Mike Mishler
What are your main roles and responsibilities at memoryBlue? How do you spend your day?
As a Delivery Manager, I manage both the development of our Account Executives and our clients. On the internal side, I teach, train, motivate, and give feedback to our team of Account Executives. On the client side, I’m the main point of contact, and make sure we service and meet each client’s needs. I keep clients updated (and they update me) and troubleshoot whenever necessary.
Right now, I manage and work with 8 to 10 clients and 10 to 15 Account Executives. I spend most days listening to our Account Executives on calls and then sitting down with them and to give constructive feedback. We go over one good and one not-so-good call, and talk about what went well and what could make the call stronger.
I also hold team meetings with Account Executives who work on the same client. We sit down and come up with game plans, whether that means establishing a better rapport with a client, getting more leads, or fine-tuning some of the ways we communicate. It’s very collaborative.
What was your first year like at memoryBlue? What prompted you to stay on as a Delivery Manager?
I started as an Account Executive and worked in that position for about six months, learning the ropes of inside sales and memoryBlue. Then I got promoted to Senior Account Executive, and when I hit my quota eight times, in addition to some other things, I was promoted to my current role, Delivery Manager.
When I came to memoryBlue, I thought I’d stay here for a year or so. The main reason I’m still here is that I’ve found a real niche. I’ve always had a passion for teaching, training, and leading other people, which makes up the bulk of my job. It’s rewarding to see other people advance their skills and launch their sales careers, whether they stick with high tech or not. Having my own team is great.
I also really like the people at memoryBlue. It’s rare in a workplace to have owners who are as involved and driven to success as Chris Corcoran and Marc Gonyea, on top of an entire office of equally driven, hard-working people in their 20s and 30s. It’s very competitive here, but we compete with, not against, each other. We’re always helping each other develop sales and other professional skills.
What experiences attracted you to sales — and to memoryBlue?
I started at memoryBlue right after graduate school at Liberty University in Virginia, where I earned a master’s degree in communications. Toward the end of school, I knew I wanted to go into sales, which requires strong communication skills. But I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of sales I wanted to pursue.
During college, I went door-to-door selling educational books to families and found the face-to-face aspect appealing. I really liked interacting with customers.
When I interviewed with Chris and Marc at memoryBlue, I immediately liked their mindset and wanted to work with them. I knew the job would involve face-to-face interaction, even though it was inside sales, and I knew the high-tech industry was a good fit. It’s complex and harder than other kinds of sales, and I like the challenge. There’s more earning potential, too.
What’s the culture like at memoryBlue?
The culture is another reason I stay at memoryBlue. The approach is work hard, play hard. People here are young and very driven. They go above and beyond during the day but then go to baseball games, happy hours, and even on trips in the off hours.
Who is your greatest source of inspiration?
When I sold books door-to-door in college, my supervisor, Glenn Ransom, did a lot to help me develop my attitude and skills. He was a real role model to me, and a good all-around person. I liked how he was with his family, his community, his work, and I still look up to him.