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Ryan, Sales Onboarding Trainer - Manager at Salesforce : Advize Career Interview

A career journey from Nordstrom sales to Salesforce Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager reveals a dynamic path emphasizing sales, leadership, and training.

The interviewee's expertise in onboarding 15-30 people monthly, managing diverse teams, and navigating the complexities of a fast-paced tech environment is highlighted.

Responsibilities include running a three-week sales onboarding program, delivering engaging training sessions, and collaborating with stakeholders.

Success in this role requires strong organizational and public speaking skills, relationship-building abilities, and a collaborative attitude.

The most rewarding aspects include witnessing the success of trainees and building a vast professional network. Challenges involve managing multiple stakeholders and ensuring training content accuracy amidst rapid product releases.

The tech industry offers innovation, networking opportunities, and competitive compensation.

Aspiring professionals should consider entry-level roles as Sales Development Representatives or Business Development Representatives to build a solid foundation.

The interviewee stresses the importance of executive sponsorship and a broad business understanding, gained through practical experience and strong networking. A key lesson learned is always to prioritize desired training outcomes.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Ryan Avolese

Sales Onboarding Trainer - Manager

Salesforce

University of Colorado

n/a

Business Management & Admin

Technology

Sales and Client Management

Greek Life Member

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Career Path Of A Sales Onboarding Training Manager At Salesforce

Ryan's career trajectory reveals a consistent progression from retail sales at Nordstrom's to sales leadership and training roles at Yelp, Google (working with "bigger name brands" like Coca-Cola), and currently Salesforce; this journey highlights a focus on sales, management, and training, showcasing their expertise in onboarding "15 to 30 people a month" and adapting to diverse sales environments, from advertising to software-as-a-service.

Career Path Of A Sales Onboarding Training Manager At Salesforce

Main Responsibilities of a Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager at Salesforce

Ryan, a Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager at Salesforce, runs the "Ready to Sell" program, a three-week sales onboarding program for account executives; the program's goal is to ensure "AEs are set up for success" by providing training and tracking the program's impact on accelerating productivity.

Main Responsibilities of a Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager at Salesforce

A Day in the Life of a Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager at Salesforce

A Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager at Salesforce has two distinct workdays: one focused on "live training" sessions of 3-5 hours for 10-70 people, followed by distributing recap materials; the other involves "backend stuff," including updating training content to reflect Salesforce's innovations and collaborating with stakeholders to identify sales team training needs and opportunities for personal development.

A Day in the Life of a Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager at Salesforce

Most Important Skills For A Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager At Salesforce

Salesforce Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager Ryan highlighted organizational skills as crucial for managing "10 to 70 people" and their diverse needs, alongside strong public speaking abilities for delivering training. The ability to build relationships with various stakeholders and a collaborative, "easy to work with" attitude are also key for success in this multifaceted role.

Most Important Skills For A Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager At Salesforce

Favorite Parts Of Being A Sales Onboarding Manager At Salesforce

Ryan, a Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager at Salesforce, finds the most rewarding aspect of the role to be working with "people who are excited to start a new job," particularly enjoying seeing their success "come to fruition," such as receiving messages about closed deals resulting from onboarding training. This role has also allowed the development of a substantial professional network, expanding their connections across various companies and industries.

Favorite Parts Of Being A Sales Onboarding Manager At Salesforce

Biggest Challenges Faced By a Sales Onboarding Manager at Salesforce

Ryan's biggest challenge as a Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager at Salesforce is "managing multiple stakeholders," balancing competing needs from sales, marketing, and other teams while ensuring training effectiveness and content accuracy. The dynamic nature of Salesforce's product releases necessitates constant content updates, requiring diligent audits to maintain a high-quality learning experience and avoid delivering "inaccurate content."

Biggest Challenges Faced By a Sales Onboarding Manager at Salesforce

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Technology Industry As A Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager

Ryan, a Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager at Salesforce, finds the most rewarding aspects of the tech industry to be "seeing the innovation and how quickly we change," the extensive professional network fostered by the field, and the competitive compensation including "great upside in terms of stock compensation." This combination of stimulating work, strong professional relationships, and excellent financial compensation clearly contributes to Ryan's career satisfaction.

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Technology Industry As A Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager

What Type Of Person Thrives In Tech Sales According To A Sales Trainer At Salesforce

Salesforce Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager Ryan identifies two key traits for success: in tech sales, "self-starters" who are "resilient" and "good listeners," and in training, individuals who are "organized," comfortable with "public speaking," and adept at managing "multiple stakeholders." This reflects Ryan's own career progression from tech sales to a training and enablement role, highlighting the transferable skills valued in both.

What Type Of Person Thrives In Tech Sales According To A Sales Trainer At Salesforce

What a Sales Onboarding Manager at Salesforce Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Sales Industry

Transitioning from sales to sales onboarding training, Ryan learned that training budgets are often the first to be cut during economic downturns, impacting job security—a contrast to the clear revenue generation metrics of a sales role. The most valuable lesson learned was to "always starting with the end result in mind" when designing training programs, focusing on desired skills and outcomes rather than simply activities.

What a Sales Onboarding Manager at Salesforce Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Sales Industry

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring SDRs And BDRs

Salesforce Sales Onboarding Trainer-Manager Ryan recommends that undergraduate students interested in technology and software sales consider entry-level positions as Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) or Business Development Representatives (BDRs), stating that these roles are "where you'll learn a lot of the basics." Ryan's own career trajectory, progressing from a successful seller to a trainer, highlights the value of this foundational experience.

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring SDRs And BDRs

Significant Career Lesson From a Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager at Salesforce

Ryan's most significant career lesson is the importance of "executive sponsorship," meaning having superiors who like, vouch for, and provide opportunities to their subordinates. This support, exemplified by a promotion and office-opening opportunity at Yelp, outweighs minor salary differences and is crucial for career advancement.

Significant Career Lesson From a Sales Onboarding Trainer Manager at Salesforce

College Experiences That Helped A Sales Onboarding Manager At Salesforce Succeed

A business administration degree provided a broad understanding of "how the entire business works," proving beneficial in a sales career. While a lack of early internships is regretted, the interviewee emphasizes the value of networking, maintaining connections with professors, and the hands-on learning gained from sales roles involving diverse customer interactions – working with "every type of business, from restaurants to doctors."

College Experiences That Helped A Sales Onboarding Manager At Salesforce Succeed
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