This week we caught up with our incredibly talented team member Ryan Naidoo! He joined us back in August and is the first person to join the sales team. He tell us all about the interest for AI and Machine Learning and why he’s made his next move to Aveni
Hey Ryan, a warm welcome to team Aveni! How’s it going?
Hey Hayfa! Great thanks – I am loving my time with Aveni and have learned so much in the past 6 weeks.
There is so much talent within the team, from world-class engineers to top knotch marketing execs we have it all! Looking forward to seeing what is next for Aveni.
Before we get started, tell us a little bit about your background and why you joined Aveni?
My background has always really been in sales, since I was 16, I was in client-facing roles.
Before joining Aveni, I spent two years in Data Science and Machine Learning recruitment, working with start-ups and scale ups, helping them with strategic hires.
I also worked with The Data Lab – innovation centre, on a 6 month secondment, providing Scottish based start-up businesses gain access to Data Science expertise as part of the Scottish Government’s post covid recovery strategy.
What does it take to be a good sales person? What do you think the key characteristics are and what advice would you give to those looking to get into this field?
There is a common misconception that salespeople should have “the gift of the gab” but in my experience the best salespeople are fantastic listeners. We need to listen & empathize with our clients – understand their needs, wants and pain points and work collaboratively to provide a consultative solution.
Another important quality for me would be resilience. I recently saw an interesting stat that 50% of sales happen after the 5th touch point with a prospect, yet 44% of salespeople give up after one follow up, and fall at the first hurdle. It’s important for those in sales to believe in their product, solution or service and to keep plugging away!
What’s it like working in sales? What do you enjoy most about your role?
It’s great! The most enjoyable part of my role is meeting a variety of people from different sectors, and learning more about their role and the business they work for.
It’s fantastic to be able to attend different events or meet-ups and get to know experts in financial services, utilities or insurance.
What does your day look like and how do you manage your time?
Often my day can be varied, but I am consistently out speaking to our target market gaining further insight into the needs, wants and pain points of our clients or attending new client meetings that wish to interact with us.
The best way I found to manage my own time is to set a list of non-negotiable tasks that I do habitually everyday. These range from sales prospecting, client outreach and booking appointments.
How have you found it working for a startup compared to your previous roles? Did anything surprise you?
Working for a start-up has been really rewarding, I am very lucky to be able to spend a lot of my working time with an extremely talented senior leadership team and drawing a lot from their experiences.
I think that working for a start-up can sometimes be a risk, but since joining the team I fully believe that we are onto a winner, and I am buzzing to see what the future has in store for us.
What are you looking forward to in the last few months of 2021?
Besides Christmas? I am looking forward to things progressing within our current development pipeline. Our software is already completely changing the way businesses operate and with the way things are moving with our service that will only continue to get better.
What does an ideal weekend look like for you?
Ideally, at the weekend I’ll be at a club, bar or festival with friends, family or my partner! Although I am at that age now, I seem to be attending more weddings and christenings…
To learn more about the wonderful Aveni team and the roles we have available, visit the careers page
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