Ian Koniak

I help tech sales AEs perform to their full potential in sales and life with coaching, courses, and community | Sales Coach | Former #1 Enterprise AE at Salesforce | $100M+ in career sales

I help B2B Account Executives perform to their full potential by mastering their  mindset, habits, and selling skills. 

As the former #1 Enterprise AE at Salesforce globally, I teach you what works. I've sold over 100M in my career, hit quota 16 of 19 years, and broken 7 figures 3 times. 

My coaching programs help sales professionals achieve the results they know they are capable of, while also finding joy and fulfillment outside of just their work. This program is built specifically for SaaS AE's and provides the training which you likely aren't getting from your company or manager. 

Prior to starting my own business, I worked in B2B technology sales for 19 years at F500 tech companies as an individual contributor, Sales Manager, and Director of Sales, with over 100M in career sales and numerous finishes at #1 nationally, including finishing #1 in the US Enterprise Select Division of Salesforce.

Most recently I worked as a Strategic Account Director for the Enterprise West Sales team at Salesforce, where I partnered with our largest customers to help them drive growth, innovation, and success on the Salesforce Platform. At Ricoh, I led a team of 10 Sales Managers and 70 reps responsible for 60M Annual Revenue across hardware, software, and services. 

After a near death experience, I started a coaching business to serve others and help them achieve incredible success by mastering the mindset, habits, and skills needed to perform at the highest level. I've also had to overcome numerous hardships in my personal life, including nearly losing my family to addiction. 

My mission is to share my learnings over 20 years in tech sales to help AE's perform their best without sacrificing their personal time, families, or health. To hear my full story, visit www.iankoniak.com or visit https://untapyoursalespotential.com

When I'm not coaching, I enjoy spending quality time with my wonderful family, running, and traveling.

Founder & CEO

We help Account Executives perform at their full potential by mastering the mindset, habits, and skills needed to perform at the highest level in sales with our sales coaching programs and online courses.

We offer private, group, and online sales coaching programs. We teach the exact playbook Ian Koniak used to become the #1 Enterprise AE at Salesforce and close over 100M in his career. 

Through a combination of live coaching calls, online training videos, live events, and a vibrate community, we help sellers perform reach the top 1% and change their lives and their families lives forever by maximizing their impact and impact. 

To learn how to get started, book a free coaching strategy call here https://calendly.com/tanveermostafa/30min-1

What’s the difference between how a consultant sells, and how a typical software AE sells?

In one word: EVERYTHING!

My first four years at Salesforce, I spoke to customers like many AE’s do.

I was friendly, charismatic, and asked a lot of questions about their current situation.

If I thought we could help the client, I shared our value proposition, overview of the software, and asked for next steps, such as a demo or deeper discovery.

I worked hard and considered myself a good “closer,” who could reel in any fish I had on the line using discounts, incentives, and old-fashioned persistence.

Overall, this approach worked okay, and allowed me to make 200K-300K/year on average.

Pretty good living, right?

I thought so too.

But I never BLEW IT OUT of the water.

While my income was decent, I felt like a failure compared to many reps selling over 200% of quota and making BIG money at Salesforce!

I wanted to know what they were doing differently.

One thing I consistently heard is that the top performers were using a “consultative selling” approach, and many of them engaged a group at Salesforce called “Ignite.”

This group only worked with the most strategic accounts who wanted to transform their business, and their approach centered around design thinking to drive digital transformations.

I was determined to run an Ignite in one of my largest new logos: Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.

I engaged my Ignite Partner, a man named Noah Flower

I was fortunate to book a meeting with the COO of BHHS, and invited Noah to join me.

When I saw how Noah interacted with him, my mind was blown.

He asked strategic questions focused on the COO’s highest priorities, biggest challenges, and long term vision for the company.

He listened attentively, dug deeper to understand everything the COO shared, and was deeply curious and interested in the clients business.

Not once did he mention anything about our Salesforce or our solutions.

At the very end of the meeting, he said that he believed we could help, and shared more about Ignite.

For this to work, we would first need to gain consensus from the C-suite, and Noah offered to help our COO prepare for an internal stakeholder meeting.

Within a month, we had 1:1 interviews with their CEO, CFO, and CIO.

Within 6 months, we had closed the largest deal of my career after running an Ignite.

That year I finished #1 at Salesforce, and made club every year thereafter.

Noah changed my life by showing me a much better way to sell.

The reason Noah was so effective in front of customers is because he was not a “seller.”

He was a consultant, who spent 7 years at Deloitte prior to joining Salesforce.

And now, I’m thrilled to share Noah’s wisdom with you in a Fireside Chat. 

For AE’s looking to shift from transactional selling to consultative selling, this interview is worth its weight in gold.

You can find the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gqESPGgK

I help tech sales AEs perform to their full potential in sales and life by mastering their mindset, habits, and selling skills | Sales Coach | Former #1 Enterprise AE at Salesforce | $100M+ in career sales

NICE

I am proud to work for NICE.  We are passionate about removing the friction between companies and consumers, creating extraordinary experiences that build brand loyalty and create unbreakable bonds. 

