SalesTechStar Interview with Pete Luce, Business Development Manager at GetPayroll

Pete Luce joins us in this SalesTechStar interview to give us a peak into his journey as a technology/B2B sales person  while also sharing his thoughts on what should be some of the best practices for tech sales teams to implement in order to overcome common challenges in technology sales.

Catch the complete interview:

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Can you tell us a little about yourself Pete? Why’d you choose Technology sales as a career option, what’s the one thing you love most about being in sales for the HR Tech segment? If not in Sales, what would you have rather been in?

 I have been in B/B sales for 22 years. Before my sales career, I was a professional musician from the age of 14-33.I choose technology sales as a career option because as a musician I saw how technology played an integral part in not only amplifying music but also expanding our horizons in creating new music. Ever since all types of technology has fascinated me . The one thing I love the most about being in sales is the ability for me to maximize my commissions. I control how much I make each month and while it can be terrifying thought for some, I seem to thrive off that feeling. If I was not in sales, I would rather be an attorney or psychologist.

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What are some of the most common challenges you see sales teams face in the B2B/tech sector? What would you advise them to do, to overcome these challenges?

One of the biggest challenges I see facing sales teams to today, is we are now competing in a global market with competition coming from all over the world. Due to solutions being agnostic of their location, global market is thriving but it also possess a challenge as each team needs to be aware of cultural nuances. It is vital that you find something about your company and solutions that truly set you apart from your competitors. You need to think global, act local.

What have been some of your biggest learnings and key experiences in Technology Sales over the years?

One of my biggest learnings and key experiences in Tech sales is how fast the technology changes and improves. You constantly have to educate yourself about new features so that you can communicate them effectively to your potential clients. With globalization, you are no longer protected by your territory. Innovate or die is the mantra that I follow.

What would you say are some of the top must-haves or best practices every Tech team’s outreach should consist of?

I think some of the best practices for every Tech team’s outreach is using your CRM effectively. Using a CRM that notifies you when your prospect opens their email and how many times we have touched a prospect can be crucial intelligence that I do not see many teams leveraging.  Having an integrated approach for customer acquisition is needed in today’s market. Marketing, Sale and Operations need to be in synch to drive the cost of customer acquisition down.

How according to you will the typical role of tomorrow’s B2B/Tech sales person evolve, given the dynamics and innovations in SalesTech?

The typical role of tomorrow’s B2B/Tech sales person will most likely evolve to be more of a hybrid roll. A mix of sales and technical skills. We call that a Sales Engineer today.  Sales is no longer just about talking about a solution. It has become more of a hands-on, getting in the weeds and implementing solutions to show clients how this particular solution can help them achieve their goals.

What would you say or do in your capacity to turn Sales and Technology sales into the most exciting job of the decade?!

I think something I would do in my capacity to make Technology sales the most exciting job of the decade would be to bring new technology to sectors that have not been exposed to things that can help them grow and improve their processes. Non-profit’s and low tech companies have not kept up with the changing technologies. There are huge untapped markets that need to be worked.

The one person in the industry I would like to read the answers to these questions would be my first Sales Manager, Bill Heck. Bill had been in the Tech sales industry for 10 years, when I went to work for him. He always had a solution to anything that came up and was always on top of new technology. Bill is still in the industry and doing amazing things.

Your favorite Sales/SalesTech  quote and sales leadership books you’d suggest everyone in Sales reads

One of my favourite sales quotes is from Zig Ziglar. “Stop selling. Start helping.”

The old-school salesperson was seen as someone who persuaded, spun and did just about anything to get a sale. But the modern-day sales rep is seen as an educator and advisor, who challenges, teaches and helps customers.

A couple of sales books I suggest everyone in sales read are Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar, The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy and The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer.

We’d love to know a little about your future plans!

My future plan at this time is to continue sales growth and market share for the current company I work for. Being the Business Development Manager at GetPayroll is an exciting and challenging roll for me. When I came to the company, sales were flat. In the last year, we have had the biggest growth in the company’s history and we are currently on pace to have the best year ever.

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