7 tips on how to give it your all in Revenue School

By Noora Oboh, Revenue School Associate, Canada

I applied to the Revenue School program because I wanted to learn sales foundations in an environment in which I really believed in the product. If you decide this program is right for you, here are seven values and behaviors that I’ve found can make you stand out.

1. Be open-minded and curious. 

I have a confession to make - I am not the most extroverted person. I consider myself to be an ambivert - someone who can flip between being an introvert and extrovert depending on the situation. I may not be the most outspoken in my cohort, however, I observe, stay mindful, and ask questions.

When you’re in the program, ask as many questions as you can. If you want to know about something, learn more and dive deeper. Shopify really stresses being a life-long learner, and you’ll have an opportunity to learn more through diving deeply into online courses and live workshops about anything from coding to time management to handling stress in the workplace.

2. Stay on top of your duties.

Make sure to hand things in on time or early and keep track of deadlines and due dates.

You’ll have training, meetings, activities, assignments, and other tasks. To set yourself up for success, you’ll need to stay on top of everything in case something unscheduled pops up. For me, this means staying as organized as possible by using my calendar and blocking off focus time, weekly evaluation prep, meditation time, lunch, and an end-of-day wrap-up.

3. Be merchant obsessed and soak up all the info you can. 

At Shopify, we first serve our customers - we call it being “merchant obsessed.” One of the things that drew me to Shopify is how much this company empowers small business owners to take an idea and scale it into something they never imagined. While you’re here, soak up as much information as possible about the products and tools that Shopify offers to help merchants. This could be through training, reading the latest news, attending Town Halls and listening to calls to hear directly from the merchants themselves.

4. Join groups at Shopify.

One thing I love about Shopify is it hires exceptionally well. You will be surrounded by all types of talented individuals in your program and across the organization, and you can meet people who share your interests.

I am heavily into interior design and decor and have my own Shopify store, so my lead encouraged me to talk to others interested in decor and join internal online groups related to those subjects. I also joined my local city’s group and the Black at Shopify channel. Whatever your interest, I encourage you to reach out to this incredible network.

5. Offer to help and take initiative. 

If your lead or anyone on your team else needs assistance, offer that help if you can. You also can take the initiative. No need to wait to be tapped on - ask! During assignments or peak times, I ask how my peers are doing and if there is anything I can assist with.

6. Schedule coffee chats.

The relationships you build in Revenue School are vital not only to your success in the program but to your development. As a remote workplace, Shopify has a unique networking culture. Make time for one-on-one chats with people across the organization. 

My philosophy is about quality vs. quantity. I did not feel comfortable reaching out to others across the organization for coffee chats until after the first month because I wanted to settle into the role, gain context and have experience. Once I invited someone to a coffee chat, I could tell them about my role and where I saw myself in future and ask for advice. My lead coined this as having "advocates” - people in your corner who will vouch for you even when you are not in the room.

7. Be yourself. 

I understand that when working in a corporate environment, you may be tempted to conform or act in ways you see others acting. I sometimes struggle with this myself. You were hired by this company because they saw something in you - your values, beliefs and personality are unique and are your differentiators. I firmly believe that taking this approach is the only way you can stand out at work in a sustainable fashion. You can never get tired or burnt out by being yourself. However, you can get burnt out by putting on a mask daily.

 

Interested in our four-month sales training program? Visit the Revenue School page.