Innovision Spring 2020

20 | INNOVISION MAGAZINE What are some of your daily responsibilities? I manage a high-performing team of 15 Mid-Market Account Development Representatives. On a daily basis, I look at data in order to make business decisions, remove hurdles to help my reps be successful, facilitate training based on industry knowledge as well as soft skills to ensure growth and development at the rep level. I like to keep things fun, so I keep things fresh by creating different sales competitions as additional incentives for the reps to do a great job. What qualities do you think are the most important to succeed at your position? To be a great leader, you have to be empathetic and a humble servant. I come to work for my team, not for myself. What have you learned on the job that you necessarily wouldn’t in the classroom? Effective communication that net results within a sales process. Taking a sales class is one thing, but actually having to sell something to a customer who has possibly never heard of your company is a whole different task. What led you into your field? What about it motivates and inspires you? My internship at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was my launching pad. Working in the field and with customers was a great experience and one that led me to a customer facing role (sales) at ADP, Inc. After roughly two years of selling at ADP, Inc., I received a job offer from Salesforce. I then moved to San Francisco, CA to pursue my dream of working in tech in Silicon Valley. It’s been a fun and wild ride; I feel very lucky. My motivation and inspiration come from within. I desire to be successful, to be proud of what I do and where I work and live. Success can come in many ways; it doesn’t have to be monetary. Success also doesn’t happen overnight. I think it’s important to set small goals that lead to a bigger picture of success for yourself. Can you briefly describe your career path from being a student at KU up until now? I started as an intern with the SBDC at Kutztown University, which led me into being an Account Executive with ADP, Inc. After two years, I worked in Business Development at Salesforce. From there, I became an Account Executive at Cisco Meraki in San Francisco before working for LinkedIn as an Account Executive. Finally, I started at Samsara as an Account Executive, and now I am a Regional Sales Manager. What do you look forward to the most when going to work each day? Working at an IoT startup in San Francisco is exciting, period. Whether we are launching new functionality to solve new issues, releasing the most cutting-edge technology in the world or the day to day rigors of managing a sales team, I truly love it all and am very thankful to have this opportunity. What advice would you offer an undergraduate getting ready to enter the workforce? Always be learning and always be networking. Relationships matter and having a growth mindset is crucial to being successful. CHAD BALISTRIERI ‘10 Chad Balistrieri (BSBA Marketing) is currently a Regional Sales Manager for Samsara, Inc. ALUMNI INTERVIEW Success can come in many ways; it doesn’t have to be monetary. Success also doesn’t happen overnight. I think it’s important to set small goals that lead to a bigger picture of success for yourself.”