Kevin Naughton believes that inspiration goes a long way in the sales field.
“No two people are the same, and I believe that learning from other people who do things a different way than you is an awesome way to add more tools to your toolkit, not only in work, but in life,” he told Built In NYC.
As an account development manager at Sisense, Naughton has learned how important it is for sales team members to collaborate with each other. He shared that this teamwork comes alive in different ways, such as during Gong call reviews, where sales representatives have the chance to learn from their peers and offer constructive feedback.
For Naughton, this emphasis on learning from others doesn’t just foster individual growth — it strengthens his connection with his role and helps him lead others more effectively.
“I believe that in order to be an effective manager, you have to truly understand the people you are working with to get the best out of them,” he said.
Below, Naughton shares more about Sisense’s sales team culture and how it makes him feel more connected to his day-to-day work.
About Sisense
Sisense’s platform is designed to embed analytics into any workflow, enabling companies to drive large-scale business decisions more quickly and efficiently.
Describe your sales team culture in one word. Why did you choose that word?
Collaboration. I chose this word because I believe it’s one of the most important parts of any sales culture. No two people are the same, and I believe that learning from other people who do things a different way than you is an awesome way to add more tools to your toolkit, not only in work, but in life. Not everything is going to work for everybody, but it is so important to try new things and see what is making other people successful so you can figure out a way to make yourself successful.
What are your team’s traditions and/or growth opportunities, and how do these traditions help team members connect, evolve and stay motivated?
One of our team traditions is weekly Gong call reviews. One person will bring a Gong call to our whole team, and we will listen to it and offer feedback in a constructive manner. Oftentimes, a rep will bring a good call where they booked a meeting, but I think it’s more fun and you learn more from the calls where the rep doesn’t book a meeting. I think this tradition helps people stay motivated because they see their peers doing a great job and they want to do the same.
A competitive culture can be a very good thing as long as there is healthy competition. This tradition also shows reps that everybody makes mistakes and falls on their face sometimes. The thing that separates a regular rep from a great rep is the ability to not fear rejection or failure and the resilience to move on and learn from your mistakes.
“The thing that separates a regular rep from a great rep is the ability to not fear rejection or failure and the resilience to move on and learn from your mistakes.”
How does a strong team culture make you feel more connected to your day-to-day work?
A strong team culture makes me feel more connected to my day-to-day work because it makes me truly care about all of the people I work with. I believe that in order to be an effective manager, you have to truly understand the people you are working with to get the best out of them. I also think it’s important to realize that a strong team culture also means that you are preparing the people you work with for whatever the next role is for them. Having that mindset definitely makes me feel more connected to my day-to-day work because I can see the positive outcomes that have already happened within my team with promotions. Seeing something positive happen for one of my reps shows me and the team as a whole that if you put in the work and commit yourself, a lot of great opportunities can come your way.
