Sales requires a lot of different tactics but perhaps the most successful ones aren’t calculated or methodical — they center on the ebb and flow of human connection.
For Melissa Douglass, a sales manager at Zocdoc, connecting with clients fuels her professional advancement and helps her hit her sales goals.
“As a sales rep, I advanced quickly by listening to clients, understanding their needs and tailoring my approach accordingly,” Douglass said. “People want to buy from a person, not a robot.”
Maintaining this kind of personal connection is important for Isabel Pawloff, an enterprise account executive at Altana, too. The way Pawloff does this is by always returning to the idea of “leading with curiosity.”
“[It] has helped me build trusted relationships across customers and colleagues, often creating advocates who stay with me across companies,” Pawloff said.
Built In spoke with three New York City sales leaders about how connection and curiosity are quintessential skills for successful sales teams.
Zocdoc is a healthcare marketplace that helps patients find and book in-person or virtual care appointments with healthcare providers.
Which skills do you leverage most often in your day-to-day work?
The sales skill I lean on the most is the ability to communicate a vision that feels personal and relevant to the person I’m speaking with — whether that’s a prospect, a sales rep or a senior leader.
Throughout my career, from customer success to account management to sales leadership, I’ve learned that influence isn’t about having the perfect script. It’s about understanding what truly matters to someone and connecting your message to that. People don’t engage because of what you say; they engage because it feels relevant to them.
If I don’t take the time to understand what drives someone, I can’t tailor my message in a way that resonates. When I do — that’s when things click. A coaching plan becomes a growth opportunity. A sales pitch becomes a solution to a real problem. That’s the kind of connection that drives performance, trust and long-term success.
How have these skills enabled you to heighten your impact on the company or grow your career?
These skills have had a big impact on both my career and Zocdoc. By focusing on building real connections — whether with sales reps or clients — I’ve helped create an environment where high-performing salespeople grow every day. Their connection to the mission and personal development drives success, which ultimately improves the company’s bottom line.
This approach has been key to my own growth as well. As a sales rep, I advanced quickly by listening to clients, understanding their needs and tailoring my approach accordingly. People want to buy from a person, not a robot. As a leader, I know people don’t just want to be managed — they want to be understood and supported. When you show up as a real person, invested in their success, they give their best.
These skills have allowed me to build a team that feels connected to a shared purpose, driving both personal and companywide success. It’s not just about hitting targets — it’s about helping people grow, and that’s what makes the job so rewarding.
What are some resources or sources of inspiration you’d recommend for reps eager to refine their sales skills? Are there resources your company has provided to support this growth?
If you’re serious about becoming great, the best advice I can give is to let the people around you know that you want to be great. Early on in my career, I hesitated to talk about my goals or the next role I aspired to, thinking it might come across wrong. A senior leader once told me that’s the opposite of what I should be doing. People invest in motivated, driven individuals, and when you show that, the right people will offer the resources, coaching and time to help you grow.
I’ve been lucky to work at Zocdoc, where leadership has invested in my development. Not everyone has that kind of support, but there are resources outside of work, too. Finding mentors, attending seminars and expanding your network are all great ways to refine your skills and gain valuable perspectives.
Order.co is a spend efficiency platform that helps businesses automate purchasing, control costs and gain visibility into companywide spend.
Which skills do you leverage most often in your day-to-day work?
At Order.co, our SDR team leans on strong communication, persistence and time management and blocking skills most during their day. SDRs are often the first interaction a prospect has with our company, so clear, confident messaging — whether over phone, email or LinkedIn — is essential to making a strong first impression and sparking interest. Our reps also know it often takes seven or eight touches to connect with the right person so persistence is key. Time management ability and time blocking help them stay organized and bring structure to their day that can otherwise feel unfocused or too repetitive.
Our team uses data analysis skills to refine their outreach strategy — whether it’s what messaging works, which titles/personas convert and at what time of day prospects are most responsive. These skills not only help our sales team build a quality pipeline but also prepare them for long-term success in sales.
How have these skills enabled you to heighten your impact on the company or grow your career?
