Power User Spotlight: Jordan Roah, Zonos
Jordan's Sales Hack: Honesty Is The Best Policy
Don’t try to fool anyone, and be honest about how you got their information and what you are trying to do. People have become so skeptical of salespeople due to shady tactics. Being honest will be refreshing for them, even if the answer is a little awkward. I believe that you will get further this way in sales and maybe in life, but I am not a life coach even though I follow a few on Instagram. Maybe that makes me qualified to be one, though. Anyway, best of luck!
etailinsights Power User Interview
Jordan, what is your favorite restaurant where you live and why?
Irmita's Casita is by far my favorite. It is a small family-owned business and has been in St. George, Utah since 1993. Everything is made by a family of chefs who you can see working and making your food while you are seated. To me, being able to see the back of the kitchen is a sign you are in the right place. The food tastes amazing, but if you were to ask me what makes this restaurant stand out, I would say it’s the mole. Mole is known as a staple in Mexican food for its intricate flavors. Toasting, grinding, and simmering all of the ingredients is a time-consuming process that most eateries skip; Irmitas Casita doesn't, and it shows.
What drove you to begin a sales career in eCommerce?
I didn’t know I was getting into eCommerce. I was fresh out of college, I went a tad later in life as I thought my door-to-door sales career would last forever. It didn’t. Upon graduating, I found it difficult to find a job and ended up working at a car wash with a friend. Meanwhile, a friend of mine would call me almost weekly to tell me about this company he worked at that did something that I didn’t understand, despite my numerous attempts to read about them online. He always seemed to call me during work hours, and I always clocked out before picking up the phone. Eventually, he convinced me to come in and meet some of the higher-ups. We had what sounded like an interview but felt more like a conversation about things I didn’t quite get. I really wasn’t qualified for the job, and they didn’t hire me. Desperate to get out of the cutthroat car wash industry and excited to start growing my career, I was left with the only skill I had taken away from my door-to-door sales experience: being annoyingly good at bothering people. In the following 7 months, I called the owner weekly. I would wish him a Happy Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Finally, after many failed attempts, I had one last sales trick up my sleeve. I decided to offer them a free trial. I told them I would work for the company for free, and if I didn’t produce, they didn't have to pay me. There went my salary negotiation. They accepted. I guess I must have done well because they have kept me around, and hopefully, they will continue to keep me around. Zonos is a fun place, and the work is great!
How does Zonos help etailers?
Zonos helps by creating trust for cross-border customers who come to a website. We provide a Geo IP-driven welcome mat with their flag and a greeting in their language. We calculate duties and taxes so they aren't surprised with fees upon import. We also take payments in their currency so they aren't hit with foreign transaction fees from their bank. This is all on the customer side. For the merchant, we guarantee the duty and tax payment to the broker and even file taxes on their behalf. This takes away a huge headache for their accounting team. Overall, we help both the merchant and the end customer by being transparent and educational about what cross-border shipping and payments look like.
How are you using etailinsights to find eCommerce leads?
I have been utilizing etailinsights as a key tool in my lead-generation process. It’s been instrumental in helping me identify and download targeted lists of prospects that are already using platforms where Zonos has established plugins. This allows me to focus my outreach on companies that are more likely to benefit from our solutions. In addition to generating lists, I frequently use etailinsights for one-off lookups to gather specific contact information when I come across a site that aligns perfectly with Zonos' offerings. Another critical aspect is the ability to analyze the size of these companies, as we have a well-defined ideal customer profile. By ensuring that the prospects I engage with fit this profile, I can optimize my efforts and contribute to more successful conversions.
