What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for the Area Vice President of HCM Sales at PrismHR?
We connected with Cristen Justiss to find out!
Interested in learning more about PrismHR? Make sure to check out their company page!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a suburb of Dallas, TX. True born and raised Texan ya’ll.
Where did you go to college? What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?
I went to the University of North Texas and was a dual major in all level special education and elementary general education. I graduated early with honors and went straight into being a special education teacher at an elementary school. I continued as a special education teacher for just over 4 years before entering the world of sales. What a fun segway that allowed me to continue teaching others but in a different way than I had never known before.
What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?
I attribute a large part of my success to my father who was profoundly gregarious and tenacious. He taught me the importance of loving what I do and differentiating myself by truly caring about each person I work with. Our careers are not about our titles and our job descriptions but rather all the little things we do that aren’t expected or requested, that make a huge difference. Genuinely seeing the good in everyone and helping them to see it in themselves is the way I was raised and will forever be in the office and outside of it.
Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Area Vice President at PrismHR?
I am responsible for supporting a team of incredibly talented sales professionals in generating opportunity, moving it forward in deal process, and bringing it across the finish line to produce new recurring revenue for our company. This requires working closely with each individual contributor to ensure we strategize our deal process, find potential vulnerabilities, and proactively stay in front of our competition by differentiating our technology and our process from the rest. My favorite part of the deal stage is when we get to the negotiation phase. If you are there you are one step away from a win and those challenging conversations reviewing T’s & C’s make the victory that much sweeter. When we win, the happiness I feel for each person that supported in that close is overwhelming in the best way. Our team deserves the wins and they work incredibly hard for each and every one. The effort and passion that goes into the process is never unnoticed so we celebrate every hurdle we cross each step of the way.
Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?
You’ve got to absolutely love coaching and supporting plus truly believe in your people and your product. This is the key. I know each person on my team is insanely talented and can crush their goals, making sure I block anything that can keep them from doing so is imperative. It’s the job of a leader to “take the heat and radiate the cool” as our CSO would say. Your team needs consistency in their leader regardless of what happens in the day, because in sales, each day is different and we’ve got to be ready for it all.
Day in the Life
Coffee, tea, or nothing?
Coffee! My nespresso and frother set can compete with any bistro (get one if you don’t have one already, trust me).
What time do you start working?
At my computer and camera ready at 7:00 am for my east coasters
What are three things that motivate you in your role?
Seeing each team member meet and exceed their goals, being a consistently dependable resource and support system, and truly believing in our company, our people, and our product.
Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?
A typical day is made up of individual team member coaching calls reviewing their active opportunities in the pipeline as well as the specific metrics that will support them in hitting their monthly, quarterly, and annual goals. Every day is prospect facing where I attend first time meetings, discovery calls, proposal presentations,and contract reviews alongside each rep. Prior to, and following each call, we often precall plan and debrief, as well as discuss solutions with other resources internally, to ensure we are bringing our best to each prospect. In addition to this, frequent communication with other teams like marketing, operations, service, and implementations ensure I am in the loop on anything that can support our sales team in staying ahead of the curve with our technology advances, client testimonials, and best marketing resources.We have the most talented people in every department and making sure I strategize internally is just as crucial as my one on one time with each person on the sales team. My team members depend on me to provide current information so I do just that day in and out. If something could distract or hinder a rep from doing what they do best, it is my job to take that on so they can stay focused on deal process and getting our company new revenue.
What time do you typically wrap up the work day?
7:30 pm for my west coasters.
Do you log back in at night or do you shut it down completely?
I am always accessible after hours via cell or slack. The reps work extremely hard to generate opportunity so I will always make myself available to them, their prospects, and clients regardless of the hour. If it matters to them, it matters to me.
Any productivity hacks?
Compartmentalize, Prioritize, and Delegate!!!
What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?
Spotify, Slack, and Google Mail
What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?
Earning this role of AVP of HCM here at PrismHR.
Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?
David Farrell and John Whisner. They both have extensive experience in leadership, sales, and the HCM industry. In addition to this, they are two of the most passionate and caring individuals I have come to know from a career standpoint which leads me to admire them for who they are professionally and personally as well.
