Eric Doerr

	Federal Account Manager Accelera
	Time at memoryBlue:	7 Months
	Prior to memoryBlue:	University of Central Florida

What type of background brought you to memoryBlue?

I joined the Marine Corps after high school, then went on to study finance at UCF. I worked a few different retail sales jobs, and I knew sales was something I wanted to pursue, I just wasn’t sure what my niche would be. During my junior and senior years, I started to research the hot industries and top markets, which led me to the tech corridor in D.C. and Northern Virginia. I knew there was a lot of potential in this market, so I moved to the area and worked to set up a few interviews. Eventually I was hired by memoryBlue, and the rest is history.

How did you know sales was something you wanted to pursue as a career?

I enjoy interacting with people. But there’s also more to sales than some people might think. There’s a lot of science and psychology involved that you have to understand in order to excel. There’s definitely strategy involved—sales is something that can be studied, and there are tactics can be learned and applied, which appealed to me. I also like sales because no one puts a cap on my income. I get what I put in. I like the idea of working hard and being rewarded for it. It’s a great motivator.

Why did you choose to launch your sales career with memoryBlue?

memoryBlue struck me as a very unique and exciting company—they understand that people like me who have big dreams and aspirations need a jumping-off platform to launch their careers. During the interview process, I knew I was pursuing the right position because it was clear that it was the job that was going to give me the experience I needed to get my foot in the door of the high tech sales world. I recognized that memoryBlue was willing to give me that chance, and highly compress the timeline of going from no experience to a solid career path. Their focus on tech companies also appealed to me since I knew that was the industry I wanted to pursue within sales.

What challenges did you encounter during your time at memoryBlue?

I think I had the same surprise realization that many people have when they join a sales company at the entry level, which is that it really takes a lot of work to succeed. You spend a lot of time on the phone; sometimes up to four hours on a single day. And then you still have to follow up with admin work, and training work like critiquing calls and providing feedback to others on your team. But if you want to prove yourself, you put in the time.

Also, the first couple of times that you face failure on the other end of the line can be tough, but as long as you realize that it happens to everyone, you can keep your head in the game. One of the great things about Chris and Marc is that they don’t sugar coat the job—they tell you that it’s hard work and that the industry isn’t for everyone. But they also remind you that it’s worth it, and they are absolutely telling the truth.

How does your memoryBlue experience help you in your current position?

One of the best things I learned at memoryBlue is that your success can often be determined by the difference between what you’re willing to do and what your competitors are not. Going the extra mile—coming in early or on weekends, taking every opportunity to research a company or a technology—those are habits I learned at memoryBlue that continue to serve me well.

What do you do now?

I’m a Federal Account Manager on the outside sales team for Accelera, a solutions provider focused on desktop, application and server virtualization. They are very innovative and forward thinking in their approach to sales, which I love. Rather than focus solely on the technology, we begin by understanding our customers’ visions and bring them the cutting edge technology solutions to help them achieve those visions. As an outside sales rep, I manage my own accounts, which is a huge responsibility, but something I find really rewarding.