RevGenius Member Spotlight: Aneesh Lal
When talking to him, you’d never know Aneesh is new to putting himself out there and having a “personal brand.”
As he’ll mention in his interview, Aneesh was instrumental in helping build the community up to where it is now and largely influenced the culture within RevGenius we all love—one of inclusivity and candid communication.
We’re fortunate to have him as an integral part of our community and we’re so thankful for his efforts.
Below is our interview with Aneesh Lal:
Introduce yourself to our audience. Tell us who you are and what you are currently focused on.
Hi everyone! I’m a B2B Enterprise Sales leader with 11+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Flipp, and now The Weather Network in Toronto, Canada. I’m a huge fan of the Linkedin sales community and have gotten to meet some amazing people over the last few months.
RevGenius has played a big part in my development within this community – as the former Head of Community, I had the privilege of working with Jared, Galem, and Kristina to get us to our first 5,000 members. This experience is truly something that I will never forget.
How did your journey lead you to RevGenius?
It all started when I started posting content on LinkedIn in May.
I had the unique opportunity to connect with the one and only Ben Haber. He told me about this awesome group of 50 or so sales professionals that wanted to help each other grow and learn so we could be better. He invited me into RevGenius, and that’s where I started getting to know our community and creating initiatives like Roundtable.
One thing led to another, and I started getting more involved – before I knew it – I was the Head of Community and building something pretty special.
What’s one thing you wish you knew about sales before getting into it?
There are tons of things I wish I knew before getting into sales – but the biggest one is the importance of project management + time management skills.
The stereotypical sales skills revolve around storytelling, loud personalities, and the ability to “work a room.” Although some of these are important to some extent, managing and prioritizing large amounts of work keeps you disciplined and process-oriented.
That’s the tipping point between good to great.
What advice do you have for revenue professionals having a tough time in 2020?
Don’t get caught up in the negativity.
Spend your time learning and networking in your downtime – you won’t get this time back again. I started posting content in May after six weeks of the pandemic because my day job was very slow. Instead of dwelling on the negative, I used that time to boost my personal brand, learn from my peers, take courses, and upgrade my skills. Now, seven months later – I have made amazing lifelong friends + connections, new opportunities, and a confidence that I never had before.
What gets you out of bed every morning?
My #1 motivation is providing for my fiancé. So that means two things to me:
1. Work my tail off so that we can live the lives we want to, and
2. Ensure that I earn in a way that keeps me honest, above board, and helps solve problems for my customers.
I could never look at myself or my fiancé in the eye if I made a deal that wasn’t right for my customer. Reputation, honour, and respect are significant pillars in our decision-making. She’s a constant reminder of that for me.
What would you say your personal superpower is?
I have a strong ability to connect with people in a meaningful way.
Often, friends, colleagues, customers, and strangers feel comfortable opening up to me about things that are bothering them. Yes, this helps me with my sales job, but more importantly, it helps me build real relationships with people faster. As a super-extrovert – this helps me get positive energy in my life.
What made you dive headfirst into the RevGenius community?
Straight goods – it’s the members.
I have yet to come across a community of strangers so eager to help each other solve problems. People post their questions/concerns and get help within seconds. It’s actually quite amazing to see. There’s a unique sense of positivity and generosity at RevGenius that makes it so special.
Why should other revenue professionals join RevGenius?
There are three reasons to join RG:
- You’ll meet lots of like-minded professionals that actually understand what your ups and downs are
- You’ll level up your skills because you’ll get so many tips and best practices for your role. Nothing like free education to bolster your skills, right?
- Lastly, you have an opportunity to help others. This is the most underrated part of RevGenius. It’s one thing to ask for help and support but another thing entirely helping someone in need. It unlocks a part of you that wants to continuously give more – it’s the lifeline of a healthy community.
Thank you for this spotlight – helping build RG was one of the best things I’ve ever worked on, and I couldn’t be more proud of our members, volunteers, and community as a whole.