What It’s Really Like to Work in Sales at Promenade Group

Your name: Ashley Miley 
Your title: Sales Development Representative 3
How long have you been at Promenade Group? 11 months

After studying psychology in college, I wanted a career that would allow me to talk to many different kinds of people and hone my interpersonal and communication skills. I thought tech sales would be a great way to do that and make a difference in others’ lives. It’s important to me to believe in what I’m selling, and I wanted to align myself with a lucrative career path as well.

Promenade’s mission and core values immediately stood out to me. I loved the idea of disrupting the industry and helping small businesses thrive, not just survive. I was also impressed by how natural the conversations were throughout the interview process and how closely my values aligned with Promenade’s. I knew I was presented with an opportunity to thrive and not just survive as an employee as well.

We are responsible for the initial outreach to small businesses. We do that by identifying small businesses that could benefit from our solutions, and then we let them know how we can help. We set up consultations with our specialists that evolve into partnerships; our solutions are then implemented and leveraged to make a positive impact on the small businesses we work with. It is our job to identify common pain points owners may be facing to show the value of our product and how we can be the solution.

A normal day in the office starts off with coffee, saying hello to my coworkers and then I take a look at my pipeline to see where the opportunities lie for the day. I start at 7:30 a.m. and leave by 4:30 p.m. The schedule was an adjustment at first, but those are the best hours to get in touch with the most businesses. We make phone calls and email businesses throughout the day and roll through our cadences to complete steps in the sales process. A good day usually means booking a few consultations and turning already scheduled consultations into real opportunities.

The structure has evolved since I started and will most likely continue as time goes on since we are always striving to be better. Currently, all of our account executives are trained in each industry we specialize in and they work with companies of all sizes. The account executives have the sales development representative team’s support to help generate leads, but they are also responsible for generating leads themselves. Our sales teams include both AEs and SDRs, and SDRs are able to book meetings with AEs outside of their team.

Integrity, determination, empathy, the ability to speak up and ask for help when you need it, and an interest in relationship building are essential to succeeding as a salesperson at Promenade. The skill that has been most essential to me as an SDR is speaking up and asking for help, because we all have to start somewhere. The more you show that you care and are willing to learn, the more support you get, and the more the company invests in you.

I'm currently training for the account executive in-training role, which motivates me to keep going and assures me that all the hard work is paying off and that I'm growing as a person and in my career here. I also have been asked to help with some training sessions for new employees, which I love because connecting with more senior colleagues when I first started was very beneficial and I want to give back to new people coming in to help them have a similar experience.

I tied a company record of 40 meetings held in a month and I brought in more than 10 deals that were mostly revenue share within my first three months here. It has also been a huge accomplishment that I either hit or exceeded my personal and company goals almost every month.

We use Salesforce, Salesloft, Google, Confluence, and Chilipiper for our day-to-day CRM and to help us stay organized and on top of things.

We receive an hourly base pay plus commission based on performance. Our commission is tiered, so the more you perform, the more you make. There are also long-term goals for SDR 2 and 3 that are based on overall numbers and you’re guaranteed a bonus once you hit those targets.

Success is measured based on improvement and consistency. Between those two, however, consistency is key. Being able to produce the same results month after month is more reliable, valuable and impressive. Versatility is also great. Promenade specializes in specific types of small businesses, so the ability to sell to different business types or learn about new product lines quickly shows a level of deeper understanding.

We use something called Hoopla to recognize success. Hoopla notifies the department when deals are signed or when a salesperson schedules multiple consultations for that day. We also have weekly sales meetings where we highlight “a player of the week” for their contributions. If you are recognized in the meeting, you get to spin a wheel and win a prize ranging from a free lunch to $150 in cash.

In the SDR role, you start off in “ramp.” Ramp is the time period where your quota progresses more slowly over a longer period of time so you can really learn the process and improve your skills. You then progress to SDR 1,2, and 3. Once you are an SDR 3, you start learning the account executive in-training role. Once you hit the goals for that position, you take a test. If you pass the test, you are officially promoted to the next role in the company.

Talking with your managers and showing an interest in ways to progress and move up quickly is the best way to advance here. The company loves to hire from within, so get to know leadership, share your goals with them, and ask for advice and resources to make it happen!

I love the fact that the company values our personal wellbeing, and they understand that we have lives outside of our jobs. Promenade’s culture is uplifting, supportive, and fun. I really appreciate that feeling of not dreading going to the office because the people and culture there are unmatched. At the end of the day, it is work—but when the people are happy in their jobs it makes it all worthwhile, since we are all in it together and we support one another.

If you get the job, don't be afraid to put yourself out there, ask for what you or your department needs, and be honest with yourself. Don’t take anything people say on the phone personally, get to know your colleagues, and just have fun. The more excited you are about what you are selling, the more you’ll excite prospective customers, too!