Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re up to now
My name is Conor, I grew up on the Isle of Wight & lived there for 16 years. I then moved over to the mainland and then to the USA to follow my passion for being a professional golfer, which as you gathered didn't go to plan :)
Currently I still love playing golf socially with friends. Big Chelsea fan. I have a 1 year old daughter and a 3 year old fox red Labrador who keep me busy! I currently work at Phenom and have been here for approaching 3 years.
What was your journey into a career in Tech Sales?
Before Phenom I worked in recruitment which was a nice gateway into tech sales as it ties in with our product. But this gave me a great understanding of how business’s run and fundamental skills and work ethic I need to be successful.
Joining Phenom was pure coincidence. A colleague who had just left my old company referred me for a role which I couldn’t say no to!
What would you say are the best things about working in tech sales?
There are a number of fantastic things about working in tech sales. The first being the people. You are surrounded by like minded individuals that you can bounce ideas off, get motivation from and inspire each other to do great things. For me personally, I get to come to work every day, help people, watch them grow and be successful. That is so rewarding!!
Second reason would be career development. I don’t think you will find an industry with such aggressive growth and innovative technology. With growth, comes opportunity so you will have the ability to move up the ranks quickly if you are a top performer.
Lastly would be the earning potential. I can’t lie - the money is great and I think you would struggle finding another industry that pays this well for these kind of roles. On top of this the commission structure and OTE is an added bonus, typically with uncapped earnings on commission.
What advice would you give to someone who is just about to start their career in sales?
Don’t be distracted by the shiny titles and the commission plans. Sales is hard! You will have lots and lots of down days alongside some very rewarding days. I always like to celebrate the small wins but never get to high and never get to low. This typically helps to maintain a level or calmness to be able to do your job to your best ability.
Second reason is to find your why. Without your why you will be striving for something unknown. I would strongly advise to take a few minutes to yourself and understand why you want to do this job and what it is you want to achieve. This way you can then start to set goals for yourself which is aligned to your “why”
Why did you decide to join Tangent as a Mentor and why should others join as Mentors too?
I joined Tangent because I think this a great way to give back. Coming from a fairly privileged background with a good set of connections I know how valuable referrals can be. I have seen friends with a great network behind them go on to do amazing things and on the other side of the fence I know people who do not have access to these connections and doors have not been opened as a result. So I think it is super important for me to be able to give back and help open doors for others aspiring to get into the industry.
Ready to make a difference?
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 👇
