Have you ever wondered how other sales professionals are tackling their roles? Structuring their days? Overcoming their challenges?
We all do.
Which is why, in this series, we’re going behind the scenes with top salespeople to get the inside scoop. (You’re welcome!)
Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the day-to-day for a sales recruiting firm owner, and for that, we talked to Amy Volas.
About Amy Volas
Company Name: Avenue Talent Partners
Title: Founder & CEO
City/Country: Chicago transplant living the dream in Grand Rapids, MI (USA). Fun fact: Avenue Talent Partners does zero business in MI. We’re hoping MI becomes a hotbed for startups
What You Sell/Quick Pitch: Taking the cringe out of sales recruiting for startups. AKA, I help startups build/scale their sales teams to grow their business through a people-driven, intentional process created from my 20+ year career in startup sales.
Sales Cycle Timeline: N/A. I’m a service. My data is all over the place, so it’s important for me to look at the present, near-term, and long-term view of my pipeline.
Number of people reporting to you: We’re a lean team of 4
A Day in the Life of a Sales Recruiter
As you look at Amy’s routine, you’ll notice the unbelievable scope of her work. We even struggled to figure out a simple way to express her day-to-day.
“I’m involved in the sales recruiting process, but this is my company so I’m leading that, sales, operations, marketing, etc. So I’m really a sales recruiting firm owner/entrepreneur/leader kind of thing.”
Let’s take a look.
Pre-Work Routine
Much to my husband’s dismay, the first thing I do is pick up my phone to make sure what, last night, I thought I’d be getting into is still the case today.
From there, I have a snuggle session with my fur babies, chug a big glass of water, get into my workout gear and get my blood flowing. I meditate in the shower and set my intentions for the day while practicing gratitude for 3 things to start the day off on the right foot.
I get dressed, make tea (I’m an Earl Grey kind of gal) and head to my office to tackle the day ahead. My commute is horrible to my home office 😉
During-Work Routine
I’m a business driven by people and service versus products (very different from my former life). No one day is the same. That said:
From 6:30 – 8:30, I try to take that time to revise my plan for the day given what’s crept up in email. I post on LinkedIn and respond to comments/engage. I tackle email. I finish one project-based task like writing, sourcing, evaluating something new for the company, planning….
The list goes on when it’s your business.
The rest of my day is riddled with calls: clients, potential clients, interviews, sourcing, negotiations, team calls, strategy calls, networking.
I take at least one hour every single day — no matter how crazy I am — to focus on sales. My pipeline is everything. Always has been, and always will be. If I don’t take the time to take care of it, I will suffer from it greatly. #whatyouputiniswhatyougetback
I take another hour to read something new. Every single day. If I’m not challenging myself to learn something new, I feel like I’m getting worse/stagnant and not better.
Before I leave, I make a detailed to-do list while taking account of the current day’s list. There’s something really rewarding for me about checking items off and seeing it visually.
Post-Work Routine
I’m a nature gal who loves anything to do with water. I’m lucky to live near water and take a walk without my phone to just “be.”
I have a passion for cooking, and my kitchen is my happy place. If I’m not cooking something, I’m heading to dinner to have meaningful conversations.
My husband and I are big card players. If I need to get my mind off of something, it’s game time.
I make sure I read at least a chapter of the latest book I’m reading.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say LinkedIn is part of every part of my daily routine. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing….
I do one last check of my email/calendar/to-do list for the next day so I’m mentally prepared for what’s to come.
My husband and I will watch an episode of the latest show we’re watching, and then it’s time to call it a day.
Before bed, I try to meditate. Sometimes I’m really good at this, and sometimes I just can’t turn off the noise. Work in progress….
Unique Details About Your Routine
I focus on outcomes versus hours. While I’d love to give you exact times for when I do things, I’m living in a dynamic world of sales/startups/recruiting that keeps me on my toes.
I’ve had to master the art of constant interruption and change and have blurred lines between pre-, during-, post-work.
Inside My Head
What’s the one app you can’t live without and why? OneNote. This is the holy grail of everything for me, and the fact that it’s with me everywhere (phone, laptop, etc.) enables me at any point with my master “lists.”
Name one unsung hero to your day-to-day and why: Easy. Taryn Lanaghan, ATP’s Head of Recruiting and partner in crime.
She is the master of knowing how to handle me, my type-A”ness,” delights the mess out of our candidates and clients, goes the extra mile, cares as much about doing this business right and well, as I do, and brings her A-game every.single.day. I can’t imagine life without her and thank my lucky stars for her!
What is the one thing you can’t do your day without? Tea with Califa unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
What’s the one piece of advice you wish you had when you were 22: No matter how much there is to do, you’ll never have enough hours in the day to get it all done. (I’m telling my current self this as well.)
The workaholic thing is real for me and always has been. While I love to work — am incredibly rewarded by it — my mission wakes me up in the a.m. I wish I would’ve helped my younger self realize the importance of self-care, while working relentlessly hard, without feeling guilty.
You have one communication channel to sell through that you can use for the rest of your life, and nothing else. What do you pick? Face-to-face conversations, hands down. The human connection is a very real, powerful thing and one that I’m not willing to compromise on or lose.
If you were starting your career over right now, what would you do to kickstart success? I’d surround myself with the right mentors and colleagues while immersing myself in everything and anything I could get my hands on to learn and grow.
Read some of Amy’s recruiting advice:
- 5 Unforeseen Financial Pitfalls of Making the Wrong Sales Hire
- 7 Critical Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE a New Sales Hire