Getting new AE's confident

When you were a brand new AE... with no track record of success + you were probably not very confident but eager to get going and prove yourself...


  • What helped you to get confident?
  • Did you get any specific training that was really helpful?
  • Did your leader do anything to help you succeed? Or did they kinda suck?
๐Ÿ‘‘ Sales Strategy
๐ŸฅŽ Training
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12
Rallier
Politicker
3
SDR Manager and Consultant
The ability to listen to call recordings. Gong made my onboarding a thousand times easier. I felt prepared because I knew what prospects typically would ask
Don_Retardo
Opinionated
2
Enterprise Account Executive
For me it was not being afraid of asking questions to people internally, even people I had never spoken to before. Understanding end to end process of the solution I was selling in combination with having meetings, making mistakes and learning from them. Seldom I had people join in on calls to work on deals jointly and I realized that I actually new more than a lot of people. Confidence comes with experience and knowing/understanding what you are selling. Individual how fast it goes.

my training was terrible, mostly learn by doing for me and having no shame in asking for help.ย 
SADNES5
Politicker
2
down voters are marketing spies
Get them in the trenches as fast as possible with clients that you know won't bite. Let them tag along with other AEs on meets. Get a feel for how people respond.

I think the hardest part about the confidence, is getting the "I know it" to "I understand it" aspect.ย 
funcoupons
WR Officer
2
๐Ÿ‘‘
1) Ongoing training about the sales process and product. Mainly from my manager, but having the opportunity to call shadow and participate in team training sessions was also valuable.

2) Being allowed to get my hands dirty and make mistakes. I'm happy my manager didn't hover over my every move, I learn a lot better that way.

3) A positive team/culture that celebrates wins. My team mates often checked in with me, told their own war stories, and offered help whenever I needed it.ย 
CaneWolf
Politicker
1
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
1) Coaching/belief from a manager. Having a steady hand who's done it (my boss was very seasoned) made a huge impact. I still do some of the stuff he taught me.
2) Self-belief
3) Just doing the job. The unknown brings fear but getting at-bats helps you learn really quickly. Even if the opps are kind of shitty, it's a good way to get acclimated quickly.
Artemis
Politicker
1
Business Development Representative
I'm still a BDR, but I should be in an AE role within 2 months. What's really helped me is my reps encouraging me to participate in the meetings I bring in with prospects. They encourage me to add insight, ask and answer questions, and actively participate in the conversations.
braintank
Politicker
0
Enterprise Account Executive
I made it a habit to not talk to any AEs until they closed a deal. Ostracizing and peer pressure work.
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
If this isn't a joke (I think it is), I'm just picturing you introducing yourself to somebody in his or her 7th month.
TheMagician
0
Senior District Manager
I hate when managers try to bribe us to produce (donโ€™t get me wrong though, love me a drink on someone elseโ€™s dime). Especially as a new hire I cared more about getting the support to start rolling faster, rather than dangle something unrealistic in my face. Pay attention to small things, congratulate them for all the steps they take.ย 
DonDraper
Politicker
0
National Sales Manager
I am doing that right now. 2 new BDMs - I am showing them what success looks like. Conduct the meetings, show how to follow up. They will get the deals and commission, but they need to be shown the way.
Beans
Big Shot
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Let them ghost.

I do like having recordings, however being able to question live and take notes is a better experience.ย 
MrNiche
Valued Contributor
0
Senior Account Executive
Listen to call recordings & just dial all day long. Get hung up on until you know how to navigate objections. It's very obvious down the line to see who put in the work early on. If managers or successful reps tell you to make 50 calls a day, make 65 until you get to a point where you only need to make 40 to get the same results. Fuck up until you get great. All else fails, work your ass off & leadership will notice you're at least doing the right things.

Secondly, only meet with top performers. Don't waste your time meeting with the 80% to quota reps because you're friends with them - they'll tell you how to get to 80%.ย 

Top performers have a proven track record of success & this isn't grade school - copy off your friends to mimic their success, it's that simple. Take in feedback/advice from the 3 best reps on your team & figure out ways to integrate their tricks into your process.

Find 2-3 top performers and meet with them monthly. Come prepared to these meetings & tell them the ways you implemented their feedback so they can emphasize on it further.
16
Members only

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Question
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5

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Advice
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39
Members only

AEs.. How long did it take you in your previous position (BDR, AM, etc.) to get to a closing role?

Question
23