“Returning Felt Like a Homecoming”— How One Employee Found Her Ideal Role Back at Salesforce

This article was written in partnership with TheMuse.com, a values-based career platform. View the original article, including the full Q&A, here.

How’d you get started in your current field? Did you always have a clear path, or did you end up somewhere unexpected? For Amy Nguyen, Enterprise Corporate Sales (ECS) Account Executive at Salesforce, the latter turned out to be true.

Though she originally started her career in marketing, Amy eventually made her way into sales after excelling at selling digital marketing solutions. (Or, as she puts it: “I did not pursue sales — sales pursued me!”)

That pursuit eventually led her to Salesforce, where Nguyen began as an Account Executive, Small Business before finding an outside opportunity with another technology company. But, that passion for sales — and for Salesforce culture — eventually had her returning.

“Salesforce has a mature sales organization, resources to help you succeed, transparent career progression, constant product innovation, a family-like culture, and senior leadership with a vision that I can get behind,” Nguyen says. “Returning felt like a homecoming.”

Here, Nguyen shares about her role at Salesforce, her experience as a Boomerang employee, and why those considering a sales career should consider Salesforce.

What are you responsible as a Salesforce Account Executive? Why does this work excite and inspire you?

As an Account Executive, my three main strategic objectives are: 1) revenue growth; 2) revenue retention; and 3) customer success.

Generally, I’m at customer meetings trying to solve business challenges, prospecting new business opportunities, collaborating with my extended team on account plans, attending industry-relevant webinars, and participating in ongoing upskilling initiatives.

I have been in business-to-business (B2B) sales for over five years, and there’s never a dull moment due to the ever-changing customer demands, industry trends, product innovations, and current events — my day-to-day is always shifting. That is what excites and inspires me; I’m constantly learning, facing new challenges, and getting 1% better each day.

What are some of the biggest challenges of your role, and how have you overcome them?

I’m a recent Boomerang employee at Salesforce, so I’m only three months into my new role. Currently, my biggest challenge is playing catch-up with product and industry knowledge.

I got placed into the healthcare vertical, which is new to me. As a Canadian, I have little knowledge of how the U.S. healthcare system works. Selling in a regulated industry has its nuances, but not only do I embrace new challenges and always look to improve my knowledge base, Salesforce has been doing this for 25 years, so I’m optimistic that I’ll be an expert in no time.

You mentioned that one of your reasons for returning was the company culture. Why was this an important factor in your decision-making process?

While the company culture varies slightly between teams, the constant theme I’ve seen throughout my time here is that everyone is open, friendly, and willing to help others. Networking with others and learning from each other is ingrained in our culture. Since I spend a minimum of 40 hours a week with my colleagues, the environment must be enjoyable and foster growth.

Salesforce also has several Equality Groups that support different communities, such as the Asian Pacific community (Asiapacforce), Black community (BOLDforce), and more. These groups organize educational, social, and volunteer events year-round. As a member of some of these Equality Groups, it makes me grateful that Salesforce embraces diversity and encourages us to show up as our truest and best selves at work.

What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a sales career at Salesforce?

My advice will vary depending on where the individual is at in their sales career. If someone is a fresh grad or brand new to sales, they would be better suited for a Sales Development Representative (SDR) or Business Development Representative (BDR) role. This is where they can develop their prospecting and qualification skills. From there, they might transition into an Account Executive role, where they’ll be responsible for running deal cycles and closing.

No matter your role, some important skills that will help you succeed are confidence, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability.

To stay in the know on the latest Salesforce sales career opportunities, news, and events, join our Talent Community today. Considering returning to Salesforce as a Boomerang? Learn about another Boomerang’s homecoming story.