We’ve talked about our Account Executives here at Yelp before, but are you familiar with the leaders that coach and mentor these Account Executives to success? Meet Branden Adams, Senior Sales Manager in our Windy City office. Branden is a powerhouse on the sales floor consistently managing his team to the top spot on the Chicago leaderboard.
What drew you to a job at Yelp initially?
What drew me to Yelp was my interest in working for an internet company. Not just any internet company, but one that I felt helped shape the way people make decisions. I started at Yelp in 2010 when no one really knew what Yelp was. It’s been really cool to watch it grow into what it is today. I feel that I’ve been on the rocket ship the entire time.
What is your morning routine?
My morning routine is one of my favorite parts of my day. I start off by biking from my house to the gym. From there, I walk across the street to work. It’s important for me to kick my day off on a positive start, and there’s no better way to do that than getting my endorphins going. Once I get to work, I identify all of our big revenue opportunities and work one on one with my sales reps to gameplan their pitches. Whether it’s strategizing deskside or grabbing a room, having my reps prepared for their revenue opportunities for the day is crucial to them reaching their goals.
What is a typical day in the office like for you?
A day in the office goes by so fast! Between pre-pitch planning, team meetings, and one on one coaching, you can bet that I stay pretty busy. My days are always high-energy and never the same. What’s so fun is that my role is all about people– motivating them, understanding how they think, and why they do certain things. I consider myself in the people business more than the advertising business.
Yelp is built on individual relationships and healthy feedback systems. I spend a lot of my day coaching and sharing ideas, listening to people, and providing feedback. At Yelp, we pride ourselves on being able to give and receive feedback- whether positive or constructive. I’m big on pre-pitch planning as well as call debriefs so in those interactions, I always make it a point to leave at least one piece of feedback with my reps each and every time.
What makes your job exciting?
Having come from a management background prior to starting at Yelp as an Account Executive, I knew I wanted to eventually get back into that type of role. Moving into the management role after being an Account Executive for two and half years prepared me for the challenges reps are encountering on a daily basis. That experience is invaluable as a manager because now I can coach from experience. It’s very fulfilling to see my team improve and be able to watch them get promoted and grow their careers whether it’s at Yelp or beyond.
What’s been the proudest moment of your management career?
I would say that the proudest moments in my management career have been being able to play a pivotal role in my reps’ development through mentorship and coaching. I’ve been able to see sales representatives get promoted into management and have the opportunity to coach and mentor their own sales teams. You really get to see the impact you have on someone’s career when you see them grow from a new rep to a top performing rep to a manager.
Where do you find a sense of community at Yelp?
When I walk through the doors at Yelp, I feel accepted. I find a sense of community with my team and the culture we’ve developed. I feel really proud to work for a company that helps people find really amazing businesses that they wouldn’t have otherwise found without Yelp. The fact that we are a decision making platform is so cool! And, the cherry on top is that we are helping people to grow their businesses on a daily basis. We are all about the mom and pop shops that deserve a chance to be found online.
What are you up to when you’re not at work?
When I’m not at work I am usually hanging out with my dog Boomer, cooking, or watching sports.
I love living in Chicago. Before moving here, it was always one of my favorite cities to visit. There’s constantly something going on; the food is great; the transit system is one of the best in the country; and it’s just a lively place to be. Chicago has so much to offer, so exploring the city around me never gets old.
Want to work with Branden?
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