Medallia : From Sales Development to Global Sales Enablement, a Conversation

Meet Lauren Flannery, a global sales enablement manager with Medallia and a leader within our Women@ Employee Resource Group, who started her career in hospitality but has found a home at Medallia.

This month we had the pleasure of connecting withLauren Flannery, who serves as Medallia's global sales enablement manager for sales development as well as one of the leaders within our Women@ Employee Resource Group (ERG). Lauren joined Medallia back in 2018 as a sales development representative after gaining experience within the hospitality industry from brands like The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons.

At Medallia we believe in 'Hiring the Whole Person,' which means allowing each Medallian to shine in their own unique way. Lauren is not only a sales enablement professional, but also describes herself as 'someone who loves to bring people together over food and wine.'

What initially attracted you to Medallia back in 2018?

I've had a passion for world-class experiences through the lens of luxury hotel operations my entire life, so leaving that industry was a really difficult decision until I found Medallia. From a business side, my passion for the type of work we do really translated well. Personally, I was of course looking for all the standard things: a top place to work with great employee reviews, work-life balance, company culture, and growth opportunities. It was really difficult to see through the marketing and recruiting buzzwords that everyone uses, but what I experienced in my interview conversations here were real examples of this.

Are those things still prevalent today?

The best way I can illustrate that all of those things have still remained prevalent in my own and others' experiences is how many previous colleagues, friends, and family members have joined and stayed at Medallia since my time here. I think that's a real testament to how highly employees here value Medallia and how this company invests in employees long term.

You are also a leader in our Women@ Employee Resource Group (ERG). Could you explain a bit about Women@ and what drove you to become a leader?

I've been involved in Women@ since I joined Medallia, and we have always had an incredible community of members, leaders, and meaningful events. If I'm completely honest, one of my favorite parts of this journey so far has been the ERG Leadership community I've now had the chance to be a part of. I've met incredible colleagues across different functions that are leaders in their own ways, and I've learned so much from each and every one of them.

What are some projects Women@ is working on that gets you excited?

Women@ is going through a revamp, so it is a really exciting time to be a leader. We are working to establish more opportunities for leadership and member involvement in an engaging way whether remote or in person. We've just announced a new group of committee leads who are all so passionate and inspiring - I can't wait to see all we will accomplish together!

What advice would you give to young women trying to start a career in sales?

For women trying to start a career in sales, I think it is so important to take a step back and look at your transferable skills that you may have overlooked. When I was first applying to Medallia, I couldn't look past the titles on my resume. Something that was really helpful for me was to have a trusted mentor who gave insight and the occasional wakeup call on what I was really good at! One of the great things about this industry is the ability to get out of it what you put in. If you put your head down, focus on yourself instead of comparing yourself to others, and take on leadership roles by fostering collaboration and being a team player - in my experience, you will not only succeed, but meet fantastic coworkers and have a great time along the way.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

Outside of Medallia, you can usually find me at a winery with friends, testing out new recipes in the kitchen, outside with my two dogs, or working out at F45.

What is an interesting fact about you?

I am deathly afraid of goats and according to my sister (who also works at Medallia!), apparently, I used to read the dictionary for fun…

Most fun or memorable Medallia moment?

Too many to narrow down! A lot centers around our Austin office. As simple as it is, our weekly happy hours were really valuable times together across teams. While this last year has had me missing our amazing Austin crew, it has brought a whole new set of memorable moments. Being the first face our sales development reps see for four weeks of onboarding, I've really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them in a smaller environment and continuing to track their success as they get ramped in the role. This year was the biggest hiring push for that team in our company's history, and it has been really rewarding to be a part of it with an incredible team.

Medallia is growing and dedicated to 'hiring the whole person.' Join the #MedalliaLife by heading to ourcareers page and applying today!

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