What Type Of Person Thrives In Technical Sales, According To An Account Manager At ELREPCO
To thrive in account management at ELREPCO, a trifecta of skills is essential: "curiosity," a love of learning to stay informed about advancements; "persistence," maintaining a positive mindset and building relationships without being overbearing; and high emotional intelligence ("EQ"), understanding people's needs and adapting communication accordingly. These qualities enable successful account managers to add value and build strong customer relationships.
Curiosity, Persistence, High EQ, Communication, Sales
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
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Aman Sheth
Account Manager
ELREPCO
Purdue University Class of 2019
Currently pursuing MBA at UCLA Anderson
Engineering - Mechanical
Electronics & Semiconductors
Sales and Client Management
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Curiosity: A successful account manager is naturally curious and loves learning, as the industry is constantly evolving. They must be able to speak to engineers in an informed way, showcasing knowledge of product lines and capabilities. This is achieved through absorbing training information and staying updated.
2. Persistence: Persistence is crucial in sales. It means maintaining a positive mindset and continuing to build relationships with clients even when facing setbacks. It's about adding value and understanding that a 'no' today might mean a 'yes' tomorrow.
3. High EQ (Emotional Intelligence): Strong interpersonal skills are key. Successful account managers are highly empathetic, understanding client needs and preferences. They are sensitive to timing and context, showing respect for clients' personal circumstances and avoiding disruptions.
Transcript
How would you describe people who would typically thrive within this industry?
The number one most important thing is curiosity. If you are a naturally curious person and you love learning, you're going to do well.
The industry is always advancing very quickly. The best account managers are able to speak to the engineers they are selling to in a way that seems informed about what's going on and about the product lines and what they are capable of doing.
You can only reach that level if you are naturally curious and love learning about what's happening. This includes paying attention in trainings and absorbing important information, which makes you more credible in the customer's eyes and enables you to add more value as an account manager. Therefore, curious people do really well in this role.
The second thing is persistence. You cannot get frustrated when people don't get back to you or when things don't go your way. You have to maintain a positive mindset and persist in what you are doing.
Persistence doesn't mean annoying people by calling them multiple times a day. It means understanding that if they said no today, that's okay. You are there to develop a relationship and add value when there is value to be had. A "no" today could mean a "yes" tomorrow; it doesn't mean a "no" forever. Persistence is absolutely critical for someone in a sales role.
The third quality of someone successful in this role is high emotional intelligence (EQ). You have to be good with people and understand when it might be an inconvenient time to call someone. For example, you wouldn't call when you know they are likely dropping their kids off at school.
You should also be able to tell when someone doesn't want to talk about a particular subject anymore. People who are good at navigating these human elements have high EQ.
So, the three most important skills are curiosity, persistence, and being great with people. These form the trifecta of qualities that will make you an excellent account manager.