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Day in the Life of an Enterprise Account Executive
This is the finale of our 3-part series covering different sales roles for easy tidbits of inspiration and best practices to take with you into 2022.
Laura Rehn | Enterprise Account Executive @ Gong | San Francisco-based
Before becoming a high-performing enterprise account executive for Gong, Laura Rehn started her sales career in the boiler room-esque recruiting industry. After five years, she parlayed that experience into opportunities to work for brands like CareerBuilder and LinkedIn.
Now with Gong, a company that feels destined to go public, Laura has been selling large strategic deals to sales leaders who view "conversation intelligence" (analytics from recorded sales calls) as table stakes for growth. She's been with the company for over two years and continues to contribute to Gong's explosive growth.
We had the privilege to learn about a "day in her life":
Rise and Shine!
I’ve always been a morning person and start the day around 5:30 am by feeding and walking Figaro, my Lagotto Romagnolo puppy. During our 30 minute walk, I listen to podcasts or an audiobook which puts me in a receptive mindset for the day. I follow this with a short workout or yoga session.
Jotting it Down
I turn to my Five Minute Journal from there. Setting goals for the day, both personally and professionally, is critical to my success. Journaling also allows me to look back at the accomplishments from the day before, thinking about what I could have done differently to make it better. I can course-correct toward larger goals by making small changes daily while still focusing on positive experiences.
Can it Wait?
I use Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle to plan out my day. I start with Urgent activities that demand immediate attention and Important activities that contribute toward my goals. Important and non-Urgent get scheduled throughout the day. As an Enterprise Account Executive, I get pulled in many different directions, and time is my most valuable asset. Using this method has helped me prioritize revenue-generating activities and delegate ones that are not.
Strategic Deals
Important and Urgent activities are typically related to strategic deals that I’m working on currently. I review these regularly against our sales stages, ensuring that I’m providing the most value by understanding my client's most critical business initiatives, engaging the right stakeholders, and conveying the value that Gong can provide to their organizations.
Mentorship
I’ve had incredible mentors throughout my life, and it is my goal to pass that along to others. I try to mentor one or two individuals at any given time, allocating space during my week to check in, share best practices, talk through wins, and act as a sounding board.
Wrap-up
Like many others, since April 2020, I’ve worked from home. I found that I was working A LOT for the first six months. There were too many 12-hour days, and my productivity was faltering as a result. Something needed to change. Fast forward to today, I’ve found that closing my laptop is extremely important for me. I save the last 30 minutes of my day to empty my inbox and follow up on any meetings. This discipline allows me to fully disconnect in the evenings and resist the temptation of sending just one more email.
Dinner
Cooking is a passion and a hobby of mine. I find it therapeutic to focus on a familiar process while also pushing my skills to tackle new recipes. I cherish the time spent enjoying dinner with my fiancé. We’ll catch up on our days and what we’re looking forward to, finish a New York Times crossword puzzle, and occasionally try out a unique bottle of wine.
Closing Out
Depending on the day, the rest of the evening finds me acrylic or watercolor painting, tackling a videogame, or watching T.V. (I'm currently indulging in Succession). I like to read for at least 20 minutes before bed to close out the day.
