Spectrum Leaders Share How to Find and Grow a Sales Career at a Major Broadband Connectivity Company

Finding and growing a career in sales requires great listening skills, adaptability and the ability to build excellent relationships. That’s the advice for people looking for a career at Spectrum, one of the nation’s leading broadband connectivity companies, from three of the company’s sales leaders. The leaders – Nakesha Walker, Senior Director of Spectrum Stores; Michelle Wolloff, Vice President of Sales for Spectrum Enterprise; and Mary Hermes, Vice President of Media and Entertainment for Spectrum Reach – shared their tips for landing and growing a sales career at the company, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., during a recent Fairygodboss webinar. 

The full conversation is available here. During the webinar, each leader talked about their own, unique passion for sales. For Hermes, it’s the opportunity to build personal relationships along with delivering solutions-based results in a career she thrives in. Wolloff cited her lifelong passion for achieving goals, starting from childhood days of selling Girl Scout cookies, leading teams and watching people surpass expectations and accomplish more than they thought possible. Walker said a sales career enables her to combine her competitive personality and her love of connecting with people. 

Top Five Skills Needed for a Successful Sales Career

But while each Spectrum leader has her own passion for sales, they all agree that to build a successful sales career, one needs to do the following: 

1. Build strong relationships. Learn to connect with a wide variety of people in order to share compelling stories and solutions, Hermes said.

2. Be an adaptable change agent. Sales is a fast-moving and competitive field, so it’s important to be flexible, Walker said. 

3. Listen to customers. “People buy from people,” Wolloff said. “You have to be able to garner trust, and you garner trust by listening.”

4. Develop strong instincts. Learn to visualize what is needed to achieve goals, Wolloff said. 

5. Learn from mistakes. “We’ve all made mistakes so when you are continuing your career path you really have that foundation to grow from,” Wolloff said.

How to Ace an Interview for a Sales Job

According to Walker, Wolloff and Hermes, there are three key ways to ace an interview for a sales role at Spectrum. First, a candidate needs to convey authenticity. “Create your own narrative and always work on building your brand,” Walker said. 

One way to do this is by sharing unique experiences during the interview. “We have an amazingly varied company, and there is room for all different types of talent,” Hermes said.

Secondly, a sales candidate should be confident during the interview. “It's body language,” Wolloff explained. “It is the way that candidates present their resume to you. It's the way they shake your hand. Position yourself as the best talent out there, a person we need to hire.”

Finally, Walker said, a sales candidate should practice their communication skills before the interview and come prepared with specific examples to show how they are the best person for the job. 

What It’s Like to Work at Spectrum

Working at Spectrum, which offers the Spectrum brand of internet, TV, mobile and voice services, opens up a world of opportunities for career growth and professional mentorship. Employees get “the opportunity to grow in a company that seems to be everywhere and offers longevity,” Walker said.

Additionally, Spectrum prioritizes diversity and experience and actively seeks to recruit employees with varied perspectives. Nearly half of the company’s employees identify as people of color, and the company offers a number of tools and programs to help employees take control of their careers.

Next Steps

For anyone interested in pursuing a sales career at Spectrum, here are three ways to get started: 

1. Stay abreast of sales job openings by signing up for Spectrum job alerts.

2. Take the Spectrum Fit Finder assessment to learn what sales job might be right for you.

3. Research Spectrum’s application process to know exactly what to expect after an application is received.

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