Working in sales is a bit like being a character in an old Wild West movie — in a moment anything can change. You could strike gold, or see a deal ride off into the sunset without you.
The unpredictability of sales is part of what draws a lot of people to the role and what pushes others away. On one hand, sales can come with massive perks and opportunities when a representative does well. On the other, sometimes closing a deal feels like a constant struggle. The ones who tend to ‘strike gold’ are the ones with a well-managed sales team backing them up.
Built In spoke with two sales leaders who shared about how their team helps them be successful every day.
MVF provides customer generation for some of the world’s largest companies.
What does a typical day look like for you at MVF?
I’m an enterprise account executive and have been at MVF for five and a half years.
My current role is full-cycle sales, which means I have a wide range of responsibilities stretching from key account growth to cold calling. A typical day would start with a quick scan of our CRM and Slack channels to see if there are any fires to put out or exciting updates I can present to my clients.
From there, it’s a mixture of client calls, prospecting, internal comms and reaching out to prospects. Occasionally I’ll have days that involve analyzing data (but I usually leave that to the marketing operations team) or creating presentations for business reviews with clients. Each day there’s something different to tackle.
What is your favorite part about your job? What about the most challenging aspect?
Out of all those activities, and I may be considered weird for this, there’s nothing more interesting than a prospect answering a cold call — each one is unique and you get the opportunity to learn and adapt in real time based on live feedback.
There’s nothing more interesting than a prospect answering a cold call — each one is unique and you get the opportunity to learn and adapt in real time based on live feedback.”
It’s exciting when you convert those calls through to opportunities and long-term relationships. These relationships can lead to face-to-face meetings, dinners and mutually beneficial relationships that last years — but sales are hard. Once you’ve closed, the job isn’t over. And sometimes it can be a challenge to continuously prove value once they’re a client.
Performance marketing is based on results, so you have to work hard to manage expectations (internally as well as externally) to get the best outcomes for both the client and MVF. This balancing act is always tough — but over time you build solid relationships with colleagues who all pull together to solve any issues that are presented.
What are some of the perks or opportunities at MVF that you value most?
During my tenure, I’ve had several different opportunities to test myself and hone skills. For me personally, I’ve enjoyed being an individual contributor but have been able to interview for people management roles to see whether I’d suit and enjoy another path.
In that time, I’ve been involved in strategy discussions so that I can have a say on where I think we should focus as a business. This is all offered whilst having a fantastic work/life balance — something that is incredibly important to me. Having a manager that is flexible with time and personal appointments is a breath of fresh air.
I’ve made great friends at MVF and have even been lucky enough to go to Ibiza twice after hitting companywide targets. It’s a friendly environment and regular drinks after work or sports clubs have kept me happy over the years … and I’m sure there’s more to come.
Unchained Capital is a blockchain financial services company that lends cash to long-term crypto holders.
What do your days usually look like at Unchained?
I have the pleasure of helping individuals and businesses navigate the world of bitcoin. For some, that begins with foundational education on the value bitcoin can bring to them and the world. For others who already share this understanding, I act as a guide for acquiring bitcoin, securing it appropriately and maximizing its value through financial services Unchained offers.
My days are filled with fascinating conversations with people in various stages of their bitcoin journey. Consultation meetings with prospective clients focus on answering questions about our products and services and helping them get started down the right path. I respond to client inquiries throughout the day, make outbound calls to maintain important relationships and build new ones, and drive large enterprise deals forward.
My days are filled with fascinating conversations with people in various stages of their bitcoin journey.”
Social media interaction and podcast interviews enable brand development for Unchained and me personally. I also travel quite a bit, attending and speaking at conferences and meetups around the United States.
Being involved in product development and pricing discussions ensures valuable insights from my client conversations and market interactions are reflected in the company’s roadmap.
How do you balance the best parts of your job with the aspects that are more challenging?
I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to pair my passion with my career. Bitcoin solves critical problems at the foundation of the global monetary and financial system, and I’m a firm believer in the mantra “fix the money, fix the world.” My favorite part of my job is helping to drive bitcoin adoption through education and building relationships with people who share that vision.
The most challenging aspect of my job is keeping pace with the overwhelming demand for Unchained’s services, which leads to an overwhelming demand for my time. Jam-packed days leave little time for reflection, strategic planning and deep work. Overcoming those challenges requires intentional prioritization and a little bit of “c’est la vie.” Bitcoin adoption is growing exponentially, and it feels like there are limitless opportunities throughout the ecosystem.
Does Unchained have opportunities for advancement from your perspective?
Unchained has a small but growing sales team. In such an emerging industry, deep expertise in bitcoin combined with extensive sales experience is difficult to find. Sales development representatives are a natural entry point that provide on-the-job training for communicating Unchained’s value proposition and identifying key opportunities to expand our client base. More senior sales team members focus on building deep relationships with strategic clients, developing and closing large deals, and building referral networks to drive new business.
The biggest career development opportunities and perks for a sales professional in the bitcoin world — and especially at Unchained — come from the network they can build. Attending conferences, building relationships with clients and working closely with other bitcoin professionals provides access to extremely smart and talented people who are excited to help other bitcoiners who share their values.
