Josh Hilleman '15

Major: International BusinessJosh Hilleman

Hometown: Castle Rock, CO

Current City: West Palm Beach, FL

 

Describe your current job role:

Senior Sales Enablement Advisor at Oracle

  • Train and develop Oracles global sales program
  • Co-design and implement training curriculum focusing on prospecting, lead management, message personalization, product knowledge, system excellence, and business acumen
  • Lead frequent training sessions to 50+ employees on above topics in-person or via Zoom, strategize to gain participation and focus
  • Evolve Global program to align with short-term and long-term strategies of the business to help drive consistent revenue growth

 

What professional experience(s) did you have prior to your current job role?

  • Four years of sales experience at Oracle. Focusing on managing existing customer accounts, building the relationship of those businesses with Oracle, managing their renewals, along with upselling them more functionality.
  • Creation, development, and adoption of a 12-month training curriculum for current sellers. Program included developing skills related to prospecting, client relations, objection handling, and product knowledge. Training program is being leveraged throughout the world and adopted by 1000+ individuals per year.

 

What do you know now that you wish you had known about being a working professional?

The ability to push back and ask the question. Throughout my time in sales, it's okay to either say no or question what is presented to you. For example, almost every customer asks for a larger discount within their contracts. When I first started I was frightened to tell them no or push back on their question. When I started to push back each conversation led to a deeper understanding and allowed me to set ground rules. Conquering that mindset will allow you to use that skill in the business world but also in the personal day to day.
The worst thing you can do is not ask the question.

 

How did PBA prepare you for the world of work?

During my time at PBA I took a Sales 101 course. It was during that time I learned my passion for this topic. It provided me with enough experience to obtain an internship at Xerox which helped me start my career in this field. I must also give credit to the international business school trips. On that trip one of the companies we visited was actually Oracle in the Czech Republic. Adding this experience to my resume when applying to Oracle was a large standout from other candidates.

 

What advice would you give to current PBA students and/or young alumni who are about to start their first professional full-time job?

Take each opportunity given to you as a learning experience. When I first started in Account Management, I was given the worst customers to work with. Difficult people along with the accounts were not interested in buying more software needed to reach my sales goals. Instead of looking down on the opportunity given to me, I used it to practice my skills and try different prospecting techniques. This allowed me to become better in the role and when I was given better accounts to work with, those skills translated over. In turn allowing me to become one of the top sales reps in the company.
If you take each opportunity as a learning experience and set goals on what you can take away from it, each scenario will grow your professional career further. Use an internship, a conversation, a class, to determine what areas increased your knowledge and where you need to further grow. In failure along with struggle, one will see the greatest growth potential.

 

Have you been mentored by anyone in your professional field since entering the workforce?  If so, what impact has that had on you?

My father's college roommate is currently a Senior Director at Oracle. When joining the organization, I asked him to mentor myself. Having him as a mentor has helped in understanding future career growth at the organization along with has provided an easy platform in introducing myself to key individuals within the company. It's important to choose a mentor that will help you in areas where you need more development.

 

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