In the past, I’ve talked a lot about how Oversight makes an effort to develop our career skills and present us with opportunities to take on new roles at the company. True to this commitment, we’ve recently implemented another program that allows the Demand Generation team to get an understanding of other areas at Oversight- a shadowing program.
Right now, we have four members of the Demand Generation team shadowing both Account Executives and Client Engagement, with some people even shadowing both teams based on interest in their roles.
In the last month or so, I’ve put particular effort into the Account Executive team’s shadowing program. We have three DGs interested in this area, and I’ve paired each of them up with one of our sales representatives; they are then invited to attend demonstrations, trial presentations, and any calls that help move the sales process along.
Though during shadowing the DG rep doesn’t participate in the conversation, they get a chance to see what happens on these calls and learn the ins and outs of our sales process. They have also been able to take some time and watch the quieter work these Account Executives do, like their diligent follow up or the way they keep track of their accounts.
But my favorite part of the shadowing program has been that each Account Executive, or Shadow-ee, takes the time each week to have a one-on-one meeting with the person shadowing them. Though I’ve never been a part of one, the DG team always comes back saying how helpful these meetings are. It’s a chance for them to ask questions and get a firsthand account of the life of a sales representative with Oversight.
The Account Executives here are busy, so it’s really special that they take the time out of their day to talk with DGs, answer their questions, and mentor them.
Ultimately, the opportunity to shadow will help DGs be prepared when other roles open up in Oversight or further down the line in their career. It’s a way to get hands on experience in a job outside of their normal scope. But in the meantime, I think it’s an effective and powerful way to connect various departments within Oversight and help team members gain more knowledge.
