Top Ambition Anthems: Summer 2017

Welcome to the 7th Top Ambition Anthems list, where we profile the most epic YouTube clips Ambition clients are playing in their sales organization.

The most popular Ambition feature? Ambition Anthems: user-selected YouTube clips that enable sales teams to create personalized walk-off songs for reps and managers, ala Mariano Rivera entering Yankee Stadium to Enter Sandman.

Ambition Anthems play automatically over Ambition TV the second users hit key performance goals and milestones. When a sales rep logs 20 calls for the day, updates an account to 'closed won' in Salesforce or something similar - this is what happens:

The benefits of Ambition Anthems: immediate recognition, instant energy, and better culture. You want your reps feeling like The Rock or Bruno/Beyonce when they are performing at their highest. Ambition Anthems enables you to do just that.

User Spotlight: Top 10 Ambition Anthems. Summer 2017

Every few months, we showcase the most imaginative and inspired Anthem choices from our user base.

For this Top Ambition Anthems installment, we are recognizing 10 inspired user selections plus an honorable mention. Congratulations to the Ambition users who made this list: You have impeccable taste.

1. Mikolka Morrill. Prezi. Account Executive. San Francisco, CA.

Anthem: What is Love? By Haddaway.

Trivia question: Which film capitvated the hearts and minds of America ca. 1997-98 thanks to a breathtaking background score and breakthrough performance from its male lead? Titanic? Close - but no. The correct answer is A Night at the Roxbury.   

Credit to Prezi's Mikolka Morrill for choosing an Ambition Anthem that not only soundtracked a cinema masterpiece, but is synonymous with team loyalty and good decision-making. This song immortalizes 'team-first' mentality the same way that "Eye of the Tiger" immortalized internal drive in Rocky III. Ladies and gentlemen, Haddaway's "What is Love?" is your #1 Ambition Anthem of Summer 2017. 

2. Sara Pollard. Wayfair. Business Account Manager. Ogden, UT.

Anthem: Sweetness. By Jimmy Eat World.

Early 2000s emo music isn't just for break-ups, people. Huge shouts out to Sara Pollard at Wayfair, who happened to choose a favorite artist of several Ambition team members who were attending high school in 2002 (when Jimmy Eat World released Bleed American) and played Sweetness, The Middle, A Praise Chorus and the title track ad infinitum. 

Since debuting the Ambition Anthems feature two years ago, we've seen thousands and thousands of Ambition Anthems that span just about every genre. Our team has been waiting to see someone crash the glass ceiling of emo. Credit to Ms. Pollard for having the taste and audacity to make the sales bullpen safe for Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Saves the Day, et al.

3. Duke Begy. Arrive Logistics. Vice-President. Austin, TX.

Anthem: I Want Holyfield. By Saturday Night Live.

Special thanks to Arrive Logistics Vice-President Duke Begy, who brings us the #3 Ambition Anthem for Summer 2017 and delivers a key best practice: many of the all-time Ambition Anthems contain zero music. Epic film scenes, viral clips, and (as illustrated here) classic SNL skits work just as effectively as savvy song choices.

Unearth a vintage Chris Farley skit from Saturday Night Live? Congratulations. You are a mortal lock for our next Top Ambition Anthems list. Between "What Is Love?" and Farley's hilarious portrayal of a power-tripping Norman Schwarzkopf following his Gulf War beatdown of Iraq - our 90s nostalgia is at an all-time high.   

4. Sophia Jiang. MuleSoft. Integration/API Enablement. San Francisco.

Anthem: Formation. By Beyonce.

Every so often, our users come forward with an Ambition Anthem so quintissential that it embodies just about every quality the feature is designed to evoke. The latest entry to this lexicon comes from MuleSoft's Sophia Jiang, whose chosen Anthem is so dead-on we're wondering whether it needs an accompanying writeup. 

Beyonce at her most locked-in and empowered? To quote Dr. Peter Venkman, we'd call that a big 'yes' for your next Ambition Anthem. We wish the bulletproof confidence and indomitable spirit of "Formation" upon every sales organization striving for greatness.

5. Daniel Kimm. Velocify. National Account Executive. Los Angeles, CA.

Anthem: Hustlin'. By Rick Ross.

First of all, dual thank you and congratulations to Velocify National Account Executive and QuotaKillers Rep of the Week Daniel Kimm, whose QuotaKillers interview included an Ambition shout out and explicit reference to his Anthem choice. Because when the Teflon Don is soundtracking every deal your close, you are under a moral obligation to let the world know. 

It warms our heart to know that one of the world's top sales technology vendors is keeping its sales bullpen buzzing with high-quality Ambition Anthems handpicked by its top Account Executives. Shouts out to both Velocify and Mr. Kimm for doing God's work. 

6. Diane McElderry. Flexera. Regional Account Manager. Chicago, IL.

Anthem: I Got A Feeling. By Black Eyed Peas.

