LaunchPad Academy

Congratulations to LaunchPad Academy Graduate David Lahoud on landing his first SDR role, with the awesome team at Snowflake 🌟 So committed, so enthusiastic and so laser-focused on your goals. We're all very proud of you mate, good on ya Dave! We sat down with Dave to get his feedback on LaunchPad Academy 👇 Why did you want to get into Tech Sales? 💜 Emotionally, I have a young family to support, I wanted more autonomy in my career potential, and I love tech; both software and hardware. Logically it made sense too, despite appearing vastly different from my roles in Product Design. The foundations underlying both industries are very much the same. Both require empathy to actively listen to your client, end user, or prospect. Both require creativity and the ability to spark curiosity before, during and after each touchpoint. Both require concise and calculated communication that delivers the right information at the right time, and both require robust commercial mindsets and rigorous documentation skills. Top 3 things you took away from the course 🚀 The key to Sales is the psychology, especially your own. Understanding the subsurface emotional dynamics at play is critical to mastering yourself in any conversation, especially so in Sales. Master yourself, and then command the conversation. Techniques are just tools in the kit, and the kit is nothing without practice. False confidence and an ego won't cut it. Authenticity comes from vulnerability and empathy. Only then can the right questions be asked to truly bring the other party to the table. Outbound prospecting is only as repetitive as you let it be. If your approach is unchanging across a spectrum of prospects; you aren't doing enough to know your target before first contact. LaunchPad armed me with the techniques to know my ICP, identify market trends, prepare personalised objection handling, turbo-charge your outbound playbook, and way more that I can fit in a reasonable-length LinkedIn post. Who did you choose as your mentor and why? 🌟 I took full advantage of the network access that LaunchPad provides. Tom Lahoud - A seasoned senior sales leader, my brother has been an incredible mentor to me and supporting this industry jump. Expanding on the teachings I gained through the LaunchPad Academy and providing deep insight into the many schools of thought around Sales. His own experiences have been valuable lessons time and time again. Joe Ryan - Though busy working with not only 1 but 2 businesses, Joe was still able to impart a consistent voice of reason and resolve through my job hunting, interview prep, and scoping out the direction to pursue in this industry. Dezmon Hunter - Dezmon inspired real confidence in my job hunt and overall approach. His tick of approval was a friendly reassurance that this path was the right one. We can't wait to see where Dave's career takes him 🚀 #sales #saas #coaching #mentoring #training #launchpadacademy

Congratulations to LaunchPad Academy Graduate Ivan Felix on landing his first SDR role in Australia, with the awesome team at Qualtrics 🌟 Ivan, it's been a pleasure to work with someone as committed to the process as you. Fully engaged in each session, tuning in to every additional masterclass and building your network at the in-person events. It's because of this that we're not surprised to see achieve your goals but we're still all so very proud of you! Good on ya Ivan! 😁 We sat down with Ivan to get his feedback on LaunchPad Academy 👇 Why did you want to get into Tech Sales? 💜 I chose to pursue a career in tech sales because it offers a clear and robust path for growth. At this stage in my life, I'm seeking a workplace where I can establish longevity and contribute to mutual growth for both myself and the company. The tech sales field also provides the benefit of uncapped earnings, directly proportional to the effort I invest, which is a significant motivator to keep pushing harder each time. Top 3 things you took away from the course 🚀 1: Goal setting is everything. Having strong goals means defining my "why," a message Matt Sumner emphasized from day one. 2: Networking, connections, and mentors are crucial. Along with goal setting and a positive outlook at work, these three elements are essential. LaunchPad Academy excelled at facilitating connections with mentors and like-minded individuals through networking events. Without the support of the LaunchPad Academy network, my journey to landing a job would have been much more challenging. 3: As a newcomer to the tech sales space, it's important to have a solid understanding of industry terminologies, processes, and how to navigate the role successfully. Thanks to LaunchPad Academy, I felt confident in every interview, knowing how to discuss pain points, ideal customer profiles, and lead qualification methods. The constant support from the LaunchPad Academy team made me a stronger candidate. Who did you choose as your mentor and why? 🌟 I chose Kristyn Wallace, Country Manager at Maropost because of her dedication to people management and her expertise of 15 years of experience in the field. Her easy-going and straightforward mentorship style helped me understand what makes a great SDR successful in the role and how to build resilience through rejection. I also chose Melissa Inel, Global Sales Development Manager at ServiceNow, who helped understand me how to communicate across a message during an interview and how to ask strong questions to position me ahead of other candidates in the process. This was definitely a big pump! We can't wait to see where Ivan's career takes him 🚀 #sales #saas #coaching #mentoring #training #launchpadacademy #qualtrics #maropost #servicenow

