Impossible Foods – Apprenticeship Week 5
Every week through (at least) April 2020, I will be outlining my apprenticeship experience as an Inside Sales Rep for Impossible Foods. Each week will recap what I’m learning, what I’ve accomplished, and overall how I am growing and progressing as both a professional, and as an individual. Writing these posts is not only a great way for me to document my experience to look back on in the future, it also allows me to publicly share my successes and failures during my first venture into the professional tech world. Let’s do this.
This past week was a short one, just three work days because of Thanksgiving and being off on Friday as well. This may lead you to think it was slower than normal, but actually the opposite was true. In response to the sampling/distribution issues I mentioned in last week’s post, I (and my fellow insiders) had a heavy workload to get through before the holiday — I’m not complaining, though. If anything, I am eager for a heavy workload. More work means more practice for me as I sharpen my skills, and because of that extra practice, I can feel myself becoming more accustomed to a variety of situations when conversing with potential clients.
Although this isn’t groundbreaking information, I’m finally experiencing what many have felt before me: sales is hard. It’s not easy trying to be at your most articulate, most personable, most intelligent/informed… the overall best version of yourself each and every time you dial the phone.
I’ve learned the importance of taking breaks – getting up and away from the desk, yes, but more so just a break from the mindset that I have to be calling nonstop and be perfect each time. Working on a spreadsheet, doing prep work for calls, and working on other projects have been really valuable “breaks”. Taking a few minutes, a few deep breaths, and resetting my frame of mind has proven integral to staying consistent in my sales approach.
Next week will (see: should) be fairly normal considering the circumstances, and I’m looking forward to taking it by storm. While most of my time will be spent reaching out to leads as usual, I think I will have more time to really explore our process along with our knowledge base and its resources to try and identify points of emphasis for me to create something valuable, or improve something that is already in place. While I am enjoying wearing the sales mask that is still fairly unnatural for me, I want to make the most out of my startup experience and really figure out what makes a company fire on all cylinders.
Work life aside, I thankfully was able to make the most out of my time off. As I mentioned, my beautiful girlfriend Erica was able to visit for nearly a week, and it provided much needed time together. Whether we were exploring a new city or being lazy all day, each moment was precious, and I will carry with me a lot of memories from our short time together. For now, it’s back to long distance until the Christmas break.
Until next week!