Welcome to the team! What did you do before you started at SDRaaS?

Suayb: “I studied International Business Management, and worked as a sales field coach, coaching a team of sales advisors spread all over the Netherlands. This required visiting different branches of Media Markt, advising my team members and helping them develop their own sales skills.”Tum: “I studied Concept Development and Trend Watching. After my studies, I served on the board of the international student association I*ESN Tilburg, helping international students find their way in Tilburg. As a board member, we were collectively responsible for acquisition.”

Why did you both decide to apply for a job in sales here?

Tum: “A friend of mine, Paul Vissers, was already working at the company. We got to know each other in Norway, where we studied together for half a year. I was looking for a position in sales, preferably tech sales, so his call came at exactly the right time!”Suayb: “After finishing my studies and while working as a sales coach, I also started looking for a position in B2B sales. Although I enjoyed selling directly to consumers, I found innovative solutions for companies way more interesting. After a while, the in-company recruiter reached out to me.”

So why do you both find tech sales appealing?

Tum: “Mainly because of my studies. Trend Watching and Concept Development may both sound very different from working in sales, but it might surprise you to hear that there is a lot of overlap. In the end, it’s all about marketing, finding the right proposition. And I greatly enjoy the innovative side of it.”Suayb: “That’s true for me as well. We are living in a very tech-oriented time, in which we are using and profiting from innovative technology all the time. Then there’s also the fact that tech sales, pandemic notwithstanding, are still booming. Not only does that say something about the importance of tech sales, but it also makes it feel like the right choice at the right time.”

How does your job differ from a more traditional sales role?

Suayb: “As a Sales Development Representative, I take care of the first step in the sales process. While it might look small in the grander scheme of things, there is no meeting – let alone deal – without it. At the same time, it provides me with the opportunity to talk to a lot of different parties and fine-tune my approach.”Tum: “I wholeheartedly agree. And to add to what Suayb is saying – I like the fact that we are cooperating, instead of competing, with one another. Which is what you sometimes hear about sales organizations. We’re constantly sharing information, quickly becoming the best version of ourselves.”

Like you mentioned, these are strange times, forcing us to work from home most of the time. How do you guys cope?

Suayb: “On the one hand, not having to travel to the office saves a lot of time. But I quickly discovered that getting out of bed later doesn’t work for me. Therefore, I usually get up just as early as I would have normally, to get some sort of structure in place. I find it best to take it one day at a time.”Tum: “I have some experience working from home, and I found I need to pay attention to the practical side of things. Because before I knew it, I was sitting behind my desk the whole day. At the office, you would go for a cup of coffee with a colleague and have a talk with one of your coworkers. I taught myself to work standing and to go for walks.“