The vice president of sales at NetApp shared insights on how to master the corporate world of sales.
In the presentation, which was part of the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center Speaker Series, Bird discussed what aptitudes and attitudes he has found make a successful career in sales possible.
Bird said future sales professionals in this new world should display confidence, resilience, passion and a “go-getter” attitude. He also advised students to refrain from making excuses and to own up to their mistakes. He stated attitude is a choice and is presented in how our minds are programmed.
Additionally, Bird discussed the importance of having confidence in what you are selling as well as finding your “dream team,” consisting of people who are invested in your success including a mentor.
Bird also focused on personal branding, which included assessing the following:
- How do you stand out?
- Who are you?
- How do people describe you?
In closing the presentation, Bird guided students to build trust by acting with authenticity, consistency, reliability, honesty and compatibility.
Bird has served in various sales leadership roles since joining NetApp in 2004, including regional sales director and district manager. Prior to NetApp, he held several sales leadership positions for high growth companies in the technology sector, including Agility Recovery Solutions (ARS), Spyglass Solutions and Comdisco Inc.
NetApp is a $6.2 billion Fortune 500 company with more than 12,000 employees worldwide. Their innovative storage and data management solutions support the most crucial applications at leading global organizations, including Google, Chevron, Genentech, Revlon, NASA, Oracle, Sprint, Yahoo, and Sauber F1 Team, a Swiss Formula One team. NetApp is ranked #3 on the Great Place to Work Institute’s 2014 “World’s Best Multinational Workplaces” list and listed on FORTUNE magazine’s 2015 “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the 13th consecutive year.