Here at CaptivateIQ, we know that sales is much more than closing deals. It’s about delivering customer value, building relationships, and using data-driven insights to understand and serve your buyers. We believe there's no better way to recognize the salespeople who deserve it most than by hearing first-hand from the real heroes themselves. Well, you're in luck — because that's exactly what our Spotlight Series does. We feature all sorts of inspiring people who are doing great work in their fields so that you can learn from their success. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn for future Spotlights!

To kick off the series, we chatted with Sales Development Manager at Recurly, Marissa Harbath, about her favorite moment as a seller, what her typical day looks like, the qualities that make for an outstanding salesperson, and more. As described by her peers, Marissa is a top-performer and visionary who brings value to every interaction. She has led her team to achieve many different successes by virtue of her strong leadership skills. Since beginning her role as SDR Manager eight months ago, Marissa has already had five people promoted on her team and has made strides in revamping Recurly's SDR organization.

Without further ado, meet our August Sales Hero!

What do you do at Recurly?

My name is Marissa, and I manage the Sales Development Team at Recurly. Recurly is a subscription management and billing platform helping thousands of businesses eliminate the cost and complexity often associated with subscription billing operations. I've been an SDR Manager for about eight months after previously being a Strategic SDR myself for a year and a half. I also am an Associate for Pavilion (formerly Revenue Collective), a global community of high-growth Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Operations, and Finance professionals.

What are three words that best describe you?

Passionate, disciplined, and compassionate.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I currently manage nine SDRs, so I am meeting with at least one of the reps every day as we do weekly one-on-ones and team syncs to collaborate as a group. I also meet with others in the sales department, including sales leadership or sales operations, and have frequent brainstorming sessions and updates with the marketing and product teams. I also work with the broader go-to-market team to create sequences for outreach, come up with gifting and campaign ideas, look into data, prospect into accounts that fit into our ideal customer profile (ICP), and think of different SPIFFs to get the team motivated.

How does CaptivateIQ impact your day-to-day life?

CaptivateIQ gives the team and me a single source of truth and a proactive approach for all things related to commissions. It is such a time saver compared to the previous method of Excel spreadsheets.

Rapid Fire Questions

What are you most passionate about outside of work?

Nature

Besides working at Recurly, how else do you spend your time?

I recently adopted a puppy named Nala. We've been tied to the hip and have tons of outdoor adventures planned!

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‍What qualities make for an outstanding salesperson?

Creativity, persistence, and curiosity. Also, the ability to create relationships and a genuine want to help.

Describe your favorite moment as a seller.

There’ve been some creative ways to cut through the noise for an outbound meeting. For example, I once changed the lyrics of "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys to sing about our company's value prop using Vidyard since the prospect loved the Backstreet Boys.

Advice to future sales heroes?

Be a team player and think outside of the box.

A Special Shoutout

 Here’s why Sales Operations Administrator at Recurly, Aubri Romback, nominated her colleague Marissa:

Marissa is a stellar SDR manager, saleswoman, leader, mentor, and colleague. She is eager to learn and always puts in the effort required to get it done. Since becoming an SDR manager, she has coached and led her team to achieve many different successes. She has had five people promoted under her already because she's just that good of a teacher! Marissa is a team player through and through. She inspires me to be better at my role, and all of us appreciate the effort she has put into revamping our SDR organization and creating an outstanding team in the process.

Nominate Your Sales Hero of the Month‍

For the rest of 2021, we’re spotlighting a hero each month across our social channels and blog and rewarding them with a $200 gift card. We’re looking for people with a track record of achievements in their roles. Nominate today! You can also tag your peers on social with the hashtag #2021SalesHeroes.