Tell us a bit about yourself and what you're up to now
Dad of 4 and devoted husband which is at the core of what I do everything for.
Genuinely time poor as you can imagine with such a busy house, however with the time I do have I volunteer for a local food bank, I am also in the process of building a car community and longer term have aspirations to found my own tech company.
I rarely find time to exercise which is something I am desperately working on solving, however I like to cook and believe in clean eating which has a number of benefits around mindfulness and energy. So I like to believe in half way there with the diet and the exercise will come back soon.
What was your journey into a career in Tech Sales
I was in corporate hospitality sales prior to tech sales. Sold hospitality boxes and suites at sporting venues around the UK to the corporate market. I ended up managing the team I started in and spent over 5 years here. I quickly realised how dynamic, lucrative and fast pace the tech environment was and desperately started applying, only being faced with rejection after rejection based on having no prior tech experience. I started to get creative on who I started to reach out to at these tech companies at a C-suite level. As you can imagine no one responded, until one day one did… the rest is history but long story short, they have me a shot at that was my in. Happy to share the long version when we speak. My mentor has a great saying… ‘You only miss the shots you don’t take’ which I stand by
What would you say are the best things about working in Tech Sales
Really understanding how a business operates, what is important and how technology can truly give them that competitive advantage. Equally when it goes wrong, it could also be an extinction event hence why it’s typically at the core of most business, even in our own day to day lives. The autonomy, flexibility and culture are night and day compared to the previous industry I was in.
What advice would you give to someone who is just about to start their career in sales
Invest in yourself and where the role after this initial role leads to. It will be tough, there will be tears, with larger ups and downs but it gets more and more enjoyable as you really start to see how fast you develop. If you like being comfortable and are adverse to change, perhaps it’s not the industry for you. Also don’t give up, turn the negatives (rejections) into positives. Start building that network today as you may even approach the rejections in the coming years with an even more impactful story
Why did you decide to join Tangent as a Mentor and why should others join as Mentors too
I absolutely love helping others. I have aspirations to develop my career into leadership. I value my network and every interaction along the way. Meeting new people fascinates me and I love understanding their stories and aspirations. I hope I can deposit even a small nugget of my humble opinion to help positively impact and accelerate their career and potential
Ready to make a difference?
A few hours a month, a lifetime of impact. Tangent connects you with aspiring Business Development Reps from socially diverse backgrounds for short-term mentoring and an employee referral.
Sign up to be a Tangent Mentor today 👇
