Elisa Hawkins has over twenty successful years and extensive knowledge in business to business sales, sales leadership and account management. She recently founded Sales Shyft and began working from Forge! Sales Shyft provides comprehensive sales training and coaching for organizations, teams, and individuals. We asked Elisa a few questions about her journey building her new company!
What empowered you to start Sales Shyft?
I have been in B2B sales and sales leadership for over twenty years and saw such a need for small to mid-size businesses in sales training and development. They do not have the budget that a Fortune 500 company has for sales enablement and I can bring my experience in working with and for Fortune 500 companies to their teams. It is also my mission to change the perception customers have of sales professionals. This can only be done by shifting sales professionals focus from their product and service to their customers business, solving issues and becoming a trusted business partner, not just another vendor, another sales person.
Where do you see Sales Shyft going in the next 5 years?
Sales Shyft will be serving businesses and individuals across the country with a digital and virtual platform that will accompany live training and development. We will be the leader in humanizing the sales process.
Talk to me a little bit about what your day to day looks like.
Oh my! Every day is different, which is what I love about entrepreneurship. Never a boring moment! I start my day with a nice walk while the coffee is brewing and think through my plans for the day. I spend a lot of time developing content for our training programs, content for social media and expanding my website. I also dedicate a significant portion of time toward prospecting for new clients.
What is your favorite aspect of the sales industry?
Building relationships and trusted business partnerships with my customers is the best part of a career in sales. I love people, so getting to know the human aspect of the businesses I serve is so rewarding. I am also a fierce competitor so beating the competition and winning never gets old.
Do you find having a space like Forge has been beneficial to growing your business?
Forge has been amazing for the development of my business. I am able to network with fellow business owners and Kim and Kelsey have been fantastic in helping to market Sales Shyft through Lunch and Learns, showcasing us through blogs just like this and promoting our social media posts. Owning a business is challenging and Forge has helped me to not feel so alone in the journey of building my business.