People

Prashaanth Ramesh, Group Manager, Sales-Americas and Latam-VWO

Please share your professional background, current role, and relevant experience.

Answer: An engineer in electrical and electronics and a software sales guy for the last 2 decades, I currently handle a team of seasoned sales folk at VWO and a large book of business to grow and build. SAAS product and service sales has been my forte ever since I chose sales, back in 2005, and I have been associated with Oracle, SAP, and Skillsoft as marquee brands, to name a few.

What led you to pursue a career in sales?

Answer: My initiation to sales was very organic and seamless, and I realised I liked the ability to influence customer decisions, helping them realise value in a product and in bringing in money for the business. While I did have initial challenges and it took time to understand the subtleties and nuances, my own doggedness and working with positive teams and managers made it easier in the long run.

How have you adapted to the evolving technology landscape in sales?

Answer: I like to believe that constant learning, unlearning, and relearning are keys to success in this fast evolving technology landscape. As an example, in my initial days of sales, there was no mobile internet, LinkedIn was just evolving, Blackberry was a luxury, customers would only prefer in person meetings, a lot changes drastically, and I have managed to stay flexible and on my toes to lap up the changes to my advantage.

How do you maintain work-life balance in the high-pressure environment of sales?

Answer: I ensure I give enough time, and more, to family and for myself. One thing that keeps me going, and it need not be the same for all, is my interest in sports both as an ardent follower and occasional player. Time spent on cricket, tennis, and even WWE is my trick to work-life balance. Also, sports is a natural ingredient to stay competitive and to celebrate wins and learn from losses, and it helps me in sales. Reflecting, the largest deals I have closed have all been with buyers who have possibly appreciated Federer's single handed backhand or Rohit's pulls as much as me, it is important for me to talk sports even at work, and it has worked.

What is your top advice for aspiring tech sales professionals?

Answer: Have role models you can follow, early in your sales career. Build a strong foundation and be very agile to change, reinventing yourselves opportunistically. Consider yourself an important cog in the business wheel, stay confident but not overly so that it comes across as arrogance. Celebrate wins and learn quickly from your losses. Most importantly, follow the process that suits you best and believe that you are helping your customer realise value, on every deal and work towards their success, and yours would be a natural progression.

Lastly, what book would you recommend to our tech sales community and why?

Answer: On a quick personal note- my grandfather had his own book store, my mother is a voracious reader, and I have possibly let down that lineage by not being an active book reader myself, preferring to learn from experiences and situations. That said, I would goad young salespeople to cultivate the habit of reading, early. It gives you a sense of equilibrium and a competitive advantage that even a seasoned salesperson like me would miss. Read anything from a Zig Ziggler, Sandler's or Challenger sales to autobiographies of leaders, sports greats, and tech magazines to stay ahead of the curve. Read.