The Ways I’m Finding Leadership Success in 2020, According to a Vice President

Cindy Rock’s professional philosophy? You should always shoot to leave something better than you found it. 

It’s that mentality that encouraged her to join Thryv nine years ago, where she was given the opportunity to build their Inside Sales organization from the ground up. 

As Vice President, Inside Sales, Rock is used to hustling. So when COVID-19 forced her team to change processes and begin working from home overnight, she took it in stride. Now, she says the Inside Sales organization is running better than ever thanks to some important tools and tricks. 

Recently, Rock sat down with Fairygodboss to discuss how she’s finding leadership and sales success in a COVID-19 world. She also told us a bit more about how women at all stages of the sales ladder can build the career they want and what excites her about her own career at Thryv. Keep reading for these insights and more. 

How long have you been at Thryv and what about the company first made you want to join? 

Nine years this month! I was excited about joining the company and building a world-class Inside Sales organization from the ground floor.

Tell me a little about your job. What about this work excites you?  

The best part is working with my team to find a better way to help our clients with their business — both how they operate and how people find and know about their services.

How would you describe your leadership style?  

Facilitative, supportive, tough when needed, hard on the issues and focused on leaving it better than we found it, always!

What are the top three qualities you look for when you’re interviewing a candidate for a sales role?   

Attitude, an energy or hustle factor and passion. Everything else we can teach. 

How has COVID-19 impacted your team and how have you had to pivot?  

We moved to work from home overnight, literally, and really didn’t miss a beat. We had invested in technology and process work years ago and that made all the difference. We already used Zoom and Insidesales.com/Xant, and had a high focus on metrics and efficiencies. Now we were just doing it from our homes instead of together. Microsoft Teams has been huge for us in this virtual world and gives us a sense of community during our day.

How have these changes affected the team’s efficiency and performance?  

We did not lose any efficiency and, in many cases, we got better. Performance has actually improved. I will say we had a few people who felt this work from home world wasn’t for them, but 95% of our team has adapted very well. We are never going back to the office. We have adopted a “work from anywhere” philosophy.

What advice do you have for women who are looking to elevate their career in sales?

Focus on the facts and the results, and be supportive in your management style. In sales, it's largely all about the results and the leadership while getting the results. Work smarter not harder by focusing on the big levers — the things that really matter — and let everything else go.  Never, ever give up pursuing what you want to accomplish and adopt a “I always leave it better than I found it” philosophy. “It” can be a conversation, employee development, a process or an organization overall. Just improve it a little — bring some sunlight to it and help it grow! 

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