummate team player—as she describes it, “never the MVP, always the Coach’s Award.” But really, isn’t “Coach’s Award” just a different kind of MVP? I think so, and when I hear “Coach’s Award,” I think “backbone.” “Heart and soul.” And I also think “Melissa Puleo.” And it’s probably no surprise that the positions Melissa played in her three sports were goalie, goalie, and catcher—definitely the backbone positions of every team!
While some athletes like the limelight, Melissa knew that what set her apart is what she did before and after practice. Arrive early. Stay late. Be tenacious. Believe in yourself. Persevere. And most importantly, stay tough when times get hard.
You read that right. Melissa became a salesperson by accident. There was an on-campus recruiting event where NetSuite was looking to hire for some business development roles. Melissa wanted to get into business, was interested in marketing, and figured this would get her foot in the door. She had no idea it was a sales job! But when NetSuite started her in a training class of 10 new BDRs, she liked what she saw. The competitive nature of sales was perfect for her—and while the money is nice, she loves the thrill of winning.
Unlike Melissa, most of you have made a conscious choice to go into tech sales. As a sales leader, Melissa has some advice for when you’re trying to break in. She believes that being an athlete gives you an automatic edge. You went to school AND managed all the additional commitments you had as an athlete and as a teammate. So tell your story as an athlete—talk about your dedication, mental training, and how sports drills you to operate at a higher level.
In the end, many of you will get multiple offers from multiple companies. When you’re evaluating those, Melissa suggests asking yourself whether you’ll be working for someone who you want to work for and who will help you advance your career. Melissa is certain that if she hadn’t had a good first leader, she would not have stayed in sales.
Whether you get into sales by accident or on purpose, once you’re there, you’re all in the same boat. It’s really hard. Melissa relied on her sports mindset and skill-building, and quickly came to appreciate small wins.
Take the time to figure out your own sales style—what works for one person might not work for you. Find people you want to be like and emulate them. Find what fits and you’ll come into your own, and you’ll be ready to take the next step into the AE role when one is available.
Probably the best advice Melissa ever got as a BDR was to “win the day.” Keep it manageable. Focus on the tasks at hand. Win the day. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Clearly, that advice has served her well.
Now that Melissa is in a leadership role, she sees things from a very different vantage point. To new leaders, she counsels how important it is to understand your team—your whole team. Sales are both an art and a science, and everyone is different. Therefore it is important to be aware of differences and coach everyone—not just people whose styles are similar to yours.
For the women out there, Melissa wants you to know this: you’re not anywhere just to listen. Speak up and promote the work you do. If you don’t, you risk a lack of awareness of your accomplishments, and that may hold you back. Being an athlete takes confidence—remember that and speak up for yourself and for your team.
Tune in to the podcast to hear Melissa talk about all this, tell the amazing story of the XXXL green jacket, and explain what it’s like to be a BDR in a large established company vs a startup.
Post Tags :
Share :
December 22, 2022
Post Tags :
Share :
Connecting former college athletes and military veterans with meaningful business training and employment opportunities.
376 Boylston Street
Suite 203
Boston, MA 02116
Copyright © 2024 Shift Group
