Perk Leadership & Management

Tell us about your journey into sales management. What specific roles, networking opportunities and projects helped you get to where you are in your career today?

I spent over eight years as an individual contributor, always knowing that I wanted to transition into sales management. However, I understood that leadership roles aren’t simply given — they must be earned. I began developing the necessary skills by mentoring other account executives on my team, actively stepping into a leadership role whenever possible. Throughout my career, I was fortunate to have managers who provided insight into their daily challenges and responsibilities, further solidifying my passion for sales leadership.

At Perk, I made my aspirations clear from the start while also taking initiative beyond my core responsibilities. I identified gaps in the sales process between internal teams and took the lead in creating the North America Impact Team. Our mission was to strengthen cross-functional relationships, streamline the sales process and foster a culture of open feedback — all of which contributed to increased sales effectiveness. The initiative was well received and continues to thrive today.

What advice, skills or best practices do you find most valuable in sales? How do those skills translate into sales management?

Relationship-building is one of the most important skills to have. Building trust and rapport with clients is essential throughout the entire process. Customers don’t want to feel like you’re simply telling them what they want to hear — trust me, it will backfire. They want to feel heard, understood, and confident that they’re investing in a solution that genuinely addresses their needs.

In management, strong relationships with your team create a supportive and motivating environment. When reps feel valued and empowered, they perform at their best. Being approachable, honest and open with your team fosters trust and encourages a culture of collaboration and growth.

What is your top advice for sales professionals interested in breaking into sales management?

Be the trusted rep your manager can always rely on and be proactive with creating new resources and creating projects — not only does this help you grow, but it also positions you as a leader. By stepping up, you establish yourself as a trusted voice for your team — a go-to resource for guidance, support and mentorship. This positions you well for future promotions, as you'll have concrete examples of how you're already demonstrating leadership and management skills.

How do your managers coach and support sales team members to reach their goals?

At Perk, managers are owners of results, people and the culture their teams operate in. In enablement, my job is to make sure managers are genuinely equipped to coach their teams and lead them to success.

Coaching is all about focusing on the actions and decisions that truly move deals — and the business — forward. Managers are powering real work, and it shows up in deal reviews, call feedback and honest pipeline conversations, not just scheduled one-on-ones. 

Just as importantly, coaching at Perk is human. Sellers are encouraged to raise challenges early, knowing the goal is progress, not perfection. When coaching is done well, it builds confidence and creates what we believe should feel like a seven-star experience to be part of.

What practices or programs empower your salespeople to take ownership of their growth?

One of the things that really stood out to me when I joined Perk was the genuine commitment to developing people. It’s not just something we talk about; you see it in how leaders invest their time and energy.

Perk is very intentional about how we think about growth. Growth belongs to the individual; career paths aren’t always linear. People are supported to become the best version of themselves, rather than being pushed into a one-size-fits-all progression model.

It’s an incredibly exciting time at Perk. We’re scaling quickly, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to roll up your sleeves and get involved in projects that stretch you beyond the day-to-day role, whether that’s helping shape new motions, supporting launches, or stepping into leadership early. That combination of trust, challenge and opportunity is what makes this such an exciting place to grow.

Growth belongs to the individual. Our job is to create the clarity, trust and opportunities that allow people to become the best version of themselves.

How do you balance accountability with autonomy across your sales organization?

We don’t see accountability and autonomy as trade-offs, they work best together when expectations are clear. At Perk, outcomes, priorities, and standards are transparent, and within that, teams are trusted to decide how they get there.

Enablement plays a big role in creating that clarity through shared language, consistent ways of working, and visible data, so people aren’t guessing what success looks like with a focus on coaching and problem-solving. 

Underpinning all of this is a strong sense that we are a team and that how we achieve results matters. We’re ambitious, but grounded and that balance of trust, ownership, and respect allows people to do some of the best work of their careers as we continue to scale.