A lot of people in the industry have been talking about the three “T’s” of sales recently––territory, timing, and talent. It got me thinking about the way that these three “T’s” shape the MuleSoft sales experience, and just how special those concepts are here.
If you had told me five years ago that I would be the Regional Sales Director (RSD) at a leading software integration company, I would have been pretty surprised. I’ve been working in the enterprise sales space for over six years now, and was a salesperson at two other software companies before I came here – one was a much bigger enterprise company, and the other one was a smaller startup. Looking back on the past few years, I couldn’t ask for a more exciting opportunity than selling software for MuleSoft. And now, with our market opportunity and rocket fuel from the Salesforce acquisition, it really is the best time to be joining the team. Check out our open Account Executive positions.
I started at MuleSoft as an Enterprise Account Executive in 2017, not really thinking that a leadership role was in the cards. But the team here really recognizes and rewards outcomes, so after landing one of our largest land deals in the Southeast, the RSD opportunity arose for me, and it ended up being a great fit. It’s incredible that the leadership at MuleSoft was willing to support me and build up a system that would enable me to take on a leadership role only a year and a half into my tenure.
When people ask what drives me to sell here, I tell them about our integration solution. On average, organizations have around 1,020 different applications that need to be integrated. That’s a serious need that almost every business has. I think it’s incredible that when I’m selling Anypoint Platform, I’m enabling digital transformation for companies, and I’m selling a solution that’s really solving business problems. Whether it be by modernizing legacy systems, investing in mobile apps, or migrating to the cloud, our product is key to improving operational efficiency for businesses. We’re at the forefront of that conversation around digital strategy, and we’re having that conversation from both a business and technical perspective.
So when I heard people talking about the 3 T’s of sales, I couldn’t help but start thinking about how when I wake up on a Monday morning, I look forward to going to work at a place that’s doing the right thing, at the right time, with the best people around. With our transformative product and rapid growth in the market, now is the best time to work in sales at MuleSoft. Here’s how I see the 3 T’s taking shape at MuleSoft to create an awesome opportunity for salespeople in the industry.
1. Territory: A unique greenfield market
When I think about what has inspired me to grow professionally and why I’m still working for MuleSoft, it really comes down to market opportunity. Integration solutions are core to business outcomes at every organization, and that shows in our rapid growth rate. I joined here a year and a half ago as an Account Executive, and the increasing demand within that time has been incredible.
What really drives demand in our territories is a universal need for connectivity solutions across businesses. Before I joined the team, I didn’t understand the major business impact of integration technology. Every company needs connectivity today, and we’ve only just started disrupting existing markets. Forrester estimates that $27 billion will be spent on integration software in 2018, and nearly $443 billion will be spent on integration project work. We have over 1,200 customers – from Coca Cola to Unilever – and we are just getting started. You can do the math – that’s an extraordinary number of accounts and brands still left to work with.
MuleSoft Account Executives are seen as the “quarterbacks” for their regions, because we have so much say in deciding which accounts to tackle and when. And part of what makes selling to our accounts so interesting, is that we get to spend one moment talking to an architect about how to build their systems, and the next moment we’re talking to the CIO or the CEO about how the technology is going to enable their biggest initiatives to succeed. It’s cool that in my day-to-day work, I get to connect business and technology, and understand how our product is directly impacting organizations across sectors.
2. Timing: In the right place, at the right time
Like Sheryl Sandberg said, “if you are offered a seat on the rocket ship, get on, don’t ask what seat.” MuleSoft is a rocketship, and Salesforce is the fuel propelling us even higher.
What makes us a rocket ship is the unique nature of our sell. I think one of the most exciting conversations as a salesperson at MuleSoft happens when you’re talking to businesses about what they’re looking to achieve and how they’re going to achieve it. It’s amazing how much IT decision makers prioritize digital transformation. The majority (74%) of IT decision makers are carrying out digital transformation initiatives, with another 23% planning to do so over the next three years. That means that MuleSoft is relevant to almost every business out there. Digital transformation is no longer a question of “if” but a question of “when.”
Our connectivity solutions are essential in the market today. If you look at the IT landscape, digital transformation is at the core of the conversation. With the fourth industrial revolution upon us, it’s obvious that disruptive technologies like cloud, IoT, mobile, and AI are putting intense demands on IT teams. Without connectivity solutions, IT teams are struggling to simply keep the lights on, without keeping up with the increasing demands of the industry.
With the Salesforce acquisition, we have so much added momentum in the market. I really think the acquisition validates our success and gives us so many more resources going forward. Salesforce Account Executives have already developed deep relationships with so many organizations, which means we can keep expanding our impact in the future.
3. Talent: Driving success as a team
As a former college athlete, working on a collaborative team has always been important to me. Being on a team means joining forces, learning from others, and getting feedback. My motivation comes from wanting to improve, wanting to be better than I am today, and having people around me who push me to succeed.
One of the main reasons I joined MuleSoft is the high caliber of talent at the company. One of the 3 T’s stands for talent after all, and we’re always looking for people to push us forward. Take a look at our open Account Executive positions, or feel free to drop me a note to talk more about careers in Sales at MuleSoft.
I love that this is a place where I am surrounded by people who are not only successful in their own fields, but also great mentors for those around them, both now and in the long-term. I didn’t really come into MuleSoft thinking that I would quickly climb the ranks into a leadership role. Starting as an Account Executive, I definitely had leadership on my game plan for the next five years, but I didn’t necessarily think it would be right now. Yet within a year in a half, I was promoted to the RSD position. And I’m not the only one who’s had this experience. The majority of our field leadership is promoted internally. Feel free to look us up on LinkedIn – it’s true!
But what I love most about the team here, is that we’re collaborative, and honestly more collaborative than any other team I’ve worked on in the past. I really like that the office culture brings everyone together, and makes it so that you’re interacting with your account team daily. From the bottom to the top of the company, everyone’s open to helping out. That’s not necessarily true at other organizations. I really think everyone here is a part of the sales process – people want to engage and get involved. I’ve had times when people who weren’t even on my account team were willing to take the time to help strategize about a deal, and times when an executive has been willing to sit and talk to a customer when I need it.
Everyone here is on the same team and working toward the same end result. Sometimes at other companies, you get this competition between teams, with somebody trying to make themselves or their team look better. But I’ve found that at MuleSoft, people really are selfless, putting the company first, team second, and self last.
Looking back on the past six years, coming to MuleSoft was one of the best decisions I made, and that’s in large part thanks to the way the 3 T’s set me up for success here. How many people can say that on a Monday morning, they really look forward to a week of selling enterprise software solutions? I love that I can come to the office knowing that I’m helping to solve a problem that’s top of mind for companies around the world. On top of that, I know that I’m surrounded by the kind of people who motivate me to become better at my craft, better at my job.
We’re always looking for people to push us to new heights, and talent is the first T, after all. Check out our open Account Executive positions to join a team that’s doing the right thing, at the right time.