Each of these skills empowers our SDRs to grow their careers while making a meaningful impact at Order.co. They prepare themselves to move into AE roles by using time management to implement time blocking. This not only helps prevent burnout caused by the repetitive nature of the SDR role but by incorporating an “educational” time block, they are given dedicated space to improve — whether by speaking with a mentor, watching full demo recordings to deepen product knowledge or listening to sales-focused podcasts or videos.
Combining this with effective messaging and persistence drives success in the SDR role and builds a strong foundation for advancing into AE positions. It also leads to SDRs consistently setting meetings with the right personas at the right companies which leads to higher close rates, increased revenue and improved customer retention — reducing churn and contributing significantly to the company’s growth.
What are some resources or sources of inspiration you’d recommend for reps eager to refine their sales skills? Are there resources your company has provided to support this growth?
The top advice I give reps eager to improve is to find a mentor who has already walked the path they’re on. A good mentor has faced many of the same challenges and can help avoid common mistakes by sharing practical lessons from their experience. Leaders at Order.co often have large networks and can suggest mentors and facilitate introductions to make the process smooth.
There is plenty of free content available to help reps improve their sales skills. Personal favorites include the “Sales Gravy,” “Outbound Squad” and “Selling Made Simple” podcasts, but at Order.co, our reps can also expense learning activities related to their role, including subscriptions, courses, books and conferences.
Equally important is to be surrounded by positive, motivated people and to tune out negativity. Half of sales success comes down to mindset, and if doubt or negativity clouds focus, it’s hard to thrive. Cultivating a supportive environment keeps reps energized and resilient through the ups and downs of the sales cycle.
Altana uses artificial intelligence and supply chain data to assist customers like Boston Scientific, L.L.Bean, Maersk, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the UK Department of Business and Trade in global supply chain information.
Which skills do you leverage most often in your day-to-day work?
The skills I lean on most are curiosity, relationship building and organization. I’m genuinely curious about how prospects think about their value chains and where they’re feeling the most pressure — that curiosity helps me uncover real challenges and build trusted, lasting relationships (many of which I’ve been able to leverage here at Altana from previous companies).
Strong organization enables me to leave no stones unturned in my pipeline. There are enough variables in sales to slow a deal down that I will make sure to never be the reason a deal moves slowly. Whether it’s sending topical articles, recapping calls or following up quickly, I’m always aiming to set the tone. I’ve learned that consistency, thoughtfulness and speed build credibility and trust — that are essential when navigating complex sales and building long-term partnerships.
How have these skills enabled you to heighten your impact on the company or grow your career?
Leading with curiosity has helped me build trusted relationships across customers and colleagues, often creating advocates who stay with me across companies. In previous leadership roles, this same curiosity helped me coach and develop team members by understanding what motivated them and where they needed support. Organization has been equally critical — whether it’s driving a deal forward, managing internal stakeholders or setting a strong operational rhythm for a team. I pride myself on being someone who keeps things moving, whether that’s through thoughtful follow-up, timely responses or sharing relevant insights. These habits have helped me consistently drive impact, build trust and grow into a well-rounded, strategic partner across every stage of my career.
What are some resources or sources of inspiration you’d recommend for reps eager to refine their sales skills? Are there resources your company has provided to support this growth?
I’m obsessed with personal development and believe that investing in myself — both personally and professionally — is key to growth. Like many people, I battle with imposter syndrome from time to time, so I make it a point to stay grounded. I’m an avid podcast listener and reader — favorites include “10% Happier” with Dan Harris, “A Bit of Optimism” with Simon Sinek, “Dare to Lead” with Brené Brown and the book “Impact Players” by Liz Wiseman.
I also learn a lot from revisiting my own Gong calls (despite cringing at the sound of my own voice) and listening to how others on my team at Altana approach complex deals. We have a collaborative culture where call reviews and strategy sessions are the norm, and I’ve found that some of my greatest learnings come from peers and mentors who challenge me to think differently. Overall, sales is an emotional job, so prioritizing mental health is essential to staying resilient.
