When you’re closing big deals all day, sales feels like a breeze. But what happens on the rough days? What gets intrepid sales reps out of bed to battle through the tough times and turn things around?
We spoke to the charismatic sales folks on Colorado’s software-selling front lines this week to learn what — apart from those big commissions — motivates them to keep coming back. The result is an interesting look inside the unique sales cultures at three Denver-based tech companies.
RingCentral unifies voice, video, messaging and conferencing communication tools in a single cloud-based platform. Headquartered in Denver, the company works with businesses of all sizes.
Vertical BDR Manager Arlington Shirley finds motivation in his coworkers, and his team’s enduring sense of community.
Tell us a little bit about the product you sell and why you're genuinely passionate about selling them.
RingCentral offers a unified communications platform that allows organizations to efficiently communicate internally and externally, while eliminating a lot of the typical issues with legacy on-premises systems. I am genuinely passionate about our product and this market because it is ever-evolving, and communication is the key to success no matter what you are trying to achieve in a team or organizational setting. That is what we, as a company, are enabling our customers to do — communicate in an efficient fashion and ultimately be successful in what they are trying to achieve.
We are all one big team and family...”
Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?
I’d have to say the thing that motivates me the most to succeed in my role is the success of my team and peers. Coming from a sports background I learned extremely early that it is not about my individual success, but the success of my teammates — and that is something that everyone here at RingCentral embodies. We are all one big team and family, and the success of my peers is what I view as success for myself.
FRONTSTEPS goes above and beyond the usual SaaS functionality with its “resident engagement platform” designed to help homeowners associations and realtors connect communities and manage day-to-day operations. In addition to website and document storage services, the software also features a “community newsfeed” and other engagement tools.
Sales Director Steve Denis loves the feeling when a sale transitions through the onboarding phase and results in happy customers.
Tell us a little bit about the product you sell and why you're genuinely passionate about selling them.
We sell a variety of software solutions in multiple verticals in the real estate, homeowner and rental space. On everything from accounting to security to package tracking, FRONTSTEPS has you covered. It is a modular product, so you can use only what you need, and our clients can grow within the software as their needs change on-site. You never have a bad meeting or demonstration when selling a product like FRONTSTEPS. Even if a potential client does not go with our solution, they are never disappointed to see what we are doing, or feel like their time was wasted. Showing clients a software that saves them time and money is a fun conversation to have, especially when you see that they “get it.”
When we have a successful sale or are onboarding a happy client, it’s the result of the entire team.”
Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?
We are a family. Helping other team members and unlocking obstacles to help them succeed and reach their goals is a huge motivating factor for me. It’s not about working for FRONTSTEPS — it about working with and for each other. Our success as a group is reliant on each one of us doing our job. When we have a successful sale or are onboarding a happy client, it’s the result of the entire team. When that flow happens, it’s a really satisfying feeling and we celebrate that every time.
Few industries are more ripe for digital technology-driven disruption than the $8.5 trillion residential mortgage industry. Maxwell’s answer is a SaaS application that automates mortgage lender workflows, and streamlines collaboration between homebuyers and their realtors — leaving lenders with more time to build relationships and close on those loans.
Account Executive Chad Duncan believes in his company’s product because it recognizes that the human touch is important in real estate, and doesn’t push automation too far.
Tell us a little bit about the product/s you sell and why you're genuinely passionate about selling them.
Buying a home is a cornerstone moment in your life, but the steps toward homeownership aren’t exactly enjoyable. Mortgage borrowers rank the mortgage process up there with a painful trip to the dentist in terms of stress, and in 2019 the average mortgage loan takes a whopping 47 days to close. Some mortgage tech companies are struggling to find their foothold because they’ve gone too far in the digital direction, automating away the most valuable part of the process — the loan officers themselves. But mortgages are complex, and borrowers deserve a better experience led by a mortgage professional they know and trust. That’s why we built Maxwell — to empower lenders to spend less time pushing paper so they can focus on building those crucial relationships with their borrowers for an experience that’s personal and pleasant, rather than painful.
...it’s so rewarding knowing that I’m a part of something bigger...”
Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?
The most rewarding part of working for Maxwell is knowing that I’m not just selling a product — I’m helping to build the next iteration of the “American Dream.” Our company mission is to spread financial empowerment and turn the tide of homeownership, and everything about Maxwell — from our culture to our product — speaks to that larger goal. We always talk about how owning a home is the quickest way to build wealth and it’s so rewarding knowing that I’m a part of something bigger, and that the work I do truly has an impact at both the individual and macro level.
