How to make the most of your potential and progress in software sales

I’ve been with Capita Workforce Management for two year now, working as an Account Manager. I started as a Junior Account Manager when I first joined and then progressed into my current role where I’m responsible for some of our highest paying and most important customers. When I was first looking for jobs, what really attracted me to Capita was the fact that Capita is a recognisable company, with an expanding software division. I thought that would mean the opportunity for development within the company.

I’ve been really lucky with how quickly I’ve been able to develop in my role, especially as this was my first role in sales, straight after university.

When I first started one of my colleagues was going on maternity leave, so initially my role involved managing a bit of the website. I had 10-20 accounts to begin with, just small, low priority ones, then I gained some big accounts early on and started moving up.

Setting expectations

I think it pays to be open to helping out wherever you can. When I was a junior, I had to look after stock controlling for a week. That wasn’t part of my job description, but you know you’re helping the team and actually it helps you progress too. Being open to getting involved and embracing new things can really benefit you in the long run, and people will remember you for it.

I’d also say that within software sales, you’ve got to be ready to take the rough with the smooth. There are days where you can be on the phone all day long, but there are also times where you have some really nice conversations. So I’d say, don’t expect it to be all about sales. There will be days where you’re not bringing in any money, because you need to focus on other things. You’ll need to build strong relationships with your customers and that takes time. If you can focus on helping them, instead of just selling, then they’ll naturally want to buy more.

Surrounded by support

My team is quite small so we really help each other out. When I first started they took me under their wing and even before his promotion my manager used to mentor me. He still gives me pep talks and tells me things to watch out for.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to have a colleague in New Business who took me out on software demos with clients, which was quite eye opening. It really helps your development, because there are so many different ways of doing a demo. What you show customers is different each time, depending on the situation and if it’s new or existing customers.

It’s never really felt like I was a junior to anyone else, because we were all doing the same job and that’s made it easier to move up.