Advice for a new AE

[lifer]

I was recently promoted from friend/T Driver to Account Exec. This is an opportunity that I have been waiting for and I want to be at the top of my game from the word go.

If there are some folks on here with BD experience who would be kind enough to give me some usefull advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

thanks a bunch!!

lifer

 

[bled]

Congratulations lifer!
Some advice...
-Do not seek praise. Seek criticism.
-Don't look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity.
-Accentuate the postive. Eliminate the negative. (Don't knock the competition.)
-Don't promise what you can't deliver.
-Know your clietnt's aim....
ps A fine BD partner you will make, if, you take heed: Do not inquiry about your district's revenue recovery plan.
Be true to thy self.
I once knew a BD man with exceptional leadership qualities. He stayed true to himself. He wouldn't sell out. Needless to say that was in conflict with the revenue recovery plan and he is no longer in BD, or UPS.

You had an employment contract as a driver. You will now assume you are partner. They will call you partner. Welcome "at will" partner. Again, congratulations.
Bring a great attitude with you everyday but realize that your integrity will be tested and your career security is wasted. Maybe not, depends on the straight or crooked path that you take. Crooked will get you far. The straight path will only leave you with heartache, a neverending search for justice and finally, litigation for closure, to end the moarning of your once idealistic outlook...To prove that it is not okay to play a shell game with the tariff and commit public policy fraud by over billing}}. But I digress.

 

[bled]

Lifer,
One additinal word of advice: document everything. Everything. Your success as well as anything that may be "constructive criticism".
Know your clients aim, better, know your partnerships aim.
Read: T.A.R.I.friend.friend.
UPS, can you hear me?
Loyal customers, just waiting to tell you all about it. Only time will tell.
Traffic World? Oh baby, can you hear me now!

Poor Casey and his legacy, "Ethics, as I will use the word, means "honorable conduct toward others." He obviously did not mean the customers. Lifer, pick your battles with your new assignment but make sure that you can live with yourself in the end. And when the going gets tough (and it will, no matter how bright you are, *&^% runs downhill, it always does with brown,) keep your chin up, have a great attitude. Define your ethics.
Did I say document everything?
Good luck.

 

[interested]

Lifer,

Ups is light years behind the times in how they run their sales force. Whenever you have an organization that promotes from within, you lose a great deal in experiences from the outside. Most of your BD peers and almost all of your managers have traveled a similar path to your present destination. A path that includes absolutely no experience whatsoever in sales. In most organizations, the one criteria you need to become a top level sales professional is EXPERIENCE.

It would be different if Ups had a formalized training program, but one does not exist. You will be sent to class for three weeks or so to learn the different services, but that is about it.

My advice to you is to service the customer. Take into consideration the egregious lack of experience your peers and managemnet team have in the game, and do your best to service your accounts and develop your own style.

And lifer... follow up, follow up, follow up. and when you think you have followed up enough- follow up some more.

 

[upslocal480]

<font color="0000ff">Is an AE the same people that basically go around tring to get people to use UPS, or... "sell UPS" to businesses and maybe use sales leads when doing so? Does it require a degree? I know other companys don't and an wondering if UPS does. I am thinking if you can dress "business casual" and be very polite to customers while having a good attitude while trying to talk them into shipping with UPS...which is basically what you'd be doing...then you'd be ready. Of course any past sales experience would probably help but I believe anyone with the right attitude and desire would do well. Is this an AE?</font>

 

[lifer]

actually most of the people that are brought into BD in my district are from the outside. . . my moove from within was very rare.

I dont think you "have to have a degree"---but I have not me anyone in the department that does not. . . and the training is very in depth and the job is quite demanding.

I am looking forward to it---thanks to all of y'all