How Ayotunde Oseni’s engineering background made him an adept salesman.
In this interview with Ayotunde Oseni, an exceptional salesman, he shares his experience and journey into tech, pre-sales, and tech sales with us.
Hello Ayo, Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Ayotunde Oseni, a computer engineering graduate, and I oversee all business relationships and sales engagements at Enyata. I decided to specialize in computer engineering because I had always wanted to be an engineer like my father. I had no doubts about going to school for computer engineering because both my grandfather and father chose the same field, but as I developed personally and professionally, I recognized that, rather than operating in the background, I was better suited to helping people. I decided to advance my sales career and even take on more challenging and difficult tasks because I have always excelled at building business relationships, developing strategies, planning, having a thorough understanding of technical concepts, and selling complex services.
So, your dad was the inspiration you needed to become an engineer?
Yes, growing up, I watched my father build some of the most complex IT solutions for major banks and organizations in the financial industry. I wanted to be just like him and possibly achieve even more, but as they say, we are all unique and have our own paths in life, so life took me down a different path, which I am grateful for.
After graduating as a computer engineer, what did you do next?
I pursued a career as an IT engineer, where I configured and worked on some complex hardware and software systems. I also implemented and resolved various technical issues for customers in diverse sectors.
Interesting. How did you find yourself in the sales industry, then?
I felt exhausted and unfulfilled while working as an IT engineer, managing projects, and interacting with clients and partners until I realized my genuine talent and abilities, which are, essentially speaking, forming connections, selling, growing, and expanding enterprises. I eventually realized that there was more to me than just solving technical issues and that I wanted to work in the business world, so the next step was to strategically plan my career growth plan by taking on a pre-sales job. Taking on a job in pre-sales allowed me to familiarize myself with the sales cycle. I excelled at this for a few years and was given the nickname “Starboy” by my line manager. Whenever a sales executive needed to work with a technical specialist, they turned to me. I soon made the full switch to sales, using the company connections I had built. I also took various classes and read books about sales, human psychology, corporate communication, and interaction during this time. To add to my learning curve, I went to a lot of events that were very helpful to me. Since then, I haven’t turned back, and I truly believe that I am living my dream.
I’m wondering what it’s like to work in sales.
People assume a salesman in a three-piece suit who is smiling and appears joyful is actually having a good time, but this is always not the case. Although it pays well, tech sales is actually the most difficult and demanding profession in the universe.
Sales essentially entail persuading prospective consumers to make the right purchases using their knowledge of the company’s goods or services. Finding leads, developing sales pitches or methods, exceeding sales goals, and possibly traveling to meet potential partners or clients are additional requirements. You get the luxury of earning bonuses depending on how consistently you hit your target, so in order to succeed, you must constantly perform better than you did the day before.
How would you describe sales at Enyata?
The most challenging sales ever, Ah, my God! Imagine waking up in the morning and entering a state of curiosity where you start to wonder, “Who, Where, How, and Why?” On the other hand, there is constantly more to learn. The most intriguing aspect of what we do is becoming an important part of our partners’ stories because we primarily work with startups that are trying to develop their products. For these startups, getting the resources and knowledge they need to do that means the world because their success depends on the effectiveness, design, and user experience of their product.
How do you feel about Enyata’s move to Canada?
First and foremost, I must acknowledge that the team has achieved a huge feat, and I applaud them all for their efforts. Everyone had to put their time, effort, and resources into this, from the CEO to the team that planned the relocation, expansion, and hiring. It was difficult, but we are glad to have established ourselves in North America at last and are confident that our goal of having partners scattered across African countries will be accomplished in due course.
What else do you do besides sales?
I am an experienced MC for professional and social events. I’m also a multifaceted businessperson with a focus on purchasing and selling technology as well as other items.
The sales manager is also a professional compere/MC, Interesting. How do you manage both?
Since sales provide me flexibility about how I spend my time, I have more time to devote to other activities I find enjoyable. To be more exact, you can find me everywhere that demands I look well, engage with others, and make money.
Do you at some point plan on pivoting to any other aspects of tech?
At the moment, I love what I do and am passionate about everything sales-related, but you can never fully rule out a possibility because you never know what the future may bring.
Can you please drop a closing remark for aspiring tech salespeople?
Dear aspiring sales professionals, I have two pieces of advice from Mark Hunter and Thom Singer for you:
- Sales Prospecting is a lifestyle so live it.
- Make curiosity your greatest secret weapon as curiosity enables salespeople to uncover new ideas, strategies, and information critical to alignment with potential partners.
Ayotunde Oseni is the Head of Sales and Partnerships at Enyata. He is also a professional compere and speaker
Fun fact about him: he can mimic just about anybody’s accent perfectly, and he is fond of people.
