Episode 129: Sales with Integrity and Empathy with HAAS Alert’s Devon Banks

Devon Banks is the top Sales Development Representative at HAAS Alert, an organization that builds lifesaving mobility solutions to make vehicles and roads safer and smarter. Their vision is a connected, collision-free world where everyone gets home safely. Devon is an incredibly dedicated and detailed sales professional who approaches sales with humanity, empathy, and an open mind.

In this episode, Devon talks about her sales origin story and how she got into the very niche industry of towing. Devon lists the three traits she attributes to her success, which include taking risks with confidence, having an open mind and being empathetic, and focusing on the big picture. Devon speaks to her tenacity and resilience and why she will always strive to be the best version of herself personally as well as professionally.

Devon takes the audience through a typical day in the life. She is a single mother with a four-year-old daughter so no alarm clocks necessary. Her day starts off with breakfast with her daughter. Then she dives into her emailing and sales calls which can typically last well into the afternoon. Devon is an aspiring Account Executive so she sits in on big meetings so she can learn as much as possible to further her career and practice her demos. She tries to end every day at five pm so she can sit down to dinner and enjoy books or podcasts before getting ready for the next day.

Devon continues by sharing how COVID-19 has impacted her life. She has spent the last eighteen or so months simplifying a lot about her life and cutting out the noise. If it doesn’t enrich her life or her daughter’s life, then it has to go. This focus on simplicity has led to a happier and more fulfilled life for Devon and her daughter. Finally, Devon provides an actionable challenge to the audience. Her challenge is for listeners to take the time out of your day to quiet your mind and stop the voice in your head. By being present with yourself you can enjoy the moment exactly where you are.

What We Covered:

00:01 – Scott thanks the sponsors of today’s episode, Skipio, RevenueGrid, and QuotaPath
00:38 – Scott welcomes today’s guest, Devon Banks
01:04 – The top three things that Devon attributes to her success
01:15 – Number 1: Taking risks with confidence
01:50 – Number 2: Having an open mind and being empathetic
02:26 – Number 3: Focus on the big picture, don’t sweat the small stuff
02:51 – Devon expounds on her role at HAAS Alert
05:31 – Scott takes a moment to thank one of today’s sponsors, Skipio
06:09 – Devon shares some funny travel stories
09:00 – Saving lives through towing
09:52 – Devon’s sales results
12:34 – Why consistency has been key
13:22 – Devon’s sales origin story
16:39 – Going from sales enablement solutions to tow truck drivers
18:05 – Scott takes a moment to thank one of today’s sponsors, RevenueGrid
18:41 – Devon shares her favorite sales story
20:26 – Turning skeptics into believers through trust
23:32 – Devon’s proudest accomplishment
24:11 – The biggest obstacles and challenges Devon has faced throughout her career
25:15 – How Devon utilized LinkedIn as a tool to get better every day
27:12 – Devon’s personal approach to LinkedIn
29:48 – Devon takes the audience through a typical day in the life
32:58 – The best thing that Devon has cut out of her life since COVID started
34:45 – The books, news, podcasts, and trade information that Devon consumes
38:04 – Devon’s tech stack
39:44 – Scott takes a moment to thank one of today’s sponsors, QuotaPath
40:16 – Devon’s sales philosophy and style
42:48 – Devon gets specific with her sales prospecting process
44:41 – How Devon balances work and rest
46:52 – What motivates and drives Devon
48:50 – One of Devon’s beliefs that the average sales professional would think is crazy
50:42 – Toxic positivity
52:56 – An average sales professional’s belief that Angie thinks is crazy
54:16 – Advice Devon would give to a sales professional coming from an unconventional background
56:15 – Advice Devon would give to a struggling, middle-of-the-pack sales professional
58:27 – Devon speaks to what she would like to learn from top sellers in other organizations
59:57 – Devon’s secret sauce
1:01:56 – Final words of wisdom from Devon
1:03:29 – Devon’s actionable challenge to the audience

Tweetables:

“One really great thing about these people is that towing is really in their blood and they love it. And most of them, once they’re in the business, they will be towing until they are in their seventies or eighties.” (08:04)

“I’m a very curious person. So being in an industry that I knew nothing about, every day has been fascinating for me.” (17:57)

“Professionally, I’m very proud of the fact that I have a lot of resilience and a lot of integrity. I really try to always do the thing that I say I’m going to do even when they’re hard.” (23:35)

“Since COVID started, one thing that I’ve really done and really changed in my life is, in general, cut out the noise.” (30:28)

“We’re in this society now where this toxic positivity has gone too far.” (50:42)

“I think for me the secret sauce is that I am super tenacious and super resilient and I won’t stop until I am successful.” (1:00:24)

What We Covered:

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