“Hi! I’m Jen, and I manage the Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) who work on the early stages of our sales process here at Gearset.”
“I’ve been in management for the last 11 years, and pivoted my career from security and operations to sales. My role here is to onboard, train, and develop outreach strategies for the SDRs to maximise our opportunity generation.”
What made you join Gearset?
“The first thing that stood out to me when I found Gearset was how they described their team and the people they wanted to work with. The interviews for the Sales Development Manager role reinforced this. Several interviews, a move up to Cambridge and 2 years later - here I am.
I was job hunting during the peak of the pandemic and it was particularly challenging. Not many companies were hiring for managers and those that were, didn’t really fit what I was looking for!”
How would you describe the culture in the Sales team?
“In terms of background and route into sales, we’re a pretty diverse team. Some of us came straight from education, some from other sales roles, and some of us made a complete career pivot.
However folks find us, it’s important to me that new joiners feel welcome and know they’ll be supported to be successful. I’m lucky to have worked with 12 cohorts of SDRs who have since passed through my team into other positions in the business, and it’s great to see them moving into success in their new roles.”
How does your team like to work?
“As a sales team, we have a tight process to ensure everyone can be successful. However, the beauty of sales is that it really lends itself to individuals and everyone has their own style.
Our team tackles things as a group, and one thing that really characterises us is the support each rep gives each other. We’re a strong group of people who care about the success of the team, and so work together, not as individuals. It means if you’re off sick or taking holiday, it’s far less stressful knowing the team is happy to help you out until you get back.”
What are you most excited about as your team continues to grow?
“Being an SDR leader is a bit like being a teacher - I work with some amazing people, but I know the end goal is to coach them to be successful and get them ready for their next role at the company. The thing that gets me out of bed is that moment when someone I’ve been working closely with grasps a new concept or tackles something that’s a challenge for them.”
Why should someone join Gearset?
“Why wouldn’t you? My best advice to anyone looking for a job, is to look for a company that fits with your ideals and the way you like to work.
When I was first applying for Gearset, I was nervous it would be a super technical company and I wouldn’t be able to understand the product. Turns out I needn’t have worried! The in-house product training got me up to speed with all the technical ins and outs of the product. But, you always have someone to go to for advice or questions.”
Tell us something we probably don’t know about you.
“I used to work at the Tower of London, looking after the Crown Jewels. I’m lucky enough to have seen the jewels out of their cases, ready for transport to be worn by the royal family.”
Which Gearset Slack channel do you hang out in most?
“#animalympics & #arts-and-crafts: there’s a huge pool of talent as well as cute animals at Gearset - maybe that’s the main reason to join!”