The Jump: Advice for new AEs

There is something about a Commencement speech that I’ve always found compelling. I’ll be minding my own business on youtube, watching a video on how to set up my 1 yr old’s car seat, or maybe a quick highlight reel of my favourite streamer’s gaming accolades... when all of a sudden I find myself watching a Commencement speech.?

Why are commencement speeches so moving? When you graduate, there is a sense of something coming to an end, but also a sense of new beginnings. You are at a crossroads where the path forward isn’t clear, and the opportunities are boundless. It is an exciting time, and it’s also a terrifying one. “What do I do next? How do I succeed? What if I fail?”?

Enter the Commencement speaker. If each of us is on our own Hero’s Journey , the Commencement speaker acts as the mentor and guide. The person who has walked the many paths ahead and is there to help. How often in our lives do we get a chance, when we are genuinely impressionable, to sit back and hear a call to adventure? To learn from another’s mistakes, benefit from another’s experience, and feel inspired to meet the very same challenges ourselves?

Not nearly enough. Which got me thinking about my life. When was I at a crossroads feeling alone and unsure?? When do I wish I had a useful Commencement speech to listen to?? It came to me instantly. When I made “The Jump” (and there is a reason almost everyone uses the word jump or leap to describe this) from BDR to AE. BDRs spend 1-2 years tirelessly working towards this one goal “I want to be an AE” But what happens when you achieve it? The work begins, and your success is very much in your own hands. That’s a good thing. It’s also terrifying. Questions like “What do I do next? How do I succeed? What if I fail?” couldn't apply more.?

So it dawned on me… we need a BDR graduation commencement speech. I certainly don’t lay claim to knowing everything there is to know about making “The Jump”. But I've been in Sales for the past 12 years, made “The Jump” myself and watched 50+ people I knew well make “The Jump” too. I’ve also seen more than a few of those people fail.?

Speeches are meant to be heard (not possible here), but letters are meant to be read (very possible, in fact happening now). So what we need is a Commencement letter. It turns out I was in luck, for there is a young woman on my team at Lattice who just earned a promotion to AE. This afforded me the perfect opportunity to put pen to paper.? Below is my Commencement letter to her and anyone else preparing to attempt? “The Jump”???

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Dear Lucy,

Congrats! You did it, and you deserve it. Nothing in life worth having comes easy, and I know this promotion didn’t come easy.

Take some time to enjoy it.?

Reflect on what you got you here. Don’t forget it.?

There are two ways to get better at selling. Quality and Quantity.?The best AE’s leverage both, all of the time.?

Quantity - practice everything as much as you can.

Quality- learn as much as you can from your practice.

Learning how to sell effectively is learning how to effectively have a specific type of conversation. The more times you’ve had that conversation, the easier it will be for you to have it.

There is no way around this fundamental law. If you avoid repetitions, it will take you longer to figure everything out. Time you may not have.?

Have more sales conversations.

You don’t need to rely on just your own sales conversations.

Listen to sales calls. Listen to all different types of calls from a variety of different AEs. Listen live if possible. Recorded is fine too. Learn from the mistakes of others. Ask them questions,? “Why did you ask that?” “What would you do differently next time?”??

Learn on your own time vs learning the hard way in front of prospects.??

You’re going to make mistakes in front of prospects anyway. That’s fine. Listen back to them later and learn from them. Try not to make the same mistake again. If you do, that’s fine. Listen back and try again. The best AE’s listen to the most calls. The best AEs try again. ?

Learn from everyone.?

Identify who is good at what you want to be good at. Learn from them.

Talk to folks who recently made “The Jump” successfully. Learn from them.

When you listen to calls or speak with other AEs, you may find that something that works for them may not work the same for you. That’s okay. Learn new skills but don't be afraid to apply them in a way that feels authentic to you.?

Ask a ton of questions.

Don’t be afraid to voice your perspective just because you are newer to selling. Your voice is valuable for that very reason.

Stay humble when it comes to selling the product. There will be a lot to learn. Most of what you know already won’t help. That’s okay.?

Don't let your Outbound muscle atrophy. It's the skill that got you where you are today.? It's also the skill that will ensure you succeed as an AE. Remember, the more repetitions you get, the faster you will improve. Outbound will give you more chances to learn quickly… it will also impress your manager.?

Utilise your manager. They want to see you succeed. Your goals are aligned. The best AE’s leverage their internal resources. Win together, never lose alone.

?Don’t let the wins (and there will be wins) build you up too high, nor the losses (and there will be losses) break you down too low. Emotional buoyancy is the goal, just floating gently through the waves and the troughs.?

?Others can help you, but only you can decide to make “The Jump”. You control the inputs. You control how many times you practice a conversation. You control what you learn from them. If you put in the right inputs, you do not need to worry about the outputs. “The Jump” takes care of itself.

?Nothing worth having comes easy means all hard things worth having take work. Find meaning in the work.?

Now go listen to some conversations and prospect for a bit. You’re going to be fine.

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Dedicated to every BDR who has made “The Jump” and helped the next person after them. After all, for better or for worse, we are all in this thing together.