Evan brings a wealth of experience in vertical SaaS; having built exceptional high-performance go-to-market teams, processes, and playbooks. During his time with TouchBistro and Vidyard, he gained incredible expertise ramping pipeline and revenue. With his down-to-business philosophy, drive to succeed, and remarkable track record, Evan is ready to take Bear to the next level. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.

Let’s get to know him a little better!

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What excites you most about joining CommerceBear?

I have been heavily focused on buyer behaviour for my entire career. There is no arguing that in 2021 all buyers, regardless of geography or age, are spending more on online platforms than ever before. This especially includes things most people thought would never gain traction selling online. The recent surge of multiple online platforms specifically focused on transacting furniture direct to consumer puts Bear in an extremely strong position to become a necessary & permanent conduit to the mechanics of these online marketplaces. 

What drew you to a career in sales?

Looking back, I have always been in sales but never identified it as such. I identified as someone who drove business. This was my biggest strength and passion early on. Of course, as the years progressed it was a natural evolution to build and lead sales teams in charge of arguably the key component to grow businesses… revenue. 

“Building a sales team is not about revenue… it’s about people, culture, and customer experience.”

How do you approach building a sales team?

Building a sales team is actually not about revenue at all (at first). It’s about people, culture, and customer experience. If you can create a world class buying experience that serves the buyer’s best interest, as well as attract aspiring individuals to sell your product in perhaps a less traditional way then they may have previously, revenue growth is the result. 

What do you look for in an early stage company?

Leadership. Nothing works unless you have a visionary and honest leader at the top. Next is alignment of that leader to the other executives, advisors, and investors. After that, product–market need: Does our product help those that purchase it? Lastly, “runway”: no one can predict the future, but business is all about making your bets as to what you foresee in the years to come.

“Always put the customer before yourself. Then dig as deep as you can.”

What advice would you give to someone starting out on your career path?

Always put the customer before yourself. Then dig as deep as you can. Get hyper focused on becoming an expert in your craft. Don’t wait for someone to ‘train’ you or teach you. To be the best you have to know the most. You will know you are making strides when those around you start soliciting your opinion and recommendation. 

What’s your ecommerce marketplace of choice?

I default to Amazon with my personal purchases. They had this entire thing optimized before anyone else in the marketplace even took notice. Remember the days of filling in all your information only to have it erased by some kind of page refresh, then you simply abandoned the cart? Shopping cart abandonment is real and it’s simply insane the amount of revenue lost. A customer wants to give you their money, but you made it hard for them, so they threw their hands in the air and said “forget about it”. I design my B2B sales processes with these modern factors in mind. Speed is everything today, and it’s only going to get faster, so keep up.  

What’s your favourite article of furniture?

Furniture isn’t something that we simply sit on or put things in. Furniture creates a feeling, and sparks moments of conversation and connection. With that said, nothing is more important to me than a perfect dining set. Dining has been a major part of our culture for centuries, and the right dining set can completely transform a space. 

What do you do in your down time?

I’m a very proud father raising a little girl with my wonderful wife. But with a three year old I wouldn't call that down time. I very much enjoy getting onto the golf course and, surprise surprise, we’re really big into cooking. 

Welcome to the feast, Evan!

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