Degree, or Not Degree, That is the Question – Ryan’s Answers

Continuing our topic of education and sales, we got in touch with former demandDrive intern and Bentley graduate, Ryan Boudreau. We wanted to get his view point whether or not education determines success in sales, and while he wasn’t able to come into the office and record he did the next best thing: submit answers.

Check out Ryan’s very college-styled response below, and make sure to listen to us awkwardly read out and extrapolate on his answers on our podcast episode!

Ryan Boudreau

dD Podcast Questions

1. How did you hear about Bentley’s Professional Sales Program, and did you go into college knowing that’s what you wanted to do, or was there another program that interested you?

I came to Bentley with the expectations that I would be a marketer of some sort, given that was my experience up to that point. I took marketing classes in high school and that’s really the only thing in my mind at that point that I wanted to do, or at least wouldn’t mind doing. The sales program was nearly brand new when I got to Bentley, and they were pushing it to students who still weren’t sure what sort of business they wanted to do. It heavily interested me especially getting into the school and recognizing the different aspects of what marketing really is. I knew it wasn’t for me when I started my first marketing class.

2. What were you looking to get out of the program when you entered, and do you think you needed to go through this program to get your dream job?

When I entered I was looking for real experience. I wanted to learn sales techniques, persuasiveness, and how to close. The program gives you exactly that. I’ve become a better salesman by practice and learning in the classroom as much as I have through real experience in the office. A program such as Bentley’s is not the sole factor in getting you to your dream job. However, it gets you their quicker than anticipated. I have landed a great sales job I’m hoping to turn into a career, where I can start making big money as immediately as I desire. I’ve had the opportunities of landing fantastic internships that taught me the roles of an SDR and BDR, so now attending my first job I am an actual account manager and having to start in the learning roles and ceilings of being an SDR and BDR when it comes to compensation.

3. Who is your professional idol? Does this program get you closer to emulating their success?

My grandfather. He started fast and ended fast. He retired at a young age and now travels often with my grandmother to crazy places like Alaska, Australia, Europe and tons of others. He helped business get off the ground, as a consultant of sorts. He also attended Bentley back when it was located in Boston. I want to make a lot of money quick, and stop working as quickly as possible to travel. This program teaches you how to be the best salesman you can be. You have to bring the determination and intensity to have success, but the program will give you everything else as a salesman. They heavily stress the importance of the new method of sales, based on trust, strategic targeting and funneling, and creating credibility for yourself and your company, rather than pushing products onto strangers.

4. Bezos or Musk?

Generation Z, or millennial or whatever I am being born in 1997, I have to go with Musk. He’s not just making money he’s trying to change the way in which humans live their everyday lives. He wants to colonize Mars because Earth is dying, and solve the traffic in LA with a revolutionary transportation idea. He truly cares about what he does and the impacts of it. Bezos is a great businessman. As much as I love making money, I would rather have my CEO smoke a joint than cheat on his wife. It speaks to the morals in which a company may operate, especially with the way Amazon employees are historically treated.

5. How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

Being the resourceful student I am, I looked it up. However, the guess I had before looking was about 125-150, which is wrong.