Lunch Without Lunch (LWOL) is a weekly connection for members of the tech and innovation
ecosystem, put on by our friends at Rainforest Alberta.

321 was fortunate enough to share the (virtual) stage with them this past week, to host a panel
of young sales standouts and ask them a few questions about their experiences in the industry.
Below are a few of our favourite Q&A’s from Wednesday’s session.

Our panel

Mikaella Meibock is the Manager of Sales & Business Development at Symend. She is
passionate about building teams focused on optimizing prospect and client outcomes through tailored, account-based sales strategies.

Ian Splinter is a Product Manager at Wyvern. He works to help clients determine how Wyvern’s
data can improve their processes, decrease costs, and increase safety.

Jessica Collombin is the Manager of Sales Development at Absorb Software, where she leads
a team of highly motivated, SDR’s and BDR’s across Canada, the UK, and Australia. After being
away from Calgary for the first part of her career, Jessica is excited to be back in the mountains
and be part of the growing tech sphere taking shape in Calgary!

Jeff Park is an Account Executive at Tugboat Logic. Jeff is a results-driven, and detail-oriented
sales professional who’s worked with B2B software companies for the past 8 years. Boasting a
proven track record in building sales funnels for high-growth SaaS businesses, Jeff is passionate
about building relationships and providing best-in-class support and value to his clients.

Q&A

321: Not many people are excited to run home and tell their mom they just
got a job in sales. Why do you think sales has a bad rep? What are some of
the false assumptions people make about sales?

Jessica Collombin: I think everyone has a preconceived notion that salespeople are obsessed
with making a sale at all costs, and that’s just not the case. In my experience, the best
salespeople are problem solvers. Forcing a sale on someone who would receive little value from
your product just creates problems down the line for everyone. Not only the salesperson and
the customer, but the rest of the team as well (i.e customer success).

321: Who do you think would like to work in sales? What kind of attributes
do you think make a salesperson successful – in general, or at your
company?

Jeff Park: I would say if you just naturally like to connect with people and have genuine
conversations, sales is for you. You also have to be ok with rejection! I have been rejected A
LOT (which is ok!), it just makes it that much better when you can actually connect with
someone and find them a product that can help solve their problems.

321: Advice for people interested in getting into sales. You can’t take a
Bachelor of Sales degree, so how do folks get themselves ready?

Mikaella Meibock: I was hired internally, but I would say definitely don’t be afraid to utilize
your network. Ask around and see what’s out there! I also found 321’s course super helpful in
explaining the basics, like “what even is account-based sales” among other things. It’s a great
foundation.

321: Day in the life… what does a typical day look like for you?

Ian Splinter: My day is a little different than everyone else’s, as we’re an earlier stage startup,
and so I have to balance sales with my duties as a project manager. Otherwise, the usual! Lots
of Zoom calls.

What’s next at 321

We’ve got tons of events coming down the pipeline this spring, starting off with our upcoming
Growth Snack, all about metrics on April 28.

Then, next month we’ll be having our May Meetup, where we will be hosting some savvy sales
veterans to share with us their words of wisdom, followed by another Q&A.

Connect with us!

Don’t be a stranger! Connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram (or all three!) and be
sure to check out our website for more information on all things 321.