Here’s Why I’m Excited to Sell a Technical Product

I get to help the people who make the apps I use regularly even better. It's a win/win.

Perspectives
September 28, 2016
Image of Rachael Holley
Rachael Holley
Account Executive
Here’s Why I’m Excited to Sell a Technical Product

It’s been just about a month since I started here at Amplitude and I’m well on my way to becoming an analytics expert. (Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But I am learning a lot!)

This is my first time in a sales role for a technical B2B product, but in hindsight, it makes a ton of sense. I know just how important it is for companies to be goal- and metrics-driven in order to scale their product and business. Joining the sales team at a company that builds analytics software and lets teams be more data-driven seemed to be the next logical step!

I came to Amplitude from BetterWorks, a platform that’s built to track employee and business goals, capture and communicate long-term strategy, and track progress toward those goals. Before that, I was at LinkedIn where I helped clients find the right LinkedIn solutions to grow their brand and scale their marketing messages.

I’ve also seen in my own life how powerful of a role data has in making my life better. I use data daily, whether that’s to improve my productivity, stick to a budget, or motivate myself to move my body (anybody else love their Fitbit?). The idea of empowering the people who make the apps I use on a daily basis with data is really exciting. I’m still learning a lot, but here are a few things that I’ve caught on to so far at Amplitude.

Businesses build better products with analytics.

When I took my first deep-dive into the product I was amazed at the wizardry it could perform within seconds. I’m certainly not a product or marketing expert, but it was clear how much value our technology could bring to companies trying to deeply understand the behavior of their users. Not only that, but it makes data accessible to virtually anyone in an organization, quickly — clearly a competitive edge for companies who need to iterate quickly to stay ahead of the game. When the value is clear, it’s more fun to sell! Plus, I get to help the people who make the apps I use regularly even better, so it’s win/win.

Selling a technical product means being both analytical and creative.

I’ve never sold such a technical product before, so being at Amplitude has definitely challenged me to think in ways I never have before. Coming up with a potential use case or value statement for analytics-minded folks is a serious brain exercise. Putting myself in the shoes of a product leader, and thinking in their language, exercises a healthy level of left-brain analytical thinking and right-brain creativity that keeps things interesting!

Diverse teams mean diverse thinking.

One of the first things that struck me about Amplitude was the commitment to diversity that everyone has made as a team. I’ve learned that it’s never too early to be deliberate about creating an inclusive, diverse workplace, and Amplitude has already made the commitment to ensuring everyone’s up to speed on why this important. The range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives here among just 50 people is vast. And that spectrum of backgrounds helps me learn new ways of thinking about things, from sales and negotiation tactics to how you build a crazy fast analytics engine.

I’m really excited to continue soaking up all there is to learn about the analytics space at Amplitude, and realize my full potential as a saleswoman and an Ampliteer! Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies. Here’s me in Iceland!

Rachael in Iceland

Interested in joining Amplitude? We’re hiring!

About the Author
Rachael Holley is an Analytics Strategist at Amplitude, where she helps people understand the power of data. She is also a native Southerner, bookworm, and coffee enthusiast.
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