Note: This is the first in a series of blog posts featuring members of Team DNN. This post features Grant Glazer from our Sales team, who’s based in our San Mateo, California office.
I consider Grant Glazer an efficiency expert. When he met with us in 2015, DNN was one of three companies Grant interviewed with that day. Yes, three on-site interviews in one day. I asked Grant how he felt at the end of that day. "Tired, but satisfied," he replied.
Joining DNN
Reflecting back on the day, Grant believed he made a strong impression with all three companies. With DNN, Grant was attracted to the office environment and noticed that the team enjoyed working with one another. Grant found our Evoq products to be "easy-to-use, innovative and useful."
Grant did make a strong impression with DNN. We made him an offer and he accepted it, joining DNN in September 2015 as a Sales Development Representative (SDR).
Note: Grant was recently promoted to Team Lead of the Inbound SDR Team. Congrats, Grant!
Onboarding
During his first few weeks at DNN, a number of team members provided product and sales training to Grant. During his first month, Grant found the job to be as expected, except for one thing:
"I didn’t know I could have this much fun at work," he said. Unlike past jobs, Grant noticed that everyone at DNN seems to truly enjoy working with one another.
Grant likes that people aren’t afraid to be themselves; they are always quick to joke around and poke fun at one another. Grant had no problem fitting in with his quick wit and sense of humor.
Pictured: Grant (left) playing FIFA 16 with James from our Product Team.
Grant likes that we have fun in the office once work gets done. Grant will take breaks to compete with others in foosball and video games. He likes to play FIFA 16 (soccer) on Xbox One and Super Smash Bros on the Nintendo 64.
Pictured: Grant (left) playing foosball with Robert from our IT Team.
ABOUT Grant
Grant was raised in San Diego, California. Driving an hour in any direction, he could reach the ocean, the desert, or the snow. Grant loves to ski and drives up to Lake Tahoe for the occasional ski weekend. Recently, Grant shared his joy of skiing by giving ski lessons to his girlfriend.
In addition to skiing, Grant enjoys other outdoor activities, such as hiking and swimming. A self-professed space nerd, Grant devoured the Elon Musk biography, frequently visits the Space X subreddit and likes to watch launches (and landings) of Space X rockets online.
Related link: Grant’s profile on LinkedIn.
A Day in the Life
Pictured: Grant spends his days engaging with people.
Grant spends his days connecting via phone, email and online chat with people who express an interest in DNN’s products. According to Grant, "As an SDR, I specialize in uncovering and qualifying business opportunities for our account executives."
Grant takes a value-based approach to sales development. His interactions are centered around buyers and the challenges they’re experiencing. "I like to step into their shoes, see what they’re thinking and understand what’s driving their need for a solution."
Grant uncovers a wide range of client use cases for our CMS software, and that’s something he enjoys the most about his job.
I asked Grant about the single most important attribute for an SDR. He said: persistence. "You’re not always going to reach someone on your first try. But I found that if you keep at it, chances are you’ll catch them at the right time one day."
Working at DNN
Pictured: Grant at the snack closet. Decisions, decisions!
Grant appreciates the fact that we have a kitchen stocked with drinks, snacks, cold cuts, bread, fruit and more. Beyond the snacks, he enjoys the people and the environment.
According to Grant, "I feel like I’m actually cared about here. My opinions are valued. If I ask someone a question, they answer it. If they don’t know the answer, they'll know whom to get the answer from."
Pictured: In the hallway. Grant alongside Franck from our Marketing team.
Grant describes his colleagues as "intelligent, helpful and driven" and they’re a key reason he’s excited to come to work each day.