We enable organizations to address today's consumer and employee expectations, by delivering effortless, consistent, and personalized digital-first experiences with CXone, the world's leading cloud CX platform. 

We are known for our innovation and comprehensive end-to end CX approach, combining digital entry points, journey orchestration, smart self-service, prepared agents and complete performance suite, all embedded with our purpose-built CX Analytics, AI and domain expertise. 

With our recent announcement of our integration of CXone Expert with OpenAI's generative modeling used in ChatGPT we are the First Conversational CX with ChatGPT-enabled CXone.  NICE is the leading cloud native customer knowledge management solution, providing effortless, faster self-service that delivers accurate answers for resolving customer issues.  With this integration, organizations can create CX-rich, human-like conversational consumer experiences without engaging agents.

Enterprise Account Executive

Untap Your Sales Potential

Member only - Enterprise Account Executive coaching and training to help me perform at my full potential by mastering mindset, habits, and the skills needed to perform at the highest level in sales with 1:1 coaching, online courses and UTYSP community, PODs and Mastermind Sessions.  UTYSP help Account Executives reach the top 1% and change their lives and their families lives forever by maximizing their impact.

Gold Member 

Salesforce

It is always an honor to work for an industry leader and never more so than for the corporation that reigns supreme in bringing companies and customers together on the world's #1 CRM by enabling organizations to identify and capture a customer's most relevant information in real-time.  Since joining Salesforce in the early days of the pandemic, I have successfully partnered with Sales, Service, Marketing, IT leaders, and the C-Suites of Fortune 500 companies, to bring my customers optimized solutions to drive their revenue growth and profitability.

Selected Achievements:

Charged with rekindling dormant, unworked Fortune 500 accounts as a part of the newly created Emerging Business Unit.   I attribute my success in both territory revitalization and competitive displacement to my commitment to take the time to truly understand my client's business and their challenges, and how I can help solve their problem to impact their growth and drive revenue. 
I expand upon the relationship with my customer over a long sales cycle, and remain hands-on long after the contract has been executed to ensure an outstanding customer experience.  In January of 2022, I was named to Bristol's Who Who, a premier international registry and executive networking organization that honors elite professionals, executives and entrepreneurs.  

In late October (2022), I was honored to be selected by Salesforce global executive stakeholders to join the esteemed global AE Sales Excellence Academy Program.  The Sales Excellence Academy is reserved for the top 10% of Account Executives globally, it is a year long program investing in my development and preparation as a future leader.  I was honored and humbled by the nomination.

Enterprise Account Manager |  Business Development Specialist 

ClearMetal

Marketed and sold supply chain logistics services and solutions to enterprise-level clients. Applied unique AI platform to control inventories, reduce freight costs and shrink order-to-cash cycle--introducing a disruptive technology that changes the way carriers and logistics providers unlock value and capture savings sitting on the table for decades. Leveraged direct digital connections with all major carriers globally to address "bad data" issues to deliver unprecedented visibility and predictability for the supply chain. 

ClearMetal specializes in using data science and artificial intelligence to solve the most complex problems in the supply chain.

Senior Account Executive

CA Technologies

This was a tremendous experience in which I developed new business, managed high-value enterprise accounts with Fortune 500 companies, and provided across-the-board project management of complex engagements.  Primary activities included introducing new consultative solutions, leveraging knowledge base with the "owner" of various business units, the IT operation & enterprise IT security: identifying prospective clients, capturing clients needs, gaining and understanding of each client's business & industry , gathering insights on corresponding IT initiatives, and developing compelling proposals that grew revenue profitably; managing/overseeing relationships and project execution cross-functionally; and developing, maintaining and growing trusted relationships 

• Top producer in enterprise account sales. Drove $50M+ in sales over 7 years, inc/ $13M w/M&T Bank, $15M with Paychex & $12M w/Travelers. 
• Trusted advisor/relationship management. Managed numerous account relationships, inc. full-charge responsibility for global teams on complex, multi-phase, multi-year projects & programs.
• Extensive contacts/relationships within Fortune 500 companies, inc. Aetna®, Travelers®, MassMutual, Thompson Reuters, Paychex®, M&T Bank®, Xerox®, Citizens Bank®, Progressive® Insurance & Lockheed Martin—driving tens of millions in new business annually plus more than $1M in annual renewals.
• Consulted w/Xerox on the development & launch of a privileged access management security solution that ensured the integrity of key applications companywide—a significant achievement that captured first-time business valued at $1M from a company in “transformation.”
• Placed significant new business w/M&T Bank that included an enterprise workload automation platform, an enterprise API platform & a privileged access management security tool—business valued at $10M.
• Working w/Paychex & their CIO, successfully educated client on CA Technologies’ value proposition; closed a $4.2M piece of business.

