In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying ahead of client needs requires more than just expertise – it demands insight, strategy, and a deep understanding of what businesses truly need to thrive.
To explore how our company delivers value and growth for our clients, we’re excited to sit down with one of our Sales Principals, George Segrest.
In this interview, George shares key insights on driving success in the MSP industry, the challenges businesses face in adopting new technology, and what it takes to build lasting client relationships in the modern market.
Tell us about your background in sales.
I began my technology career as an application developer and DBA. Because I was the lead developer on all projects, I grew very adept in interviewing my customers – users. Improving upon my interviewing skills, I was soon uncovering client issues that weren’t related to the project directly; they were either upstream or downstream from the application – outside of my direct control.
Fast forward a little bit, I was interviewing for two jobs at the same company – one technical and the other, entry level sales. Brave and bold, I took the sales role. On a daily basis, I was conversing with clients, learning about their business, and their immediate projects or problems. Having a penchant for rooting out the underlying issue or need, I quickly wowed clients, outperformed peers, and was on the fast-track to learning “professional sales skills” and working with enterprise-class clients.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in your sales career so far?
The most valuable lesson I have learned to date, is humility. My point of view isn’t the only one and I can’t win all the time, so that means losing some of the time. Practicing retrospection is crucial – what went right, what went wrong, and what is under my direct influence.
How do you approach building long-term relationships with clients, especially in a fast-evolving industry like managed services?
The way I build long-term relationships is to be genuine, transparent, and put other people’s needs before mine. Services change; technology evolves, but the foundation of strong relationships remains human connection. By actively listening to my clients and their peers, I am able to truly understand each client’s specific needs and offer solutions that are tailored to meet those needs. On more than one occasion, the firm I worked for couldn’t directly solve their need, but I confidently introduced them to someone who could, building trust further.
Proactive and transparent communications are vital. Most of the time, it is better to over communicate than to under communicate.
What strategies do you use to stay informed about the latest trends and technologies in managed network services?
Engaging with real people and having real conversations is a surefire way for me to learn what technologies prospects and clients are most concerned with. When I take notes, it is my own version of shorthand. Keywords and phrases are said that might be new to me. I take the keywords, phrases, and notes and research them. I don’t just seek the definition from the dictionary – I need to truly understand them in a way that is relatable to the concepts I already know.
To understand a topic, concept, or technology, I turn to the internet: I find articles of real-world scenarios that employ the new service or concept, I am not afraid to phone-a-friend, research companies that are capitalizing the technology – how & why, social media posts, etc.
In an attempt to stay ahead, or with the curve, I: subscribe to various newsletters, blogs, participate in professional organizations, attend conferences and events, follow my competitors blogs and press releases, engage with online communities, and take various learning modules available to me.