6sense isn’t just a workplace, it’s a launchpad for ambitious professionals aiming to excel in the tech industry. When we hire, we think about the long-term. Investing in our people is investing in the future of tech, and part of that investment includes opportunities for career advancement.
This year, 30% of our employees were either promoted or transferred to other departments, and 28% of our open roles were filled with internal talent.
In this Q&A, we sit down with Conor Moakley and Charlie Demuth, who have climbed the ranks from Business Development Representatives (BDRs) to senior roles. They share their journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the opportunities that 6sense offers for entry-level sales professionals to grow their careers.
Welcome, Conor and Charlie. Can you tell us a bit about your role and how long you’ve been with the company?
Conor: Sure, I’m currently a Senior Manager for Commercial Sales, and I’ve been with 6sense for just over six years now.
Charlie: I’m a Senior Enterprise Account Executive, part of our Enterprise East organization. I’ve been here for a little over four years.
You both started as BDRs and worked your way up in the org. What was that journey like?
Conor: I got a degree in finance and started my career working for a firm that consulted with Silicon Valley start-ups. A friend from Minnesota had moved to San Francisco to work in tech sales, and it sounded exciting. I was fortunate to be introduced to 6sense.
When I joined, we had a very small but talented sales team, and everyone was eager to help each other succeed. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. The growth from those early days to now — where we have a much larger team and more structure — has been incredible.
Charlie: I had done a little bit of BDR-like work while interning at a fintech company in college, and I knew I wanted to get back to it. I was fortunate to have interest from several companies. But when the COVID shutdowns hit, everyone except 6sense pulled back their hiring, which was a blessing in disguise. I started in May 2020 and spent about 11 months as a BDR. I was reporting to Van Miner, who’s still here and leading the sales development organization.
I moved up to a role as a commercial account executive, which was a big step forward to go from sourcing meetings to being customer-facing. But the team was so helpful and open to sharing what worked for them. From a cultural standpoint, we wanted to win together. And I had incredible managers who instilled confidence and set me up with playbooks I could use to hit the ground running and quickly learn the fundamentals of a great discovery and sales process.
Moving into an enterprise role was a natural progression, but it also opened my eyes to how much I still needed to work on. Being able to admit that and show vulnerability is encouraged. I think that’s a testament to the great leaders we have across the board.
How have you seen the company evolve from your early days?
Conor: The company has grown exponentially. We’ve gone from about 70 employees to well over 1,000. There’s a lot more structure, technology, and tools for coaching and enablement. It’s a different world, but the core of hard work and support is still the same.
What’s cool is that the people I started working with have all moved up into senior positions.
I owe a lot of my success to the Account Executives who helped me as a BDR, especially Katie Nocerino (since promoted to Senior Director, Strategic Sales, West) and Tim McGoldrick (promoted to Director of Strategic Account Management). Mac Conn (since promoted to VP of Commercial Sales) really taught me how to sell. And Dakota Green (since promoted to Director of Enterprise Sales) was probably the most hands-on manager I’ve ever had, he challenged me to get to the next level.
How has having access to the 6sense product day-to-day impacted your career?
Charlie: It’s been crucial. Using 6sense has made generating pipeline much easier. It removes a lot of the guesswork and allows me to focus on creating qualified opportunities.
Conor: It takes a lot of confidence to reach out to people at accounts. But it helps when you don’t do cold calls! Knowing who to target and what they’re interested in helps. You still hear “no’s,” but you can look at them as “not nows” or “not yets.” And that’s just an opportunity for me next month.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced, and how did you overcome them?
Charlie: For me, each promotion brought new challenges, but also opportunities to grow. I learned: don’t be shy about where you see your own weaknesses. There’s no way to improve on weaknesses if you cover them up. Being open about where I needed help and taking advantage of the resources available at 6sense have been key to my success.
Conor: One of the biggest challenges was adapting to the rapid changes as the company grew. Keeping up with the pace and continuing to perform at a high level required a lot of flexibility and learning on the fly.
You’ve each been at the company for a while, so what excites you about the future at 6sense?
Conor: I’m excited to see how our investments in the product and our market strategy will play out. It’s an interesting time and being part of this growth is thrilling. We also have extremely talented front-line managers, second-line managers, and leaders. Everyone knows what they’re doing.
I’m also excited to see the growth of our London office. My wife Paige’s job brought us to London, so I worked remotely for a while before 6sense established its office here. It’s been exciting to see us grow in Europe and the Middle East.
Charlie: I’m looking forward to the new challenges and continuing to solve problems. The opportunity for growth and the dynamic environment at 6sense keeps me motivated.
We’ve talked a lot about business, but what do you like to do outside of work?
Charlie: I played lacrosse in college, and I still like to get out and play. I’m also a big pickleball player. And I enjoy hanging out with family and friends. A lot of my best friends are people I met at 6sense. We have a great culture here.
Conor: I’m enjoying exploring London and Europe. My favorite place I’ve visited is Meran, Italy, which has a wonderful mixture of Italian and Austrian culture. It’s in the Dolomite mountains, and the skiing is amazing. I also really enjoyed spending a week in Slovenia with one of my friends from 6sense. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
What advice do you have for those starting their sales careers at 6sense?
Conor: Embrace the challenges and be prepared to work hard. The culture here is about pushing to be the best, and if you’re willing to put in the effort, the opportunities for growth are significant.
Charlie: Be a sponge. Learn from everyone and don’t be afraid to ask for help. 6sense is a place where collaboration and support are part of our DNA, and that’s something that can really accelerate your career.
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