E90 - Peter Hase at Megaport

Our Director James Dean was joined by Peter Hase, the Director of Megapor & Facilitator at Force Management. Peter has had a long history in the Networking industry and has built long-term scale and scalable value across many global technology segments. James and Peter delve into the current trends within the technology space from a sales perspective.

Peter started off as an insurance broker which he enjoyed but after a while, it seemed people only came to him when something had gone wrong and essentially, he got tired of it. Peter got into contact with some friends that said that the Telecoms world was great and paid very well. So, he puts it down to greed and money orientated on how he made his way into the industry!

One of the major changes he’s seen in the industry is definitely the evolution of the internet. Nobody expected that we would be depended on so much and especially since post-pandemic, we are seeing that dependence grow exponentially in new areas including such as being able to book medical appointments online.

If you know sales, then you know that staying up to date with the latest technology can be tricky. The industry is changing constantly, and technology keeps getting better and better each day. But Peter knows that it’s all about picking winners. Pick a technology that’s moving in the right direction and a company that is doing it well and you will win over your customers every time.

Something Peter has noticed is that the training element has dropped off over time. He thinks people are expected to have learnt it at school. He was lucky, he got himself into a program when he first joined Intertech. There were eleven people when he joined, ten of those people graduated and within four months there were four of them left. Nowadays, if you want to keep up with the technology, you have to go out there, learn yourself and be proactive.

He finds that the biggest challenge for people who are learning and developing is when a new idea comes up, do not be afraid to admit that you don’t know how to do it. He encourages people and empowers them, enabling them to blossom, especially in the skills area. Managers need to recognise that people want praise; this will help them perform better, stay motivated and make sure they don’t become complacent or feel unappreciated.

Considering the rapid pace of technical evolution, he doesn’t think that there have been any changes in his experience. What he does see though are new security policies and concerns about cyber security which have never existed before. New acronyms like Zero Trust are being introduced and more emphasis on awareness and security controls than ever before. The cyber world will be huge and a particularly important space to keep an eye out for.

Advice?…

If you’re looking to get into the industry, from a business perspective, Peter thinks there will be an emphasis on jobs being chosen by the type of company that they are and what they stand for e.g., sustainability, diversity programs etc. From a more personal perspective, you as an individual need to be flexible. If you go into a job thinking you’re going to work set hours and set days and aren’t prepared to change with it, it’ll hurt you and you won’t enjoy it. Be prepared to keep learning, stay curious and get out of your comfort zone!

To hear the quick-fire round, tune in now!