Hey LinkedIn ... Meet Abby Discover the power of the LaunchPad Academy, launching careers one success story at a time 💜 Arrive with a purpose and take off with a profession 🚀 #saas #sales #coaching #mentoring #training #launchpadacademy

 Don't miss out, folks! We're nearing full capacity for the Seismic City Tour Sydney on August 8th! 🏃♂️🏃♀️ 🌟 Register for FREE here: https://lnkd.in/gM9mZMgz 🌟 📍 Venue: Level 2, 400 George Street, Sydney at the Telstra Customer Insight Center Enjoy a full day of learning with GTM insights from market leaders across Sales, Marketing, and Enablement. 💡 Hear from APAC leaders behind HubSpot, CreditorWatch, Grab, American Express, IBM, Telstra & Seismic. Speaker Highlights: Doug Winter, CEO at Seismic Toby Carrington, Chief Business Officer at Seismic Krish Mantripragada, Chief Product Officer at Seismic Graham Hawkins, Founder at SalesTribe Dan Bognar, VP & MD JAPAC at HubSpot Dominic Jackson, VP, International Field Enablement at American Express Kate Wellard, Head of Enterprise Marketing, Telstra Paige Atkins, Product Owner, Solutions Catalogue, Telstra Luke Carrier, Strategic Growth Lead, Telstra René Hefner, Head of Sales Enablement at Grab Justin Meyers, Head of Corporate & Mid Market Sales at CreditorWatch Kylie Hanson, Head of Enablement at CreditorWatch Agnes Eswono, Head of Product Marketing at CreditorWatch Georgia Watson, Enablement Leader at IBM Andrew May, CEO at Performance Intelligence Dr. Alan D. Thompson, Global AI expert at LifeArchitect.ai Nate Hanmer, Sr. Director of Customer Success at Seismic Don't wait—secure your spot! 🚀

3 weeks to go! The whole team at LaunchPad Academy is proud to be recognised as a trusted Community Partner of Seismic 💜 We're all eagerly waiting for the Global City Tour to pull in at its final destination, Sydney, on Thursday 8th August. 💜 20 speakers 💜 10 global brands 💜 4 keynotes 💜 1 full day event This is an event not to be missed and we have a limited number of tickets left (link comments) but be quick! #saas #sales #enablement #marketing #networking #learning #seismic #launchpadacademy

Meet one of your mentors Tim Teale 🌟 Tim is an Enterprise Account Executive, at Aussie Tech Unicorn Go1 where he has worked for 5 years. Originally hired as a Jnr CSM he moved into Sales after 1 year and has never missed quota, ranking as GO1 #1 rep in the region & multiple presidents club winner! We sat down with Tim and asked him some questions about her journey through sales, check out the answers below 👇 How did you land your first job in Tech Sales? 👀 I landed a Customer Success gig by applying for a role on Seek and messaging the recruiter directly (with something outside the box). I knew I had no experience, so had to rely on ‘people skills’. Before the interview, I read up on CS, learned a few buzzwords and did my very best to connect with the recruiter hiring manager on a personal level to help me stand out.   I.e. Through small talk, I figured out the Hiring Manager was a keen gamer. As such, I managed to weave in my very limited niche gaming knowledge into our chats.    People hire the same way they buy.    “Buy on emotion and justify on logic” – Zig Ziglar What advice would you give your younger self for success in Sales? 💜 Deals are won/lost in discovery. Be an expert in the field you’re selling into. Prospects don’t care about your products, they care about solving their problems. Know your numbers and understand sales theory to keep management off your back. What key traits do you consider crucial for successful Sales professionals? 🙌 Thick skin. Street Smart. Money hungry. Commercial acumen. Any tips for individuals aspiring to start a career in Tech Sales? 🏆 Don’t be put off an SDR role – prospecting skills mean you’ll never need to rely on anyone else. You’re trading stress, pressure and lack of job security for a fat paycheque. Be prepared. When not immersed in leadership and work, where would your network expect to find you? 🥧 Surfing a beach or point break in and around the GC, or demolishing a Pepper Steak pie Sausage roll at the best bakery in Australia (I dare you to dispute this claim) #saas #sales #coaching #mentoring #training #launchpadacademy