Account Director

Marketed and sold product lifecycle management solutions (with average product price of $500K and up) along with implementation services and consulting to high-profile organizations with an emphasis on aer-ospace and defense verticals. Developed, nurtured and maintained strong, sustainable relationships with four of the top ten major aerospace and defense accounts in North America. Functioned as a champion and advocate for the customer. Conducted extensive pre-sales research on prospects and accounts—ensuring strategic alignment between customer and PTC. Planned strategy and delivered presentations to highlight solutions and secure orders. Guided and coached a team of 15 indirect reports on a weekly basis for Lockheed Martin to ensure account maintenance and growth—encouraging team members to increase efforts on the DoD program capture and management side of business.

• Top producer. Achieved $20M in sales within five years, including $12M with ITT and $8M with Lockheed Martin, with an average $4.5M in annual regional sales as the #1 vertical at PTC.
• Recurring revenue. Secured more than 20,000 software licenses from Lockheed Martin throughout tenure; successfully led, managed and won technical benchmarks for enterprise and desktop applications in various competitive selling situations within the account.
• Teambuilding. Mentored and guided a team of five inside sales representatives—all of whom earned promotions to outside sales representative positions in short order.
• Recognition. Earned formal recognition for performance that included President’s Club in 2007/2009 for top sales performance and Top Aerospace and Defense Strategic Sales Executive in PTC for 2009.
• Sales coaching. Requested to present various webcasts for PTC sales executives centering around strategic planning and execution of major opportunities within territory.

Senior  Strategic Account  Executive

Pitney Bowes

Built a distinguished record of achievement and advancement through increasingly responsible positions. Managed key/large accounts in the Boston area that included Fidelity®, Staples®, Liberty Mutual®, Marsh USA, Monster.com, Dunkin’ Donuts®, ADP® and Putnam Investments. Generated new business while maintaining and growing existing accounts. Delivered presentations and product demonstrations to senior management with a focus on matching clients’ requirements to the optimal PB solutions.

• Top producer. Achieved President’s Club each year for all 14 years of tenure with ten consecutive years of exceeding quota by 110% (average of 148%). Built a record of generating significant increases in profits annually.
• YOY sales. Increased sales year-over-year by 40% over a 14-year period, meeting and exceeding $1.3M quota that included $495,000 in systems sales.
• Honors. Recognized as the 2nd woman in Pitney Bowes history to achieve President status at the prestigious Pacemaker Leadership Conference, including #1 Leasing Sales Representative and #1 Sales Representative in the district. Met all requirements to attend conference every year.
• Top ranked. Achieved top rankings throughout tenure that included the #1 rated Sales Representative in the New England region, #1 Sales Representative in the U.S. among 2,300, #1 Major Account Executive II in the Boston district, #1 Senior Area Executive in Boston, and #1 Major Account Executive in the N.E. division.
• Recognition. Featured in 29 of the company’s marketing and training videos as well as in print publica-tions used to train the Pitney Bowes’ new and existing sales force members.
• Employee training. Trained numerous other representatives that went on to achieve Pacemaker status; mentored new hires many of whom reached 150% of sales quota.

Major Account Executive

Throughout my enterprise technology sales career, I have thrived on being at the forefront of introducing business-critical software and hardware technologies to my Fortune 500 clients.  I create winning sales strategies, manage complex sales cycles and build strong relationships with the C-Suite to earn multi-million-dollar revenues.   

I live by the Win/Win philosophy in all aspects of my life. I pride myself on developing deeply positive and rewarding relationships built around a "we both win" mindset.  It's a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit from all human interactions. 

I am considered as a quintessential working leader, trusted advisor, resource and a partner to my clients, not merely another consultant. It is with pride that I have been acknowledged by senior management, colleagues and clients for exemplary proactive communications, outstanding support and a positive attitude.

I am a self taught, hard working , highly motivated , and extremely disciplined sales professional with my foundation being knocking on doors in the Financial District of Boston leasing postage meters for Pitney Bowes.  I have seen it all in my 30 years of sales.   

I used a typewriter to prepare my first proposals.  I thought I won the lottery when Smith Corona introduced the correction tape in the typewriter.  Pay phones ... I knew where every pay phone bank was in the city of Boston and had my favorite one in the basement of Fidelity.   Beepers, palm pilots a blackberry, and the Motorola Flip Phone those were the days .. they taught me that I could do anything.  I fondly refer to  these days as my "Gangsta" sales days.   No email, no text, no Slack... it was me, my Mont Blanc Pen and my Franklin Planner.. I had to figure out how to hit quota.  No training, no CRM, no marketing leads.  

My early days in sales has given me my superpower "Single Mom Grit".   Simply put failure is not an option and hope is not a strategy.  I have mastered the skill of execution and that is why you want me on your team.  I have 3 decades of experience to pull from,  and a proven track record year after year.  

It is all about your Mindset.  Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill introduced me to the power of my mind.

"What my mind can conceive and believe,  my mind will achieve!"  

I love to network with other sales professionals and leaders to determine where I can make an impact on your bottom line and more importantly do what I love to do, help our customers solve complex business problems.  Please reach out to me directly at christi@christicivalier.com.

taplio

The Battle

Ian Koniak

Christi Civalier

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreIan Koniak's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Ian Koniak

Christi Civalier

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ian Koniak's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreIan Koniak's LinkedIn Performance