Meet Richelle, a Corporate Account Executive on the UK & Ireland (UKI) corporate sales team at HubSpot Dublin. Joining HubSpot in March 2020, Richelle brings over ten years of enterprise sales experience with her to the corporate sales team, and spends her days helping HubSpot’s enterprise customers grow better. In this Q&A Richelle dives into the world of corporate sales, sharing her tips and best practices for success. Here’s what she had to say...

Can you tell us a little bit about your sales background and journey to HubSpot?

Since the beginning of my career I’ve always worked in the IT and technology sector. But before joining HubSpot I worked in sales roles in Oracle and Xerox. The ever changing landscape of technology and digitization, along with the way we as humans interact with, and learn from technology in our working world, really excites me and keeps things interesting.

What exactly is a Corporate Account Executive and how is it different to other Account Executive roles?

Life as a Corporate Account Executive is very different to traditional Account Executive roles that might work with small or medium-sized businesses. Namely it’s a challenging role with a more prolonged sales cycle, lots of moving parts, and at times can be tough. First and foremost, that's because you’re dealing with managing many different relationships within the C-level and across an organization, where everyone’s challenges are different and important to them. You need to cater for this, listen, and be patient. As a Corporate Account Executive, essentially you’re a consultant, and so you must act accordingly, bringing value and trust as you go about the sales process. You must educate your stakeholders along their journey, be a project manager, deal with high value commercials, know your competitive environment, and know where your product sits. On the corporate sales team you’ve got to be patient, and be prepared to wait possibly six months to a year, or even longer to close some deals. Timelines make the corporate role different to any other sales role, as do the higher value deals you will be working on.

Walk us through what a typical day looks like for you on the corporate sales team?

As a Corporate Account Executive, how you organise your day, week, and month is key for success. The HubSpot CRM and sales tools give me the structure I need, and help me stay prepared. That means having my tasks set up every day, which deals I should prioritize for the week, and my admin ready for my manager. Do as much as you can to prepare for demos, especially as a new hire. Control the controllables where possible as the more prepared you are the less any uncertainty will phase you. Know your key stakeholders, what matters to them, and what value you can bring to those conversations. Ahead of a big call with a key stakeholder, I’ll ask my manager or mentor (or both) what they think - you can never have enough ideas to bring to those calls to set you apart from your competition

What skills are critical for success in a corporate sales role?

You've got to be a hard worker, you've got to graft, ask questions, be curious, be humble, be open to learning new things, and not be afraid to feel so uncomfortable during the learning stages. Being uncomfortable is worth it, and will make you a more well rounded and successful sales professional in the end. You’ve also got to have a growth mindset, be willing to find the solution not the problem, be tenacious, and most importantly, be kind and respectful to your network. A career in corporate sales is a great opportunity, and HubSpot is a great company to work for. I’ve meet the most amazing people on my HubSpot journey so far.

What piece of advice would you give to somebody looking to break into a career in corporate sales?

Watch, listen, and learn from those you admire. Ask questions, be curious, and tell someone on a corporate team in your organization that the Corporate Account Executive role is what you aspire to do. I guarantee you will be given the support you need. Get a mentor, speak to your manager, and make your aspirations known. Sometimes expressing your goals and showing purpose is half the battle.

What attracted you to a career in sales at HubSpot?

A lot of my peers had actually moved to HubSpot before me, and the fact that HubSpot was named the #1 Best Place to Work in 2020 instantly spiked my interest in getting a foot in the door. The company culture, the trust, the belief they have in their people, and how they empower your success is something I have never ever seen in any other organization. What really did it for me was attending a women in sales event last November. Hearing how women are empowered in the workplace during the session blew me away, and here I am sharing my story a year later!

As a recent new-hire, what was the onboarding and ramp-up experience like?

My onboarding experience was amazing. The Sales Learning and Development team had every day (and every hour) organized, with set goals at the end of the month, which really keeps you engaged and focused. During the ramp period after onboarding, my mentor and manager were there (without judgement) at every turn, be it to answer questions, offer discovery call support, demo support, or even being an ear for the odd rant or vent! These professionals are amazing, and stick by you even at your most uncomfortable. This makes for such a strong bond, and a far better, and stronger Account Executive.

If you weren’t in sales, what would you be doing?

I’m a fitness and wellbeing expert, so maybe selling in that space. I love selling, so unless I’m six feet under, I will always be selling!

Learn more about a career in corporate sales at HubSpot on our website. And you can meet more of the corporate sales team, Dan and Hannah, on the careers blog.