Sales Life: Don Scott, Aruba Networks

Our regular feature ‘Sales Life’ invites senior salespeople to give their views on key sales issues.

This quarter we talk to Don Scott, Director, Global Accounts, Aruba Networks.

How did you get into sales?

After completing my MBA, I wanted to get a job with Oracle. Oracle’s recruitment agency put me through their tests, but there was nothing available that fit my profile. They offered me a temporary position with a telecoms company in sales which I accepted. After two weeks there, they offered me a permanent role within the Major Accounts division and the rest is history!

What aspects of sales do you enjoy most?

I enjoy being with customers and sharing ideas and challenges: translating our technology into their business requirements and understanding first-hand the challenges customers face. I like technology – I’m a bit of a geek – but I like it because it can solve real business problems. Making that translation is the most interesting part of high-tech sales for me.

What is the top sales challenge in your industry?

Considering high-tech sales in general, I think we still have some way to go in terms of raising our game up to the business level. Many salespeople are still not comfortable doing the business analysis before a meeting and translating their technology to the customer’s business pain point. We still lean too heavily on the technology, but from my experience success comes from starting high, with a clear understanding of how to solve business issues.

What is the best piece of sales advice you’ve ever been given?

I live by this advice, which was given to me early in my career: “Never forget that your customer has their own career path, personal aspirations and business objectives. Make sure everything you do helps your customer be successful in their career and you will take your relationship to a new level.”

How can marketing best serve sales?

An effective marketing organisation should start with the basics and make sure they are 100% effective with them before getting too creative. Marketing is about demand creation – taking practical action to stimulate leads and generate demand - nothing else matters.

What is the most exciting deal you have been involved in?

That would be when I was with Nortel Networks and we won the deal to equip the Canary Wharf HQ of a major global bank. The challenges of selling a network that large into a building under construction were fascinating. And it didn’t stop with the sale – we had to coordinate installation with the construction work which presented some new and interesting challenges. More than once we were on site in the middle of the night wearing hard hats and boots working feverishly to meet our deadlines!

Who in our industry has influenced you most?

A gentleman named Doug Winnie who was my mentor early in my career at Nortel. He gave me the advice to focus on your customer’s ambitions, and he was a passionate and disciplined salesperson. Hard to keep up with, but he really “walked the walk” and demonstrated how to be successful in sales.

To take part in Sales Life or to nominate a colleague please email or call +44(0)1702 586742.