How’d you get started in your current field? Did you always have a clear career path, or did you end up somewhere unexpected? For Amy Nguyen, Enterprise Corporate Sales (ECS) Account Executive at Salesforce, the latter turned out to be true. “I did not pursue sales—sales pursued me,” Nguyen says.
After graduating from a marketing program and working in the experiential and event marketing industry, Nguyen was contacted about a new opportunity: a senior marketing consultant role at a digital media company. The role involved selling digital marketing solutions and advertising, and Nguyen quickly discovered a passion for sales.
“I enjoyed speaking with different-sized companies across various industries,” she says. “Being able to solve business challenges was rewarding, and it turns out I was good at it. Being adaptable, resourceful, and a fast learner helped prepare me.”
Nguyen’s effort quickly paid off when she landed her first role at Salesforce as a Small Business Account Executive. In doing so, Nguyen realized that not only was the sales field an ideal fit for her—Salesforce was, too. In fact, Nguyen ended up becoming a “Boomerang” employee, a term for someone who leaves Salesforce and ends up returning to the company.
As for why she came back, Nguyen emphasizes that Salesforce felt like an ideal fit for her. “Salesforce has a mature sales organization, resources to help you succeed, transparent career progression, constant product innovation, a family-like culture, and senior leadership with a vision that I can get behind,” Nguyen says. “Returning felt like a homecoming.”
Here, Nguyen shares about her role at Salesforce, her experience as a Boomerang employee, and why those considering a sales career should consider Salesforce.
What are you responsible for as a sales Account Executive? Why does this work excite and inspire you?
As an Account Executive, my three main strategic objectives are revenue growth, revenue retention, and customer success.
Generally, I’m at customer meetings trying to solve business challenges, prospecting new business opportunities, collaborating with my extended team on account plans, attending industry-relevant webinars, and participating in ongoing upskilling initiatives. I have been in business-to-business (B2B) sales for over five years, and there’s never a dull moment due to the ever-changing customer demands, industry trends, product innovations, and current events—my day-to-day is always shifting. That is what excites and inspires me; I’m constantly learning, facing new challenges, and getting 1% better each day.
What are some of the biggest challenges of your role, and how have you overcome them?
I’m a recent Boomerang employee, so I’m only three months into my new role. Currently, my biggest challenge is playing catch-up with product and industry knowledge. I got placed into the healthcare vertical, which is new to me. As a Canadian, I have little knowledge of how the U.S. healthcare system works.
Selling in a regulated industry has its nuances, but not only do I embrace new challenges and always look to improve my knowledge base, Salesforce has been doing this for 25 years, so I’m optimistic that I’ll be an expert in no time.
You mentioned that one of your reasons for returning was the company culture. Why was this an important factor in your decision-making process?
While the company culture varies slightly between teams, the constant theme I’ve seen throughout my tenure here is that everyone is open, friendly, and willing to help others. Networking with others and learning from each other is ingrained in our culture. Since I spend a minimum of 40 hours a week with my colleagues, the environment must be enjoyable and foster growth.
Salesforce also has several equality groups that support different communities, such as the Asian Pacific community (Asiapacforce), Black community (BOLDforce), and more. These groups organize educational, social, and volunteer events year-round. As a member of some of these equality groups, it makes me grateful that Salesforce embraces diversity and encourages us to show up as our true and best selves at work.
What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a sales career at Salesforce?
My advice will vary depending on where the individual is at in their sales career. If someone is a fresh grad or brand new to sales, they would be better suited for a Sales Development Representative (SDR) or Business Development Representative (BDR) role. This is where they can develop their prospecting and qualification skills. From there, they might transition into an Account Executive role, where they’ll be responsible for running deal cycles and closing.
No matter your role, some important skills that will help you succeed are confidence, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability.
How would you “sell” working at Salesforce to a candidate, particularly those who are on the fence about returning to the company?
This will be a sales-y answer, but I first need to understand the candidate’s experience, skills, goals, what’s important to them, and their five-year plan. Not all candidates will be a good fit, and that’s okay.
For instance, if the candidate is an individual contributor and wants to go into people management, we have a leadership development program. If the candidate cares about working in a cool office with desk treadmills, snacks, great teammates, and collaboration spaces—we have that, too.
As for those who are on the fence about returning, I’d ask why they wanted to work for Salesforce initially. Do those reasons still resonate? What has changed since then? Many people who are Boomerangs end up sticking around long enough for Koa Club, which is a club that recognizes employees with a tenure of 10+ years. Do not be surprised if you see me in that club down the road.
What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?
My hobby is traveling. I consider myself naturally curious, adventurous, and open-minded, so embracing different cultures, foods, and sights fills me with joy. I’m lucky to have been to 16 countries so far. I have an annual personal goal to go on at least one trip a year (shout out to Salesforce’s generous time off policy!), and this year I have Los Angeles planned and a Banff trip in the works.
When not daydreaming about my next adventure, I stay active by going to the gym, taking walks and hikes, or playing organized sports. On the weekends, I like to indulge in different restaurants, check out community events, and spend quality time with my toy poodle, Whiskey.
