Getting to Know: Nick Singarella, Sales
Nick Singarella is an Account Executive at Alloy. He’s originally from Southern California and went to college at NYU (go Violets!). Taking advantage of NYU’s international campuses, Nick lived in both Florence and Buenos Aires while studying international politics. After graduation, he worked in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office and in finance before making his way to San Francisco with the goal of entering the tech sector. Nick found his way into the industry through sales, and worked at Wiser (e-commerce analytics) before joining Alloy.
1. Why did you join Alloy?
The previous company I worked at was focused on retail analytics and pricing, so I was already familiar with the space. I kept getting this question: “Can you integrate with Amazon Vendor Central?” The answer was “no.” When I first started chatting with the leadership team here at Alloy, I asked our CEO Joel how Alloy pulls Amazon data, and he said there was an integration with Amazon Vendor Central. Right then, I knew that Alloy was on to something. Once I saw the product and got to know the team, it was an easy decision.
2. What do you do at Alloy?
I’m on the sales team at Alloy. We’re really focused on understanding the value our platform drives for customers and then sharing that message.
3. What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on at Alloy?
Besides planning our 2018 company offsite, refining our demo has been really exciting. Alloy is a very flexible platform that can be configured to meet individual needs, so translating a customer’s situation into a demo that’s tailored for them is very important.
4. What’s been the most challenging part of your work so far?
In most of the conversations I had with prospective customers in my first few months here, it was the first time the person on the other side had ever heard of Alloy. Prior to our Series A, we were grinding for every new meeting, so overcoming that lack of brand awareness was an uphill battle. As our customer base has grown over the past year, it has been interesting to hear from industry folks that they’ve heard of us before our first meeting!
5. What advice would you give to someone interested in a similar career?
I would tell you to put a lot of thought into what stage of company you think you’re best suited for, and even ask others who know you well for their opinion. Someone that needs autonomy and looks for the challenge of creating a sales process might think about going early stage. On the flip side, if you’re hoping to refine your strategic skills you might seek out a company with experienced leadership that has already developed a playbook.
6. What first interested you in sales?
Sales was my way of getting into tech. I knew there were smart people working on hard problems that would change the way industries operate, and I wanted to be a part of it.
7. What do you like to do outside of the office?
One of my greatest passions has always been soccer, the beautiful game. I run a coed team on Tuesday nights and a men’s team in the SFSFL, a league that is 115 years old. You can find me on the pitch three days per week.
8. How would you describe the culture at Alloy?
The culture is finding its form here at Alloy, which is really exciting for new employees. We all eat lunch together on a daily basis, reinforcing our level of camaraderie. We’re eager to learn more about the retail/supply chain/CPG space, so there’s a lot of information-sharing. There’s also plenty of room for new folks to come in and put their stamp on the team!
