On the finish of the day, it’s all about relationships and creating that belief and transparency between me and my purchasers.
Heather Mao, Cloud Account Govt
When Heather Mao walks into the Salesforce Singapore workplace, she’s not simply clocking in — she’s moving into an ecosystem of innovation, collaboration, and fast-paced decision-making. As a Strategic Account Director protecting Agentforce and Knowledge Cloud, Heather’s function sits on the intersection of AI transformation and actual human connection.
We sat down together with her to speak about what her day appears to be like like, how the ASEAN area is embracing AI, and why her gross sales philosophy is deeply rooted in listening, relationships, and teamwork.
What’s a typical day like for you as a Cloud Account Govt (AE)?
[Image credit: Heather Mao / Salesforce]
“It’s very busy,” says Heather. “I cowl Agentforce and Knowledge Cloud throughout small and medium companies in addition to public sector accounts — so there’s a whole lot of studying, collaboration, and tailoring of gross sales performs relying on the phase,” she provides.
From utilizing AI-powered instruments to assembly stakeholders from vastly totally different industries, Heather juggles a variety of duties every single day.
With Agentforce, a lot of her time is spent educating purchasers about its capabilities, constructing inside alignment, and crafting methods which can be custom-made for every account.
“Each single buyer, in each single trade, has a unique use case,” she provides. “It retains me on my toes — and that’s what I like.”
What does the gross sales panorama seem like in ASEAN, particularly in Singapore?
The ASEAN area is buzzing with curiosity in AI and cloud — however digital maturity varies considerably from market to market.
“Everybody is happy about AI, however not each group is able to bounce into it,” Heather explains. “Some purchasers are nonetheless utilizing pen and paper. For them, simply getting began with Salesforce is an enormous first step earlier than speaking about AI.”
“Face-to-face interplay remains to be tremendous essential right here,” Heather says. “All of us tailored to digital conferences throughout COVID, however in-person conversations construct belief in a manner that digital conferences can’t replicate.
That’s very true in Singapore’s enterprise ecosystem, the place long-term relationships drive a whole lot of selections.”
What are your prime methods for constructing belief with purchasers, given the distinctive nature of the ASEAN area?
Constructing belief isn’t about being the loudest individual within the room — it’s about displaying up, listening, and being a part of the journey. Heather’s strategy to trust-building is refreshingly easy, but highly effective. Listed here are the three methods she swears by:
1. Make it private — meet in individual.
“In-person conferences actually transfer the needle,” Heather says. “It’s about constructing that rapport and displaying the consumer that you just care sufficient to indicate up.”
She shares a narrative of a serious enterprise deal the place face-to-face conversations, govt connects, and even customer-to-customer reference calls made all of the distinction. “It took over 30 folks to shut that deal. Everybody — from answer engineers to AEs from different groups — performed an element. That’s Salesforce at its finest.”
2. Hear earlier than you pitch.
Heather’s not the form of salesperson who leads with a product demo. “I all the time attempt to enter conferences with out a gross sales mindset,” she explains. “As a substitute, I simply pay attention — to their challenges, their targets, their imaginative and prescient. Then I’m going again and see how Salesforce may help.”
Why? As a result of purchasers can inform while you’re pushing one thing they don’t want. “Individuals are very savvy as of late. They’ll respect it extra in the event you take the time to grasp their world first.”
3. Be resourceful.
In Heather’s world, belief additionally means being reliable. “At Salesforce, we are saying it takes a village to shut a deal. So figuring out who to tug in, the way to align internally, and giving credit score when it’s due — that’s key.”
After I hit the gong for a $7M deal, I made certain everybody concerned was there. As a result of I really couldn’t have completed it with out them.
Heather Mao, Cloud Account Govt
How are you utilizing AI instruments like Agentforce?
AI has turn out to be a vital a part of Heather’s workflow — particularly in serving to her ramp up rapidly in a brand new function.
What units Agentforce aside from different instruments she’s used? Its contextual intelligence. “It’s grounded in Salesforce knowledge, which implies it doesn’t simply spit out generic solutions. It understands what’s essential in our world.”
She additionally emphasizes the human aspect. “Sure, AI drafts emails for me — however I all the time personalise them. That remaining human contact nonetheless issues.”
[Image credit: Heather Mao / Salesforce]
What recommendation would you give to somebody simply beginning out in gross sales?
“Reap the benefits of working within the workplace!
It sounds so fundamental, nevertheless it’s among the best methods to construct relationships together with your teammates.”
Heather factors out that half the individuals who helped her shut massive offers have been of us she met on the workplace — throughout lunch, over espresso, or whereas casually swapping notes.
“These connections matter. They’re the individuals who will help you while you’re caught, cheer for you while you win, and collaborate while you need assistance.”
She additionally encourages new AEs to remain curious and open. “You’re not anticipated to know every part from day one. However in the event you present up, ask questions, and provide assist, you’ll go far.”
It’s not simply the deal — it’s the journey
Whether or not she’s closing million-dollar offers, volunteering together with her crew in Bangkok, or self-proclaimed geeking out at Dreamforce, Heather brings ardour, people-first vitality, and a learner’s mindset to every part she does. She’s not simply serving to purchasers succeed — she’s making cloud gross sales slightly extra human.
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