The Appian Sales team is not only committed to setting you up for success in your current role, it’s committed to supporting your future career path — whatever that looks like for you. We’ve heard from our Sales team members that the growth and development opportunities on the team is one of the main reasons why Appian Sales stands out.
To learn about what growing a career in tech sales actually looks like in action, we asked Dalante Jackson who started as a Business Development Representative soon after graduating university, and is now an Enterprise Account Executive. He shares his experience about how the Appian Sales team is committed to supporting their professional development. Let’s hear what he had to say!
Meet Enterprise Account Executive, Dalante Jackson.
Located in New Jersey. Joined the Appian team in 2018.
I joined Appian a year after graduating from James Madison University and after working rotations in the hotel industry. I was drawn to the corporate sales role on a growing team for a company where I saw a lot of potential for my own career growth. I started working as a Business Development Representative (BDR) based out of our HQ in Virginia and within less than a year was promoted to Senior Business Development Representative. Now I’m an Enterprise Account Executive and part of our New York Insurance team.
Building in growth right from the start.
Within my first year at Appian, the Sales team introduced a program to support Business Development Representatives who wanted to transition to Account Executives. I was keen to manage accounts, hitting and exceeding my targets and was selected for the program. I got training from managers and leadership on what success looks like in an Account Executive role. I learned the Challenger sales methodology, the multitude of tasks, the interview process, and got to network with Regional Sales VPs.
This set me up for success in the Enterprise Account Executive role I’m in now. My manager asked about where I saw myself in the future at Appian right from the start, and was open about additional roles on the Sales team as the company continued to grow. In the past few years, I’ve seen Appian shift to a greater focus on building out the Sales team, meaning there continues to be more and more opportunities to try new things and transition into new roles!
Developing my leadership skills.
I’m grateful to have had great managers at Appian. I’ve seen first hand how having a good manager makes all the difference in how you feel about work and how you’re able to grow. I find joy in getting people excited about the company, our goals, and understanding and communicating results to the team, which is why I’m interested in continuing to grow into a managerial role at Appian.
From working at Appian, I’ve become an empathetic leader, critical thinker, strategic negotiator , and developed a strong understanding of customers' needs. It’s hard work starting out in business development, doing cold calls and a lot of outbound outreach — but I always felt that the team and leadership were in my corner. It’s hard work, but comes with a high reward.
The Appian Sales leaders are always willing to hear feedback about how our team and the company can improve. They have their door open for people to pop in, and genuinely care about supporting your growth. That’s made all the difference, and why I see myself continuing into a leadership position myself.
-----
Dalante's story is a great examples of the growth you can have on the Sales team, but as they said — no career path is the same at Appian! If you’re looking to grow your career with the Appian Sales team, check out our Sales team careers page with current openings.