Nortal Spotlight: Adam Burke

Our next Nortal Spotlight feature is none other than Adam Burke, Director of Client Services. Read his interview below to learn about him and his experience at Nortal.

How did you get into sales? 

“After 15 years serving in retail management I dove head first into lead generation with an Indianapolis based firm who specialized in virtual sales and “best of breed” technology solutions. It was there that I found a passion for digital commerce and a seed was planted for a new career path in Sales.”

Which technologies or projects are your favorite to sell?  

“Ecommerce and Cloud technologies are my favorite to sell because they are unique, often business critical, and provide big business value.”

Can you walk us through a typical day? 

“I come online around 8-9 am ET and go through emails by priority. I generally have an hour in the mornings to catch up on news, connections updates, and general market trends for cloud and commerce. For the most part, our team is located in Pacific time which allows me to focus on slide decks, RFP’s, proposals, etc. in the morning. After lunch, the remainder of the day is riddled with internal, customer, and partner meetings and communication.”

What’s your favorite part of your workday? 

“My favorite part of my workday is customer and partner meetings because there is always a “to-do” following.”

Which traits do you think are the most important for success in software consulting?

“Empathy is important because we all encounter work and/or life hurdles.  Being self-aware is important for knowing when to listen and when to speak.  Problem solving because each of our clients face their own unique set of challenges and often have very different business processes. Optimism because here are often many unknowns in sales during the early stages of discovery. Similar to a good fisherman, a good consulting or sales person is generally optimistic. Assertive characteristics come with the job as does being mindful of the audience which is always a delicate balancing act.”

What does an ideal client and project look like for you?

“Enterprise, Upper-mid market, or Digital native clients who are looking for a strategic partner with expertise in the cloud, digital commerce, and modern software delivery.:

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

“Responding to blind RFP’s.”

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

“When a customer shares they’ve over achieved the desired results from our work together and they are delighted.”

What advice can you give to somebody looking to get started with their sales career?

“Seek out a successful sales person to observe and learn from. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for advice.”

What about within the B2B or consulting industry?

“Much the same. Seek out a successful person to learn from. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for advice.”

What has been your favorite client win so far?

“All of them. I really don’t have a favorite. Each of them are exciting and unique.”

As a successful remote employee, what advice can you give to people that are new to work from home in light of the pandemic? 

“Map out an agile plan based on your daily and weekly schedule. Take short breaks and find constructive ways to decompress. I like to bounce a tennis ball off my shed and given the right opportunity and conditions line up, a quick bike ride across Butler’s campus or along White River always makes me happy.”

What’s your favorite Nortal memory? 

“October 2018 All Hands where the announcement was made that Dev9 and Nortal would be merging. It’s one of the most unique acquisitions I have been a part of. A lot of Nortal values and technology focus mirrored Dev9.”

What’s your favorite hobby outside of work?

“Restoring and modernizing a 1962 Chevy C10 long bed truck with my Dad and Son.”

You can learn more about Adam on his LinkedIn and find out more about life at Nortal on our website.