"Since day one Lattice has felt like a rocket ship"​: on selling HR software at Lattice

Haley Wolf is an Account Executive at Lattice, where she’s worked for 2 ½ years. We asked Haley why she enjoys working at Lattice, how our sales culture has allowed her to explore new sales roles, and why working at Lattice is so special.

How did you get started in sales?

It was a really random switch in career, as most are. I majored in Integrative Physiology. I planned to go into health, thought about going to school to become a physician’s assistant. My grandpa is a doctor, my grandma's a nurse, my dad's in healthcare, my sister's a nurse. I knew I wanted to be in an area that helped people.

But I also majored in communication and I really loved the “building relationships” aspect. And so, when I graduated, that's the kind of job I was looking for.

Was Lattice your first sales job?

It was not. I previously worked at another company as an AE. They had a bit of a different program, where the first 60 days is a pretty intense Salesforce training. And then right as you transition out of the 60 days, you're full-cycle selling. I was really glad that I had the experience because it was a great introduction to sales, but I wasn’t passionate about my work there.

How do you think Lattice compares to other companies where you’ve worked? 

Ever since day one [Lattice] has felt like a rocket ship. I’ve had an amazing opportunity to sit and absorb so much information and learn so quickly. I started at Lattice as the first BDR, and I was prospecting and qualifying for two AEs that we had at the time. It was exciting. It was something that I had never done before, just being in a BDR role in a brand new, company.

So how did you get from BDR to being an AE?

As I started taking on more of the SMB segment, it was just a natural segue since I was already wearing multiple hats. I really wanted to be “thrown into the fire” to learn. From day one, I’ve had two rockstar mentors: Seth (my current manager) and Joe (Partnerships), who were both AEs at the time. They've always been my champions. I can always count on them both to give me real, thoughtful, and actionable advice. I learned by sitting and listening to demos and just adapted that into my own style. 

How has the sales team grown and changed?

At Lattice, we preach employee-centric growth both in our product and at our company. We know how important it is to the business. And on a personal level, you never want to feel like you're plateauing. So to have peers championing one another and really wanting each person to continue to excel and get to that next career step is absolutely incredible.

For example, two of our AEs, Jacob and Libby, pioneered new processes. They tested new verticals and created messaging that we all still use today. They both dedicated their spare time to listening to AE calls and asking questions, and have blossomed into stellar AEs in their own right! 

And as we've seen the SDR team grow, they're just becoming so amazing at knowing the space and developing their own processes. But it's not always a straight path. And I think that's something that's exciting about being in this role, too; you don't just have to move up in segments. You can go to different teams or focus in different areas.

How do SDRs and AEs operate together today now that the team has grown?

We’ve introduced a Buddy Program! Every SDR has been paired with an AE. The goal of the buddy system is to have a team member (outside of leadership) to brainstorm new ideas, get feedback on tactical projects or get advice on specific challenges or roadblocks.

Fiona, who is currently a Senior SDR, is my buddy. Every two weeks, we have scheduled time to walk together down to Embarcadero Center — this walk sometimes consists of a detour to get fro-yo from Pressed Juicery. On these walks, we discuss one feature of the product, and one element of sales strategy (price negotiation, urgency, objection handling, and more). Post-walk, we share and digest our notes together in Lattice. 

This process isn’t limited to just buddies, either. There are tons of feedback-loop conversations across all team members. Recently, another SDR Anthony reached out to me, curious to learn more about the product and my external conversations. Now he’s listening to my demos, after which we discuss our takeaways and learnings. 

What’s your impression of Lattice’s leadership team, and how does it impact sales and sales leadership?

I think it's fair to say that our executive team truly cares about a people-first culture and works to embody that, which trickles down to management and then to everyone else. So our management does always care about how we're feeling and where we want to focus on and where we want to be. 

When I started, I requested a lot of feedback because I had to get up to speed at an accelerated pace compared to most ramp-time. I felt supported in being able to experiment and fail and I was supported through my failures, too. I’m grateful for the failures and that my managers had the courage to provide me feedback because that’s how I learned! 

Our SVP of Sales Dini is the vital foundation that keeps our sales team so strong, unlike any other culture I’ve been a part of. She is such a ball of sunshine — she makes all of us feel really comfortable, makes us laugh all the time, and has created this workplace that’s just a fun place to be. She has also perfected the balance of keeping us focused, building a process to make sure that we have everything we need to succeed and make sure we’re happy while doing it. She truly cares a lot about where everyone sees their careers growing and where they want to be. 

How do you think Lattice has influenced your selling philosophy? 

It's way more about building partnerships and networking, because all day long we’re talking to people leaders who want to help their own employees. I'll never forget my first day of Lattice. I sat in on a demo with Joe — my first demo — and he introduced me and said, "Hey, it's Haley's first day. She's just listening in." And the woman on the other side said, "Oh my goodness, welcome! Congrats on your new role. So excited to have you here." Unreal! 

I'd never experienced that before. Usually, you know, if you're being sold to, you have your guard up. But as HR, she spends her day-to-day collaborating with recruiting and building onboarding processes for her own team. So, she welcomed me to the call with open arms. 

What's your favorite part of working here?

It’s cliche to say, "the people," but I think it'd be wrong not to because our core values at Lattice are centered around our people! I believe that's what makes a difference here, too. And something that's always stayed constant as Lattice has grown. But I think there are two elements to that. 

One is when the people that we're surrounded with and the people that we work with are so brilliant, so inspiring, so dedicated, with a pool of knowledge that is so diverse — that makes such a difference.

But the second is the leadership team. Our exec team has done an amazing job of building that foundation that’s collaborative, safe, and meaningful. I trust the decisions they make because they share everything very openly and transparently.

Interested in joining the Lattice Sales team? Apply here — we look forward to your application!

Want to learn more about careers in general at Lattice? Read up on us here.