What an Account Manager at ELREPCO Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Sales Industry
Aman, an account manager at ELREPCO, learned that "activity does not equal productivity," a crucial lesson for commission-based sales roles. The most effective approach involves prioritizing high-return activities, saying "no" to unproductive tasks, and focusing on adding genuine value for clients and suppliers, rather than merely appearing busy.
Sales, Time Management, Productivity, Account Management, Commissioned Sales
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
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. Activity does not equal productivity: Focus on high-value tasks and efficient time management, prioritizing accounts with high ROI potential.
2. Saying 'no' to unproductive activities is crucial: Don't waste time on low-potential accounts or unnecessary meetings; instead, concentrate on where you can add the most value.
3. Add value, don't gatekeep: Be efficient with your time and ensure your contributions are genuinely valuable to clients and suppliers. Avoid unnecessary involvement in processes and meetings and help streamline the process instead
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you when you started?
The number one thing is that activity does not equal productivity. Just because you're working ten hours a day doesn't mean you're getting more done than others.
The nature of this role is that every account manager at El Repco is a commission-based employee. They're coin-operated and don't get paid for non-revenue generating activities.
So, they are efficient with their time and ensure they don't spend time developing customers or accounts that won't have enough ROI. People paid a salary can easily waste time because it doesn't matter to them.
It's easy to become inefficient when you're not directly compensated on revenue generation. This advice goes to anyone in a sales role, not just commission-driven ones.
Activity does not equal productivity, and that's the first thing I wish I'd known when I started. I spent a ton of time thinking that traction and people willing to talk to me was enough.
No, you have to think about how much that interaction is actually worth your time. Is it worth doing or not? It's okay to say no to things that don't seem worth your hours.
It's important to say no to things you don't think will be productive. Don't just sit in meetings because people ask you to. Go and do the things where you can truly add value.
Don't be a gatekeeper; a lot of salespeople try to become gatekeepers of information. You want to make the process easier and faster. If you don't need to be in a conversation, don't be there.
At the same time, you have to make sure your customer and suppliers are aware that you're there to truly add value. You're not just pretending to add value or be relevant.
You have to be efficient with your time and conscious of where you're adding value.