Joe Jacob, RingCentral’s Senior Vice President (SVP), Field Sales, threw us some curveballs when we sat down to talk. For instance, what do cows, buffalo and a SWAT team have in common? Well-sales, if you take the big picture view. Joe also shared what sets our Field Sales team apart, starting with authenticity.
An Authentic Sales Experience.
First and foremost, what differentiates RingCentral from the competition is an authentic sales experience. “It’s this level of authenticity that exists across our culture, a customer-first attitude. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. We’re very purposeful in our engagement model,” Jacob explains.
So, what’s the most authentic way to help customers understand the value that we can bring to their business? “Curiosity is a core tenet of our sales process. In the end this is a people business we are in, so actively listening and understanding where they are coming from. What they need for the business to succeed and just generally who they are as people. We ask a LOT of questions.”
Be Like The Buffalo.
There’s a certain approach Jacob likes to see in all the members of his team. He recalls a Great Plains analogy: “When a storm’s approaching, the cows run away from it ultimately experiencing more of the storm (because they stay in the storm longer, literally prolonging their discomfort). Buffalo, on the other hand, run straight toward the storm, thereby reducing the time they are immersed in it.” That’s the approach he looks for in new talent. Field Sales at RingCentral is about tackling problems head-on. Salespeople who embrace that idea are the ones with the happiest customers. Two big wins illustrating this are Ryder and the Chase Center. With Ryder we drove costs out of their business and provided more mobile use because RingCentral can be used on any platform. Exactly what the customer was looking for.
With The Golden State Warriors and the Chase Center, it was a different challenge. They were looking for seamless communications: start a meeting on your desktop and move to your mobile without missing a beat. It’s that kind of innovation that makes the Warriors a happy RingCentral customer, just look at the recent video they did with us.
Leveraging Customer Experience.
Listening to customer feedback is another way RingCentral rises above the competition. Our people are determined to give each customer the experience they need to improve their unique businesses. Sometimes the feedback coming from one customer allows us to make improvements that benefit many customers. “We have the customer advisory board, which is next week. I love that part of my job, being with customers and being able to hear how we have given them increased efficiencies and effectiveness across their workforce. Not only is it rewarding, but it helps me go back to my team and look at the next set of potential customers and see how we want to approach their challenges. It’s very healthy and beneficial life cycle,” Jacob reiterates.
RingCentral Sales Opportunities.
Jacob joined RingCentral five years ago (in 2017) and he told us the primary reasons he made the switch were the people and the culture. So is now a good time to join RingCentral? “I think it’s a great time to join our company. We continue to grow as a business and to separate from the competition. We have the ability to evolve quickly because this is our platform. We started in the cloud and so we have an advantage over all others who are trying to move their solutions to the cloud.” Jacob exercises this same agility in his free time too. When he isn’t actively finding solutions at RingCentral, he volunteers with his local Sheriff’s Department training with the SWAT team!
What Do You See In 2023?
Some of the trends Jacob sees in the future include better and increasing utilization of AI, allowing businesses to more efficiently and effectively communicate with their customers. With innovations like these, Jacob believes RingCentral will continue to grow and continue to expand our core customer base. “The ability that we have to pivot quickly and delight our customers and having a team built on a strong culture will be our differentiator.” Ultimately we want every customer acquisition to be a win-win. Jacob elaborates, “We want to delight our customers. Make sure that we’re solving their needs. The biggest reward that I get in this role is customers who tell their story on our behalf by being a reference for another customer. That’s how you know that you’ve truly succeeded.”
Originally published Nov 04, 2022
