Women in Sales: Thriving on Change, Learning, and Passion

Regional Sales Director Aditi Sharma lives by a single mantra: “Never doubt yourself.” In fact, that’s been a guiding principle throughout her entire career.

Now in her sixth year with Salesforce, Aditi is excelling in her personal and professional goals. Read on to learn how Aditi thrives within Salesforce’s culture of innovation and how she priotises her own wellbeing.

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Thriving through change

When Aditi tried to re-enter the workforce after an eight month sabbatical for motherhood, she found that most companies were less than welcoming.

“They assumed a young mother would not be completely committed to a sales role. Around that time, some ex-colleagues joined Salesforce, and they told me about the unique culture of this organisation. I instantly knew this was the place for me,” she says.

Aditi first joined as an Account Director, an individual contributor role. The unique challenges of the job and the flexibility it offered were a great fit — but soon, she was ready for the next challenge. “I thrive on change and can’t do the same thing for a long time. Fortunately, Salesforce is mindful of your short-term and long-term career goals and encourages you to be vocal about your needs. This open culture enabled me to request for another role — which allowed me to take the next big leap in my career,” she says.

Aditi then moved on to managing Marketing Cloud business for enterprise companies before running transformation for a division called growth business. A people manager today, she credits Salesforce for providing first-time leaders like herself with the resources to succeed — even in entirely virtual settings.

“Salesforce changed its enablement program to meet our requirements, and provided us with online training sessions on people management, empathy expression, and so on. They also put some of us in coaching and mentorship programs so that we get first-hand experience in managing people.”

Being the leader your team needs

Drawing on learnings from Salesforce leadership trainings and her own mentors, Aditi ensures she creates a friendly, open environment for her own team.

“I tailor my style of leadership to each individual. Here, there is no room for judgement; I try my best to understand the individual, their career goals, and align their aspirations with the organisational goals.”

Even with their busy schedules, Aditi and her team often catch up after work to chat or connect — and they always welcome the distraction of kids and pets on video calls. “At the end of the day, it is all about building a camaraderie that keeps us motivated and pushes us to hustle harder,” she emphasises.

Taking time for yourself

Of course, you can’t take care of work if you’re not first taking care of yourself — something that Aditi deeply understands.

“I am an early riser. I take time every morning to sit with my cup of tea and read about areas like industries, politics, and business. I also use this time to make my to-do list, clear my mail, and glance through the Salesforce app. It has everything we need — analytics, dashboards, individual and team performance numbers, etc. Since my brain is fresh in the morning, the numbers really speak to me then.”

After work, Aditi makes sure to always block her calendar from 7 - 8 p.m. to hit the gym or play tennis — something that her entire team knows and supports.

“That’s the great thing about Salesforce. They encourage you to be yourself and not hide any aspect of your personality. A friendly organisation with interesting products and the smartest minds — no wonder I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t like Salesforce culture!”

Keeping faith in one’s abilities

While a supportive organisation is necessary, Aditi also credits her own drive to her success. “Firstly, I have absolute clarity on where I want to be in my career. I feel that if you are not clear on your end goals, you can be easily distracted.”

She lists fierce ambition as her next most important trait — a personality characteristic that many women may try to hide.

“Don’t let anybody dim your light. If you want to be the CEO, go ahead and tell the world you want to be the CEO! I feel expressing what you want gets the right kind of people to associate with you and help you to move ahead,” Aditi insists.

Of course, none of this is possible without a willingness to learn and develop.

“The day you feel you know it all, your success stops. That’s why it’s so important for me to be a part of a company like Salesforce. The fast-paced innovation ensures that what you see today, changes tomorrow. So, there is something new to learn every day and that keeps me excited,” Aditi shares.

Like Aditi, you, too, can work at a innovative workplace that allows you to be your true authentic self and reach your goals. Join our Talent Community to stay in the know on the latest Salesforce career opportunities, news, and events!