This week, we’re highlighting Steve Garboden at SparkPost as Vendition’s Apprentice of the Week! We first started working with Steve in December of 2017, and in the year since, he’s worked consistently to earn his stripes and move into an Account Manager role.
Read the rest to learn Steve’s Vendition story:
Steve shares that he knew of James before working with Vendition because he was also a runner in college. “I got a bit further into the research [of Vendition] and when I got in touch with Nick, we just started chatting. At the time, I was exploring my options and had been applying to sales jobs. Vendition had helped me in a different way–I was having traction myself–but this was just an added catalyst.”
Steve says that he was looking to move into tech sales for a number of reasons. “I worked at Strava for four years and I knew that I wanted to do something else. I had several friends tell me this could be a ‘good problem’ because I enjoy working with people and working on problems. Similarly, I was looking for upward trajectory and reward for hard work. Coming from sports and athletics, and just being competitive in general, I knew this could be a good fit.”
In regards to why he felt like Vendition was a catalyst to his search, Steve shares that he connected with SparkPost right off the bat. “Sparkpost is a background email API, so it works to personalize email in showing people the types of email that they want to see. Just as a product, I started to wrap my mind around how fundamental email is to grow a business–it’s truly something essential. And on a different note, I’ve always followed–I’ve always had a coach in my life. Chris, in particular, on the sales team was someone I identified with and I felt that I would gel well with him.”
From day one as an apprentice to now, Steve says its been about earning your stripes. “We’ve gotten a lot more professional with our process. Chris really empowers you to implement new ideas to do what works and not be afraid to experiment. I feel like we’ve been going from a little bit chaotic to a bit more refined. I really feel that the moment you stop learning, you die. To always continue with personal growth, you have to always be working your mind just like with the body. I’m constantly learning, and I’m always thinking ‘can I get better and more efficient with my process’ so that I can maximize my returns.”
In regards to his coaching sessions with the Vendition team, Steve highlights process as a major focus. “It was all about top of funnel and always making sure you have enough prospects to call. [My coach] taught me about fanatical prospecting and being really creative with the way you go about finding new potential clients. He taught me not to just use your CRM, but also to look up and look at billboards–basically to use the resources you have to identify who might be the right kind of client for you. And of course, without being too mathy about it, but always knowing what’ll get you to your number.”
Top Tips for future SDRs:
“Be passionate about the problem that you’re solving.”
“Be genuine when you’re talking to someone.”
“Stay on top of your time – learn to say no to some things.”
Steve started out this calendar year moving into an Account Management position at SparkPost. When asked about what led to his promotion, Steve highlighted consistency. “I was the first SDR for SparkPost to set ten qualified meetings in a given month, and as far as I know that hadn’t been done in the past.”
Keep up the great work, Steve! We have no doubt you’ll continue to see success in this new role at SparkPost, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!