Kristen Clark has her mother to thank for inspiring her to pursue a career in sales. As a freshman in college, she tagged along with her mom on a business trip to New York City and saw her in action as a director of sales.
“She let me sit in on her client meetings, and I was immediately interested in learning more about the sales process and connecting with clients,” Clark says.
Upon graduating, Clark was back on a plane to NYC—except this time, she was starting her own sales career at the MarketAxess, a fixed-income electronic trading platform. Over the next eight years, Clark has honed her skills, helped launch a new line of business, and moved up within the sales organization at the fintech company, where she is now a sales relationship manager.
Here, Clark talks about how MarketAxess has supported her professional and personal goals, the project that skyrocketed her career, and why you need to be an active listener to succeed as a salesperson.
What helped you realize that a career in sales was a good fit?
At Florida State University (FSU), I majored in professional sales and marketing, which prepares students for a career in sales through training and hands-on experience. I knew it was a good fit for me when I was selected to join the FSU sales team. These students represent the university in sales competitions and get internships at FSU-sponsored companies that are looking for talent. By the time senior year came around, I knew I’d be applying for sales roles.
What attracted you to work at MarketAxess, and what has kept you there for more than eight years?
What initially intrigued me about MarketAxess was the culture and vision of the company. MarketAxess has become a leader in fixed-income electronic trading through consistent innovation. When I was learning about the company’s history and goals for the future, I saw significant growth ahead. And during the interview process, I noticed the excitement and level of ownership each person has in their role.
Since joining MarketAxess, I’ve come to love the fast-paced, collaborative environment and startup-like culture, despite being an established S&P 500 company. The innovative culture and ever-expanding opportunities as we continue to grow have also kept me with the firm. All of these years later, I continue to be excited about my work and feel empowered to make a material impact on the business.
Tell us about your trajectory within the sales organization at MarketAxess. Where did you start and where are you now?
I started at MarketAxess as a sales analyst right out of college and spent the first year rotating across the sales and product teams. I then continued gaining experience and exposure to our client base on the New York sales team, where I learned from colleagues, including our leadership team, and asked as many questions as I could think of.
A year later, I interviewed for a sales role to work on municipal bonds, a new product the firm was launching. I got the job and have been working on this product since. The role has advanced my sales career because I was given more responsibility and had the opportunity to gain new skills, work with different clients, and ultimately drive growth for the company in a new market. It continues to be an exciting role that has resulted in a successful growth product for the firm.
What are you responsible for as a sales relationship manager?
I’m focused on building and maintaining client relationships while marketing our trading capabilities—specifically focusing on municipal bonds—to both existing and prospective clients.
I work very closely with clients to learn about their unique business, workflow, and individual needs so that I can advise them on how to leverage the data and trading solutions on the MarketAxess platform. This ultimately drives our trading volumes and increases our share of the electronic marketplace.
How has MarketAxess supported you personally, and what impact has it had on your life and career?
From my first day as a recent college graduate living in a brand-new city, I’ve always felt comfortable and supported at MarketAxess thanks to its open and collaborative culture. Each manager I’ve had here has not only supported my career development, but they’ve also taken the time to get to know me on a personal level.
As a Florida native, I’d always hoped to move back to Florida to be closer to family and friends. After six years in NYC, I was able to relocate to our Miami office and continue my career with the firm. The move has allowed me to continue traveling for work while living in my hometown.
What is one highlight of your career thus far at MarketAxess?
Working on the launch and growth of a new product has been a highlight. MarketAxess has been a leader in the institutional fixed income e-trading space but was not involved in the municipal bond market until a few years ago.
Once I learned about this new product team, I knew I wanted to be a part of it because it would have a significant impact on our business. Ever since, I’ve been able to help build out this product with our technology team based on client requests. The municipal bond offering has been one of the firm’s fastest-growing products and is now a core product for the company.
How would you “sell” working at MarketAxess to a candidate?
MarketAxess offers many different paths to pursue within the organization. During my career here, I’ve been able to learn both about the fixed-income market as well as grow in a client-facing sales role.
At MarketAxess, you’ll be given the opportunity to gain exposure to our global client base and interact with everyone from junior- to senior-level team members. Over the last eight years, I’ve held several different roles, and I’ve been given the choice to work on projects that interest me.
MarketAxess also has a culture of openness and collaboration. We’re all working towards the same goal as a team, which I find is the driving factor in our success.
What does it take to be a great salesperson? What skills have helped you succeed in your career?
To be an effective salesperson, you need to be a results-oriented and tenacious self-starter. Being a salesperson requires handling a new set of challenges and opportunities every day, so the ability to be persistent and move forward despite setbacks is crucial. Learning to anticipate clients’ needs and being proactive also helps. In addition, the best salespeople I’ve encountered are good listeners. It’s so important to take a genuine interest, actively listen, and learn about the client to identify what their needs may be.
What is something more people would be surprised to know about you?
Before deciding to work in sales, I was considering a career in psychology. Having been in a sales role for many years now, I can see that these two fields are related since they are both focused on understanding and working with people. I still find the study of the human mind and behavior one of the most interesting subjects, and enjoy reading and listening to books and podcasts related to psychology in my spare time.