Derek Reed ’16: A Love for Connecting Inspires Career in Sales

Derek Reed ’16 spends his workday selling contracts for Motus LLC, a service that helps employers calculate mileage reimbursements for their employees.

“Targeting C-Level executives for our services can be tricky, so you have to come up with unique ways to reach them,” he says. “Time management can be challenging at times between calls, follow up emails, presentations, cost analysis, contracts, on-site presentations, travel, and so forth, so I’ve learned to use my calendar to make sure I’m getting everything done.”

One thing he likes about sales is the ability to control your own destiny.

“If you find the right company and the right environment for yourself, you truly can make as much money as you want, so long as you are willing to put in the hours,” says Reed, who puts in a lot of late hours.

He didn’t always know he was destined for sales – he wishes the sales major had been available while he was a student – but his experience at Saint Rose and the Huether School of Business helped him find his path. “I quickly knew I was in the right major when I was preparing 20- to 30-minute business presentations for my courses while my friends were preparing 20- to 30-page essays,” he adds. “I love communicating with people and, if I am passionate about a product or service, I could talk about it for hours.”

His athletics experience helped him determine his career direction, too.

“Being a member of the Saint Rose baseball team taught me a lot about teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and time management,” he says. “With the skill set I acquired on the ballfield, my outgoing personality, and my competitive drive, I knew that pursuing a career in sales was the right thing to do.”

Upon graduating in 2016, Reed took a job as a technical recruiter for a staffing agency. Although he realized that recruiting wasn’t right for him, he enjoyed the high intensity and “grind” of sales. He joined Buildium as a business-development representative, became an account executive for TripAdvisor, and in July 2019 landed at Motus as a regional sales executive for New York state.

Given his long hours at work, he doesn’t have much free time, but you might find him golfing when he can.

“With my baseball career behind me, I’ve committed fully to bettering my golf game,” says Reed, who tries to get out once or twice per week to take advantage of the few months of nice weather during the spring and summer in the Northeast. “Other than that, I like spending time with friends and family during my downtime.”

What he likes most about Saint Rose is the people. He recalls a virtual party that he and seven other alums set up at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown to share drinks, stories, and laughs.

“The funny part was, all eight of us were located in different parts of the country – none in the same state,” he says.

“With Saint Rose being a small school, I had the opportunity to make some really great friends, lifelong friends, that I will forever be grateful for. It gives me an excuse to travel to new places and see them all!”

By Irene Kim