Three occasions that call for I Got a Feeling: Weddings. Bar Mitzvahs. Hitting quota. Three occasions that do not: Filing taxes. Getting dumped. Binge-watching Making a Murderer.

Savvy Anthem choice by Flexera Software Account Manager, Diane McElderry.  We'd love footage of B.E.P. serenading the Chicago office whenever you reach your 2017 quota, Ms. McElderry. Keep those good vibes comin'.

7. Melisa McDade. Aerotek. Account Manager. Montgomery, AL.

Anthem: Girl on Fire. By Alicia Keys. ​

Aerotek Account Manager Melisa McDade brings you the summer's #7 Ambition Anthem. Great for all the same reasons outlined in our "Formation" write-up, we owe a debt to Ms. McDade for reminding us just how deep the Alicia Keys discography goes.

This Anthem also proves that Ambition users should never hesitate to go with world-beating anthems from popular music artists (examples here, here, here, and here) as your Ambition Anthem. 

8. Eddie Ybarra. Globalscape. Level II Analyst. San Antonio, TX.

Anthem: Jump Around. By House of Pain.​

Ambition Anthem Best Practice #1. If it goes over well at a sports event, it works as an Ambition Anthem. Best Practice #2. If it was on a Jock Jams volume, it works as an Ambition Anthem.

Exhibit A. Our #8 entry on this list, courtesy of Globalscape Level II Analyst Eddie Ybarra. Excellent stuff, Mr. Ybarra. Tell your supervisor the Ambition Team has given clearance to upgrade you to Level III. 

9. Caitlin White. Clayton Homes. Senior Supervisor. Knoxville, TN.

Anthem: She Works Hard for the Money. By Donna Summer.

We dig the classics, too. Before Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and the myriad other famous divas who made our Top Ambition Anthems lists, there was Donna Summer. We feel love for Clayton Homes's storied use of Ambition and the exquisite taste of users like Ms. White.

Sidenote: Fellow Clayton Homes team member Brianna Bivens had a classic near-miss with her anthem. Went with a college football team fight song as her anthem. Chose the wrong one. This company was founded by Tennessee alumni, Ms. Bivens.

10. Peter James. Mavenlink. Inside Sales Development. Irvine, CA.

Anthem: Yamborghini High. By A$AP Mob.

The Top Anthems selection committee has a soft spot for elite posse tracks and the musical stylings of Juicy J. Did Mavenlink team member Peter James know that when when he chose Yamborghini High as his Anthem? Possible. But unlikely.

More likely: Mr. James shares our appreciation for the A$AP Mob, the Juiceman's lyrical hooks, and rap lyrics that include allusions to Rey Mysterio. Keep bringing the excellence in Orange County, Peter.

HM. Andy Sowder. Fitzmark. Operations Team Lead. Indianapolis, IN.

Anthem: Vacation. By The Go-Go's.

There is one Ambition Anthem meant to close out this list - which is going to publication the weekend before July 4th. Like Clark W. Griswold and the Go-Go's before him, Fitzmark Operations Team Lead Andy Sowder appreciates the value and importance of summer vacation.

Andy, thanks for giving us the perfect Ambition Anthem to send us out into the holiday weekend. Everyone else, see Andy's Anthem play live during Fitzmark's walkthrough of the Ambition platform - and from our team to yours, enjoy the holiday week!

Ambition: The Sales Performance Platform

Ambition is an agile sales management platform that powers fast-paced, data-driven sales organizations. Companies like Aerotek, UPS, Wayfair, and Clayton Homes use Ambition to get 360° sales performance insights, elevate sales culture and drive revenue. 

Modern sales leaders use Ambition to enhance sales performance insights and run real-time sales reports, scorecards, contests, activity and goal trackers, and TVs via drag-and-drop interface.  

See why the Harvard Business Review, AA-ISP (the Global Inside Sales Organization), and other industry experts endorse Ambition as a must-have vendor for today's millennial-driven sales teams and call centers. 

Watch Testimonials:

1. FiveStars: Adam Wall. Sr. Manager of Sales Operations . 
2. Filemaker: Brad Freitag. Vice-President of Worldwide Sales.
3. Outreach: Mark Kosoglow. Vice-President of Sales.
4. Cell Marque: Lauren Hopson. Director of Sales & Marketing.
5. Access America Transport: Ted Alling. Chief Executive Officer.

Watch Product Walkthroughs:

1. ChowNow. Led by Vice-President of Sales, Drew Woodcock.
2. Outreach. Led by Sales Development Manager, Alex Lynn.

Read Case Studies:

1. Clayton Homes: HBR finds triple-digit growth in 3 sales efficiency metrics. 
2. Vorsight: Monthly sales conversations grew 300% in 6 months.

Contact us to learn how Ambition can impact your sales organization today.