Graduate Case Study – Brendan Rogers – PDR at Springpod

‘They teach you to think for yourself at the SaaSLeads Academy.’

 

Brendan Rogers is a recent graduate from the SaaSLeads Academy who is already forging a career in SaaS sales at Springpod having booked 28 meetings. We sat down with Brendan to talk about life at the Academy.

Starting out

Hi Brendan. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first get involved in the SaaSLeads Academy?

I saw an ad on a recruitment site, signed up and completely forgot about it. Then, six months later, Laith calls me up and says, ‘Hey! Want a job in sales?’

The interviewing process was friendly and casual. It flowed like a conversation, not just stock questions and answers. I then had a cultural fit interview with Springpod that went fine. 

How would you describe the Academy to someone thinking about signing up?

I’d say it’s genuinely an academy. It’s not just another training programme, and it’s not an internship where they make you work for free. It’s real training with a slow build-up; they don’t throw you in at the deep end. It’s got a nice culture and community and a relaxed atmosphere.

 

Skills

What was the main skill I developed at the SaaSLeads Academy?

Aside from the sales skills like emailing and making calls, I’d say it was learning to speak the language of sales. It’s how you act in a corporate environment, especially when dealing with clients and your colleagues.

The words you say matter. Just two or three words can turn a terrible call into something really good. So it’s good to focus on language with that attention to detail.

What about outside of sales? You must have developed some valuable life skills?

I’ve run a business before, so I’ve already got that perseverance and grit. I know what it’s like to go through the pain. But I can see that if you don’t already have that background, you’ll learn about it during the programme.

 

Best bits

What was your favourite part of the programme?

I can’t narrow it down to one module, but the most enjoyable part for me was sitting in lessons, having a friendly, open conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. There was a structure to the programme, but it wasn’t rigid. You don’t learn points off by heart; they teach you to think for yourself. You start with a general overview, then dive down deeper. It was really helpful to me. You get back what you put in.

If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow in the workplace, what would it be?

I’d make sure everyone pipes up and talks and has a good time. I don’t like it when people sit there with their mic off. You have to interact and engage – then, you enjoy it.

Finally, can you sum up your SaaSLeads Academy experience in three words?

Jovial. Demanding. Rewarding.

 

Find out more

If you want to follow in Brendan’s footsteps and join the SaaSLeads Academy, or you just want to find out more, visit our site – www.SaaSLeads-academy.io