Tell us a bit about yourself and what you're up to now
Having come from a small town in Ireland, with a background in the Irish language, traditionally I would have been directed towards becoming a teacher, but I had no interest in the repetitiveness of working in a school.
I grew up a swimmer, but was more interested in coaching (mostly because I was slow) which led me to having an opportunity to coach in the US.
Now I'm an account executive working the Nordic market with Datadog, something I never would have imagined doing growing up.
What was your journey into a career in Tech Sales
I studied Business and Irish in university, it was through my studies that I worked for a law firm helping with marketing and legal procurement. I hated the day-to-day repetitiveness, the work culture and the lack of individuality within the job; which led me to discovering the world of tech. I was lucky that covid hit and I was made redundant within the law firm, it gave me the time and opportunity to find a career that fitted my personality and ambition. My favourite thing about sales is that it is a flexible career, there's no one career path you have to follow.
What would you say are the best things about working in Tech Sales
The best thing about sales is how flexible it is. I've met people from different career paths from nurses, bartenders and musicians break into sales and become successful. Whether you're people oriented or process driven, you can make an impact within a sales org with the skills you already have.
Also, through sales I've gained a wealth of knowledge of company stages (startup, pre ipo and post ipo), industries (HR, Markering and Engineering) and segments (SMB, Commercial, Enterprise and NPO) within various markets (US, UKI, Benelux and Nordics). I've even had the opportunity to travel to 5 countries multiple times over the years.
What advice would you give to someone who is just about to start their career in sales
Make human connections both internally and externally. Sales has its ups and downs, but it's the people you sit with in a day to day basis that will help on those down days and make those up days even more memorable. But also, people get spammed with sales messages every day, stand out from the crowd and show that you're not just copying and pasting, invest time into the people you prospect and it will pay off over time.
Why did you decide to join Tangent as a Mentor and why should others join as Mentors too
I wouldn't be where I am today without those in the tech world guiding me, especially during the early days of my career.
Given how fortunate I've been, I want to give back to those of similar background as me and ideally follow their successful sales journey.
Also, given my background in coaching, I want to continue to exercise that muscle.
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 👇
