Career Path: Riley Dignam, Sales Development Representative Manager at Sophos
What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for a Sales Development Representative Manager at Sophos?
We connected with Riley Dignam to find out!
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Where did you grow up? What did your parents do for work?
Eugene and Portland, OR. My father was the Chief of Internal Affairs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Justice Dept. My mother was a psychology professor at the University of Oregon and worked in education reform after that.
Where did you go to college? What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?
University of Oregon, Spanish Language Major. I worked for the YMCA running Youth Sports and Outdoor Family Expedition programs.
What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?
Not being afraid to try new things and live in new places... I was comfortable with not knowing what career path I wanted to take coming out of college. This allowed me to take on whatever new challenge was presented to me at any given time, regardless of how under qualified or unprepared I may have been. I simply took on whatever challenge stretched my comfort zone the furthest and rewarded me the most.
Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as an SDR Manager at Sophos?
- Interviewing, hiring and training new hires
- Defining and measuring performance metrics
- Coaching and training on prospecting skills
Any tips for someone considering a career in Sales Development/Sales?
Don’t be afraid to fail. If you’re too afraid to fail and don’t take chances, you will take too long to learn the fundamentals of being a good salesperson.
Day in the Life
Coffee, tea, or nothing?
Coffee
What time do you get into the office?
8am
What are three things that motivate you in your role?
- Teaching others
- Building strong relationships
- Financial reward
Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?
- Going over the previous day’s performance metrics
- Having one-on-ones with SDRs
- Meetings with my managers and directors
- Coaching and role playing as a group
What time do you head out of the office?
5pm
Do you log back in at night or do you shut it down completely?
Shut it down completely 90% of the time, 10% of the time I have to hop on a night call/meeting
Any productivity hacks?
Using three computer monitors
What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?
- Venmo
- Uber
- Spotify
What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?
Building out a team of the best SDRs in the software industry!
Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?
My uncle
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