In the first installment of our Internal Mobility series, we looked at how three of our colleagues made the jump from Mid-Market Account Executives to Enterprise Sales roles. Today, let’s look at how those who came into Business Development and Technical Support roles took advantage of the opportunities available at AvePoint, and exemplified our Core Value of Agility, to move into Account Executive and Strategic Consultant roles.

Johnna Glover, Nick Grandis and Bryce Griffin came to AvePoint with their own unique skillsets, experiences and passions – what binds them together is their openness to change and agility to take on roles with greater responsibility (and opportunity) in Sales. Let’s learn more about their journeys to get to where they are today:

How did AvePoint support you in reaching your current position?

Johnna Glover, Partner Development Manager	Johnna: “Access to internal opportunities was a big factor in my decision to join AvePoint. During the recruitment process, I admired the professional growth I saw in the people with whom I interviewed. They all shared their stories of growth at the company and reinforced it’s a company that prides itself on investing in and cultivating talent, which was foundational for me as someone pivoting their skillset to a new field.”
Nick Grandis, Customer Account Executive	Nick: “When I came in as a Business Development Representative five years ago, I wanted to be an individual contributor. Even though it was a grind day in and day out, the BDR role was a great proving ground for me. I’m thankful my manager gave me all the support I needed, but I had to make it a point to advocate for myself and proactively ask for what I wanted. No one will just hand you an Account Executive role.”
Bryce Griffin, SMB Account Executive	Bryce: “I held a sales role before coming to AvePoint, and I shared with my manager that I wanted to eventually move back into an Account Executive role. I set my sights on the role I have today and proactively set up time with my manager to regularly discuss my progress. I also found it important to gain support from other colleagues in manager roles at AvePoint as well.”

 

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced making an internal transition? 

Johnna: “One of the biggest challenges for me was refining what my professional goals for the next three months, six months, and one year looked like. I transitioned to AvePoint from a completely different industry, so learning what was possible in this new field and how to get there was all brand new to me. Leaning on my teammates helped to flatten the learning curve. I’m so grateful for the willingness of my colleagues to share their insights, advice and perspectives.” 

Nick: “It was a huge learning curve when I first moved from my Business Development role to be a SMB Account Executive – particularly learning our business and the cross-functional aspects necessary to be successful. As an Account Executive, you touch every aspect of the business. Then, when I transitioned to be an Account Executive for our Federal business it was different again. I had to learn key lessons from each deal I was involved with because they’re much more complicated – you must understand government contracts, government regulations and how you interact when them.”  

Bryce: “You think you learn a lot as a Business Development Representative but once you move into a Sales role, you learn all over again – our industry, solutions and how you talk to customers.”   

What advice do you have for someone at AvePoint who is interested in a new role within the organization? 

Johnna: “Advocate for your future and ask for feedback often! After you’ve nailed your goals down, speaking candidly about your objectives for the future and where you see your strengths can help your manager give you insight into what areas of growth you should focus on to get there.” 

Nick: “Take the initiative to make it happen. When you’re a key player on a team, your team wants to keep you. That’s the sign you’re ready to professionally grow by taking on a new role.”   

Bryce: “Make it known you want to pursue a different role. Talk to your team leaders as they are critical to help you get to the role you want.”  

What do you wish you knew then that you know now? 

Johnna: “You don’t have to have it all figured out from Day One! Part of the fun is figuring it out as you learn more, staying curious and asking the right questions along the way.” 

Nick: “I wish I had a deeper understanding of the structure of our sales teams, compensation structure and so forth.”  

Bryce: “My managers were transparent with me as I was preparing to make my transition to a new role, which I really appreciated. What I wish I did more of before I made the move was deeply understand our products.”  

To learn more about how our colleagues continue to grow, develop and take on new opportunities to make an impact at AvePoint, visit our careers website.