One way AvePoint fosters a culture where you are empowered to make an impact, own (y)our future, and unleash the power of YOU is through internal mobility opportunities. There are many ways to step up and take on new roles – whether it’s moving into a different field, progressing in your chosen career path, or relocating to a different region – all right here at AvePoint.
Dan Pulka, Karen Devaney, Kevin Burk, and Jordan Harvey all began their careers here as Mid-Market Account Executives over 6 years ago. While each of them has their own unique skill sets and perspectives, they share how the common thread of how Teamwork, one of our Core Values is the driving force helping them succeed as they’ve taken on different roles within AvePoint. We sat down with each of them to give you a glimpse into what it takes – and how AvePoint supports – colleagues who take on different roles within the company.
How did your initial role in Mid-Market Sales prepare you for the promotion to Enterprise Sales?
Dan Pulka, Senior Account Executive – Enterprise Sales |
Dan: “There’s a higher volume of sales when selling to mid-market customers, which allows you to see many more instances of how people use our technology. I was able to learn a lot about our industry, through winning and losing deals that helped prepare me for a more consultative selling approach for enterprise customers.” |
Karen Devaney, Senior Account Executive – Enterprise Sales |
Karen: “I built a great foundation as a Mid-Market rep by learning how to work through opportunities with our greater virtual account team like Legal, Pre Sales Engineers and Marketing. My manager showed me who to loop in behind the ‘curtain’ to get deals closed. We really do win together.” |
What did you learn along the way?
Kevin Burk, Senior Account Executive – Enterprise Sales |
Kevin: “Leaning on other people during is key. I sought out feedback and took advice from various sales leaders. This helped me to learn what skills I needed to improve and develop. People here are very open to lending a hand and helping one another improve. As far as selling to larger, more complex customers, I learned that there are more steps to work through and the most important thing is to identify a champion within the prospective customer’s company.” |
Jordan Harvey, Senior Account Executive – Enterprise Sales |
Jordan: “You need to leverage your internal ecosystem to determine if we have a chance to win deals. At the enterprise level, the numerical figures we put in front of people are off-putting for some because the business justification is huge. I’ve learned how to assess when customers are ready to buy, which helps with time management and knowing which opportunities to focus on.” |
What are you getting out of it that makes you feel so good?
Karen: “Because it does take so much more work, you are proud of yourself when you’ve closed a net new client through developing relationships and seeing the deal through. But of course, the money is also very rewarding!”
Jordan: “Being able to earn more money. Plus knowing you are helping solve their problems and will likely renew for the next 5 years.”
Kevin: “Relationship building, when someone you’ve sold to goes to a new company, it feels good knowing you’ve built a trusted advisor relationship and they will buy from you again. And the money!”
Dan: “Money is better. Plus, being able to tell friends and family members about the big-name brands you’ve sold to feels good.”
What advice do you have for someone at AvePoint who is interested in a new role within the organization?
Karen: “Patience is key. I went from being a top seller to being last on the seller board in year one because it takes time to prospect new customers and the sales cycle is longer. It feels uneasy at first, but in time you see how all your hard work pays off.”
Kevin: “Go for it and don’t be scared if it takes you a while to ramp up. It’s a big transition and takes time. Trust that the company promoted you to the role because of the skills you have and will also be patient with you while you grow.”
Jordan: “When you’re the best at mid-market, you’re not doing a ton of prospecting anymore. The first 1-2 years of enterprise sales is a grind. Be patient. Trust your internal ecosystem. You can do everything right and it can still fall apart at the last second. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Dan: “Have some humility when you move into it. You may have been successful in mid-market but it’s a new process. Take a lot of current knowledge but understand moving to enterprise sales is another learning curve. Be open to learning. Understand you may fail. Things that worked in mid-market may not work in enterprise sales. Understand you’re starting from the beginning.”
All shared that finding an internal support system was something they advise as it helps create a space to ask for constructive criticism and get advice while you make the transition to a new role.
To learn more about how our colleagues continue to grow, develop and take on new opportunities to make an impact at AvePoint, visit our careers website.
