GIS Career Pathways: Inside Sales Representative at Esri
Imagine watching the news and seeing the software that you sold being used to relay important information! This is something that I can personally say that I have experienced, and it gives me so much pride working at Esri on the Inside Sales team. My name is Lucy Castro, and I am the Sales Manager for the Inside Sales team at Esri.
Each day as an Inside Sales Representative we have the privilege of talking to many customers asking questions about their work and what they are interested in accomplishing with GIS.
What I found is that most customers are looking for ways to make spatial decisions quickly by representing their data visually on a map. Just think about it, almost everything we do has a spatial element to it! If you can make this connection and focus on understanding what is most important to the customer, it makes talking to customers a lot easier. I was not always this excited about maps until I saw firsthand how awesome Esri’s software is!
My Own Pathway to Esri
Before coming to Esri I worked in the Financial Services Industry for almost 10 years to include Real Estate and Banking and prior to that I served 4 years in the Marine Corps. I liked my job at the bank and was good at making connections with customers to help them leverage the right banking tools for their everyday banking needs. However, this job did not leave me fulfilled and as I went back to school for my MBA, I met someone in my cohort who encouraged me or should I say recruited me to study GIS. Well, I did and fell in love!
I used Business Analyst Online and saw how beneficial this software can be for businesses to make informed decisions. I became more interested in finding a job at Esri and after re-visiting the Esri website and reading the mission statement. I made it my goal to work here. Who wouldn't want to be a part of an organization helping customers solve some of the world's most complex problems?
I applied to a few roles and went through some interviews, eventually earning my role as an Inside Sales Representative. I was so excited to finally be at Esri but then quickly realized that I had a huge learning curve!
Learning the Role of Inside Sales Representative
This was a career change for me, and I learned that Inside Sales was not an easy job. I had to learn all about the software functionality, how the licensing fit together, and make sure that I provided correct information to each customer that I helped. The first few months really wore on me because I was someone who was used to knowing all the answers in all my other jobs and this was different, I did not feel like I was getting it. Until one day, I did!
I remember taking a customer call and internally telling myself to have the courage to try and own the call and not transfer it to another team member. I am glad I did because I was able to answer the customers' questions and provided them with correct information. I jumped out of my chair after the call in excitement and said to my team, I did it! I finally held a productive call where I felt like I helped someone. This was a pivotal moment for me, and it felt good. After that day, my confidence increased, and I also took more time to understand the products and created a fun collaboration with the team that we called product of the day. We would use a whiteboard to write down a product and the essential information needed to quickly help customers. This was fun and it helped me and others on the team learn and stay updated and it also created team building and collaboration. This was the beginning of my GIS career!
Skills You Need to Succeed
Having spent the last eight years on the Inside Sales team, I have found that effective communication skills are the cornerstone of success for any team member. The Inside Sales team handles a high volume of calls, chats, and emails. The ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing coupled with the ability to understand and simplify complex information will play a crucial role in a team members’ success in the role. Other attributes that set a team member up for success are attention to detail, excitement connecting with customers, and asking questions to ensure understanding while proactively seeking feedback for improvement.
Growing as an Inside Sales Representative
As someone whose natural strengths are to solve problems and develop others, I gravitated towards leadership roles on the Inside Sales team which aligns me to work on various projects helping to make improvements in the customer experience and processes on the team. My experience at Esri has been fulfilling and I am so happy that I am able to leverage my strengths each day! If I could summarize my time at Esri it would be a continuous learning journey and if I could offer advice to those looking to work at Esri or to new team members it would be to have a beginner’s mind. Be open to change and innovation and lean into the uncomfortable, this is where you will find individual growth.
How to Apply
If you are ready to start your career in GIS, have a keen eye for detail, and a genuine desire to assist customers through their buying journey, this is the chance to make a real impact.
Go to the Esri Careers website and “Seach Jobs.” Type “Inside Sales Representative” to show job listings such as this one and view responsibilities, requirements, and qualifications.
You’re welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn and please drop a comment in this blog post if you have questions about the role. Thank you for reading!