Meet one of your mentors Isabella Droga (she/her) 🌟 Isabella is a Sales Manager, Business Development ANZ HubSpot, where she has worked for 4 years. She was originally hired as a BDR, set & broke multiple sales records, made presidents club and achieved 4 promotions! We sat down with Isabella and asked her some questions about her journey through sales, check out the answers below 👇 How did you land your first job in Tech Sales? 👀 I had always been keen to explore sales and love problem solving. I was getting knockback after knock back until I prospected a tonne of current employees at a few companies to get some insight, tips, skill requirements and networking. After investing in building relationships, I saw a massive uptick in my confidence and also key contacts that have helped me along the way.  What advice would you give your younger self for success in Sales? 💜 Fail fast. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and struggle not feeling in control. A mentor once told me that having a fail fast mentality not only helps you grow but builds your resiliency. I've carried this on in my entire sales journey so far and it's helped me a tonne. What key traits do you consider crucial for successful Sales professionals? 🙌 Resiliency, growth mindset, adaptability and problem solving. Any tips for individuals aspiring to start a career in Tech Sales? 🏆 People get into sales for many different reasons. For me, I genuinely care about the customers I work with and solving their challenges. If you're looking to start out, approach your new career path with an 'always be learning' mindset. Whether it's the product or company you're working for, the types of customers you're working with, skills and frameworks, acumen and development - consistently setting goals and measuring how you're tracking towards them for your growth is key. Build a network of mentors and relationships that you can learn from and bounce ideas off. For me, collaboration and problem solving has been integral when optimising my own process. Growth doesn't always have to be related to work. Some of the best people I've hired have come from all walks of life - professional boxer, nurse, engineer, marketer, to name a few. There are so many transferable skills that can accelerate your growth in sales - so look to lean into where you can add value. Lastly, know your 'why', this is key. When setting goals, I like to refer back to my 'why' because it gives purpose to the reason behind doing something. If it doesn't serve my 'why' - is it a priority? Will this help me grow?  When not immersed in leadership and work, where would your network expect to find you? 🏋🏻♀️ You'll find me trailblazing the next up and coming food hotspot. Enjoying spending time with friends and family. Hanging with my furbaby. Putting myself through pain at CrossFit. #saas #sales #coaching #mentoring #training #launchpadacademy

Congratulations to LaunchPad Academy Graduate Flynn Walker on landing his first SDR role in Australia, with the awesome team at Optimizely 🌟 Flynn, it's no mean feat to pack up your life and relocate to a new country whilst landing your dream job but you did it mate! We are all very proud of you and firmly believe that you're at the beginning of a long and successful career in SaaS Sales. Good on ya Flynny! 😁 We sat down with Flynn to get his feedback on LaunchPad Academy 👇 Why did you want to get into Tech Sales? 💜 The software industry is going through an exciting phase of innovation and growth and I wanted to be part of the ride! As for sales, I think it just makes sense for my personality type: extroverted, ambitious, and curious about people. Top 3 things you took away from the course 🚀 1. Goal setting and active listening are fundamental to success in both professional and personal life. 2. The importance of persistent, multi-channel communication - very few will respond to your first email or call. 3. The advantages of a Powerful Pitch over a traditional elevator pitch. Who did you choose as your mentor and why? 🌟 I chose Hamish Tebbutt ☁️ Tebbutt, VP Sales for SAP Concur. Firstly because I wanted to chat with a fellow Kiwi who had also moved to Melbourne! Secondly, I was able to learn from Hamish more about SAP - a prominent player in the software industry - and get some helpful insights on some of the other companies worth exploring. We can't wait to see where Flynn's career takes him 🚀 #sales #saas #coaching #mentoring #training

Monday Motivation right here ... We've been building sales teams in SaaS for a combined 35 years and will never tire of how satisfying it feels to help someone land their first role in this industry ☺️ Thank you for the kind words Flynn Walker & Mathew Beaton Garat, keep up the great work guys 💜 #saas #sales #mentoring #training #coaching #launchpadacademy

3rd of the tickets have already gone ⭐️ We are excited to see you all at the biggest SaaS event of the year on the 8th of August in Sydney! Also, we are announcing two new speakers 🎤 💜 Kate Wellard - Head of Enterprise Marketing at Telstra 💜 Dominic Jackson, Vice President, International Field Enablement at American Express We are looking forward to discussing all things Enablement, Sales & Marketing with you at Telstra's premium Insights space in the CBD. #sales #SaaS #marketing #enablement #event #Sydney #Tech https://lnkd.in/gVi3hy8v