Allow us to introduce you to Sarah L. Based in Yelp’s Phoenix Office, she is positively beaming with her upbeat attitude. This little ball of sunshine keeps her teammates motivated by always striving to be her best, even in the stormiest of weather. She takes a break from her busy schedule to give you the inside scoop on why she loves working as an Account Executive!
What did you do before coming to Yelp?
Before Yelp, I worked as an Executive Team Leader for Target in stores. As my first job after graduating from USC, I was really lucky to get the chance to open a new Target store with a team in California.
After being there for a while, I was ready for a change — I started looking for a career in sales to challenge myself. That's how I found Yelp!
How did you first hear about Yelp and the job opening?
I absolutely love traveling and had used Yelp to find the best restaurants in the areas I visited. When I started looking into sales positions I saw a posting on my university's career website and thought Yelp would be a great fit.
What's your title at Yelp and how long have you been with the company?
I'm a Senior Account Executive and have been with Yelp since June 2012.
What comprises a typical day for you?
I typically start the day with a few phone calls to break the ice early as soon as I arrive. After that, I grab coffee and breakfast (thanks to the free Yelp kitchen!) to kickstart my day. I review my calendar and make sure I'm prepared for everything scheduled, and then I take ten minutes to read a quick article about Yelp or sales tips. Throughout the day, I call local business owners and help them get "plugged in" to Yelp. I set up appointments with businesses across industries to teach them about Yelp and how to better leverage their traffic through the Yelp Advertising program.
What's the best part of working for Yelp?
The best part of working here is knowing that I'm working towards something greater than monthly sales goals. Knowing that I'm helping businesses grow makes me feel accomplished at the end of every day. It's exciting to see Yelp grow larger and larger and businesses that I've signed up in the program continue to do better and better because of our growth.
What is your favorite perk at Yelp?
The benefits are amazing. We have great health and medical benefits, a gym subsidy, and even a shared ride incentive program. Also, we have some pretty awesome off-sites with our team and company (like the talent show) to bond with fellow Yelp workers. Oh, and who can forget the kitchen. So I named seven of my favorite perks. 🙂
What has been your favorite memory at Yelp?
My favorite memorie(s) at Yelp are LWOMs or the "last week of the month." For anyone who's experienced one, they know that it's usually when the magic happens. We like to say that anything is possible in LWOM. The energy is high and the music is loud; sometimes we have fun events like glow-in-the-dark calling parties. It's the best part of the month to really feel the camaraderie in the office. Everyone works hard and feels passionate about what they're doing. And who knows, you might even land yourself a hat trick (three transactions in a day).
What separates Yelp from other places you've worked?
The Yelp Culture: we definitely work hard but have a lot of fun doing it. For example, most teams have a theme and decorate their pod accordingly. When we close a deal we hit the gong and play our team song to celebrate. Throughout the day you’ll hear outbursts of clapping and cheering happening on the sales floor.
Finally, what would be your one piece of advice for someone interested in your role?
Always stay positive. This job is a lot of fun, but there are always some ups and downs (as with everything). Learn to celebrate all your wins and learn from some of your mistakes. That's how we all get better!
