Winning Against the Odds in Sales
WITH MAYA GERSHON, A REVENUE EXECUTIVE
In a recent episode of Tech Salescraft, Maya Gershon, a revenue executive shares her journey as an inspiring testament to determination and resilience in sales leadership. With a career marked by three successful exits and extensive experience from engineering to executive roles, Maya’s insights reveal key lessons for sales leaders, especially in today’s turbulent market.
Turning Unfavourable Territories into Success Stories
Maya’s career took off when she transitioned from engineering to sales, a move she described as finding her true calling: “It was like the ultimate excitement… when you know, you know.” Her first sales role came with significant challenges—a territory many deemed “bad.” Yet, she turned it into a thriving success through sheer dedication and an unwavering mindset. As she puts it, “Happiness is a choice, and it reflects everything in your life… Never, ever give up.”
Her advice for those handed difficult territories? Approach every client with authenticity and a genuine willingness to solve their pain points. By maintaining positive energy, fostering trust, and offering solutions without immediate expectations of returns, you can convert resistance into opportunity.
Unicorns and Data-Driven Sales Leadership
Navigating the unpredictable waves of start-up environments post-pandemic has tested even the most experienced sales leaders. Maya emphasised that success in such conditions is rooted in being data-driven. For her, “Data is key for the success of any company and any CRO,” enabling leaders to monitor productivity, optimise processes, and guide teams effectively. With strong data insights, leaders can pivot strategies to stay competitive, especially as credit tightens and funding becomes scarce.
Building Trust and a Team that Buys In
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leader wasn’t seamless for Maya. Unlike her innate talent in sales, leadership required her to cultivate new skills. “I wasn’t born a manager… I taught myself to be a good leader,” she admits. This path involved learning to balance being mission-oriented with nurturing her team’s development. By making her team’s growth a top priority and fostering trust, Maya achieved deeper buy-in and commitment:
“Developing the personal skills of each team member should be as important as the success in the numbers.”
The Key to Retaining Credibility
In today’s competitive sales landscape, credibility is currency. Maya believes that a salesperson must deeply understand their product and industry. “If you don’t fully understand your product, you can lose credibility very easily,” she states. This credibility positions salespeople not just as vendors but as trusted advisors, crucial for winning over clients who are experts in their domains.
Maya’s story is more than just career highlights—it’s a blueprint for turning adversity into opportunity and building a career grounded in persistence, data-driven strategy, and genuine leadership. For aspiring leaders and seasoned professionals alike, her experiences highlight that true success in sales doesn’t come from shortcuts; it’s earned by understanding your market, empowering your team, and embracing every challenge head-on.