YOTTAA Employee Spotlight: Meet Lawrence Bethoney, Enterprise Account Executive
Meet Lawrence Bethoney, Enterprise Account Executive
Lawrence, his wife, and their dog enjoying a Fall hike.
What is your role at YOTTAA?
I am an Enterprise Account Executive, which means I work closely with eCommerce brands to figure out where there are opportunities to improve site performance. Then, I help them to leverage YOTTAA’s technology to improve site speed, which ultimately creates a better customer experience and drives more sales for them. I also work very closely with our Performance Engineers to do this — so I handle the business side of things, and the performance engineers handle the technical aspects.
How do you help eCommerce brands?
I help YOTTAA customers by working closely with them to figure out what it is they’re looking to achieve, what challenges they have, and how we can attune ourselves with helping them achieve their goals. Their goals can range from anything from a slow site to an inconsistent site, from 3rd parties to security, or even bot mitigation. We figure out what the customer needs and then highlight the YOTTAA solution that can achieve their goals for them while also showcasing any additional value they may not have realized existed within YOTTAA.
What is your favorite part about working with YOTTAA customers?
My favorite part about working with YOTTAA customers is that they’re all pretty business savvy. They understand the value of improving their sales, of course, and with YOTTAA it is very easy to prove that value. It’s not often that you find technology where you can go live, and within a matter of two weeks, prove the fact that it is driving more sales and actually see all of the additional benefits around security and service, etc. I also love that we’re dealing with some of the biggest brands in the world. We’re working with brands like Mattress Firm and Dollar Tree, who are on every street corner, and brands like Michael Kors that are known all over the globe. So, to get to sit down with these big cool brands is really fun.
What did you do before YOTTAA that has helped you most in your current role?
I came from a background in fundraising. I did that for a few years, and I made hundreds of calls every day. I learned the importance of communication and understanding the value of goods or services and the correct way to explain that to a potential donor or buyer. Then I worked for a company called SeeWhy, which was a startup company that made recovery software for shopping cart abandonment. When someone leaves a site, their software triggers an email campaign to the customer within the first hour and then 24 hours later, then a week later. That technology is a big part of the underpinning engine running the SAP Hybris Customer Engagement & Commerce platform. So, it was great to work for a startup that got acquired and then bring that experience to YOTTAA. But overall, gaining experience having to prospect, having to work with eCommerce sites, and then opening up new opportunities has helped me grow into an experienced eCommerce SaaS sales rep.
How is your work at YOTTAA different from your previous jobs?
In a lot of ways, it’s the same. You’re explaining what the value is that you bring to bear, you’re aligning that with what the customer’s goals are, and then you’re proving it. It’s the same thing when you’re raising money for a cause. You’re talking about what the benefits are of giving to that cause, and you’re aligning it with the person’s feelings or sentiments. Then you’re explaining what the money goes to, and what the organization puts that money into, and that makes those people come back and give again. This is not dissimilar from when a client sees value in YOTTAA and renews their subscription with us.
What do you like most about your job at YOTTAA?
I love the people that I work with. I love the challenge every day. I love the opportunity every day to get out there and meet new people. I love the fact that this is vital technology, and all you’ve got to do is find the right people in any company, and there’s a need for this technology. I love the opportunity that lies ahead of YOTTAA because, yes, we are on 1,500 sites today, but YOTTAA’s technology should be on every website. It drives speed, experience, and ultimately sales, and it saves shoppers a lot of time. I can go to a site and buy something and move on with my day in much less time with YOTTAA in place than I could if it wasn’t there, so I like that about it from a personal and from a business perspective.
What makes YOTTAA a great place to work?
The people are fantastic. The founder is excellent — Bob’s one of the best people I’ve ever worked for. He’s ready to get out there any day, anytime, anywhere to make our customers happy. Our client success team also keeps the customers happy and understands how important every customer is. It doesn’t matter if you’re an SMB account or the largest customer we have, you’re treated with the same level of respect and you get the same great level of service. I love that because you don’t have to worry about doing all this work to bring customers on, and then the service not holding up and them ending up moving on. You know that all this work and great energy that you’re putting into the customers on the front end working with them through a sales cycle is going to pay off for the company because we’re going to keep those customers happy.
What brief advice do you have for others wanting to enter this profession?
It’s a great profession to be in because the opportunity to further yourself, your career, and your financial standing is unparalleled. Sales is a great opportunity for anybody who wants to feel challenged but also make good money and be a part of a team, especially for a startup where you can get company stock options. When I look at people that are coming in as account executives for small and mid-sized businesses, and they’re 22 or 23 years old, it’s a great opportunity for them. But know that it’s going to get stressful, it’s going to be hard, it’s never going to be easy. Despite any work you do, you’re always going to have to restart with the next prospect. But when you close a deal, gain a commission, and you help a customer reach their potential, it’s a great feeling and very rewarding. It’s all about being persistent and resilient if you want to be successful in sales.
What do you like to do when you’re not at the office?
I spend time with my wife and my dog and my family. I’m the youngest of 8 children. I have 13 nieces and nephews, so I spend as much time as possible with them. I love movies, especially action and horror movies, so I watch a lot of films, and I go to the movies a lot. I also run a small vintage collectibles business, so I do that in my spare time. I like going to shows, conventions, I like to do flea markets sometimes, I like to go thrifting. I like to go on adventures, like going up to Vermont, New Hampshire, those types of places. My dream is to have an RV and be able to travel all over the US with my wife and my dog and, hopefully, some kids down the road.