Hey everyone 👋
I’m excited to introduce you to another member of the Drift team.
I know you’ve already met Fernanda Lavalle, Shannon Donovan, Mary Mitchell, Catherine LaMacchia, and Nadine Shaalan.
So in this edition of Inside Drift, I’m taking you to San Francisco to meet Kahlil Trocmé. Kahlil is an Enterprise Business Development Representative who joined Drift back in January 2019. Kahlil got into the SaaS world accidentally when he helped his friend’s startup take off at age 21. He’s been hooked ever since.
Ready to meet Kahlil? Let’s go ⚡
Editor’s note: The following has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Kaitlyn Martins: Let’s start with the basics. Can you tell me a little bit about what you do here?
Kahlil Trocmé: I’m an Enterprise BDR on the west coast, and I’m in charge of booking meetings with decision-makers within the largest companies in the world. I work alongside our Enterprise Account Executives to help them start conversations with ICP targets (ICP is an abbreviation for buyers who fit out Ideal Customer Profile). My role is to educate buyers on how conversational marketing enables companies to build better pipeline, faster.
Kaitlyn: Nice. I’d love to learn more about your background and how you came to work at Drift.
Kahlil: I was born and raised in the south of France, I moved to the U.S. during my high school years. I stumbled upon Drift while working for the French Embassy Trade Office in San Francisco, where I led outbound sales development for French SaaS startups. I became fascinated by Drift’s technology and fell in love with the company from afar. I feel lucky to have found my dream company.
Kaitlyn: I didn’t know that. That’s amazing! So when did you first know you wanted to work in tech?
Kahlil: I got into tech my junior year of college. A close friend of mine was building a website called Student Rental Society, which enabled college students to look for local housing through various search filters. Our website became an advertising platform for local property management companies and landlords. That’s when I became fascinated by sales and entrepreneurship. I’ve never looked back.
Kaitlyn: What does a typical day at your job look like?
Kahlil: The majority of my time is spent prospecting into a defined list of ICP target accounts. My role is to educate buyers and decision-makers on the problems Drift solves for. I do that by crafting personalized outbound sequences at scale via emails, videos, GIFs, phone calls, and direct messages.
Kaitlyn: We touched on this a little bit already, but I’m curious to hear more. What attracted you to Drift in the first place?
Kahlil: Drift stood out as a trailblazer. When evaluating a career move, I think you should focus on people, vision, product, and culture. I felt like Drift had all four. As a minority in the world of tech, working for David Cancel and Elias Torres (two Latinx co-founders) is super inspiring. I love that our company values diversity and inclusion.
Kaitlyn: What was your dream job as a kid?
Kahlil: My father was drafted in the NBA back in the days, so of course I wanted to be an NBA player! Sports agent came in second place after watching Jerry Maguire.
Kaitlyn: What’s your definition of success?
Kahlil: Being happy. Finding alignment between your passion and skillset and creating a career path that empowers you to give back.
Kaitlyn: What’s your favorite part about working at Drift?
Kahlil: I’m going to steal some lines from our leadership principles, but here’s why I love working at Drift. There is no entitlement here. We work like we have something to prove and we constantly push for high standards. Drift’s book club is also one of the coolest perks I’ve ever had. Every month, any employee can order business and personal development books at no cost. A few highlights for me have been Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Kaitlyn: Yes, let’s talk books. What’s your favorite book of all time, and what are you reading right now?
Kahlil: My favorite books of all-time are Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. Right now I’m reading Principles by Ray Dalio and Sales EQ by Jeb Blount.
Kaitlyn: What’s something people don’t know about you?
Kahlil: When I really like a song or album, I’ll put it on repeat for weeks ?
Kaitlyn: Last question. Any advice for people who are trying to figure out their own career path?
Kahlil: Find a field or a craft you’re passionate about and go all in. Bet on yourself and take calculated gambles early. Outwork and outlearn.
