The successful deal is just the beginning

Introduce yourself in a few words…
My name is Vasil Yanev and I would describe myself as an entrepreneur who never stops learning. I love to invest my energy in ventures that contribute to the success of as many people as possible. I have extensive experience in sales and consider it my mission to share my experience and knowledge in this field. In 2018, I founded the digital agency SFC, and in 2021, a few partners and I started Sales Club – a business brand through which we implement projects dedicated to the needs of Bulgarian entrepreneurs. Among them are the business events Sales Club Conference and “Leadership Forum”, as well as Sales Club Academy – an online academy for sales skills.

How would you describe your career in a few words?
A business adventure that brings me together with many people and never stops motivating and inspiring me.

What was the most important choice that shaped your path?
I don’t think you can point to just one choice – entrepreneurship is a series of big and small decisions, and you never know which one will turn out to be the most crucial later on. But if I have to point out a specific choice – it’s the moment I decided to work for myself and start my own company.

What would you like to have known at the beginning of your career that no one told you?
That closing a successful deal is just the beginning and we must continue to earn our clients' trust again and again.

How can a person understand which profession is suitable for them?
By trying many different things and not being afraid to make mistakes until they discover their true calling.

Which skills do you think will be key in the next 10 years?
We will certainly need to learn to use AI and build our knowledge alongside its growing capacity. But at the same time, more and more people will need to develop their “soft” skills – leadership qualities, communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability, etc. With the development of modern technologies, many activities will be automated, but the focus will remain on human relationships.

How to build a network of useful contacts without appearing interested?
The essence of successful networking is to encourage the other party to tell us about themselves, to ask the right questions, and at the right moment to present our activity in a non-intrusive but memorable way. To build a sustainable network of professional contacts, the leading thought should always be “What can I do for this person?”, not “What can this person do for me?”.

What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career, and what did you learn from it?
Every mistake in a career context is a valuable lesson from which we should learn. I consider it a miss that I didn’t start my own business – the digital agency – earlier. Digital marketing is an extremely dynamic and competitive field, and agencies that have been established in the market for a long time enjoy more trust.

How to recognize a toxic work environment and when is it time to leave?
Each person assesses for themselves what their “red line” is, as it is fashionable to say. A toxic work environment can mean difficult relationships with colleagues, high levels of stress, or a feeling that your efforts are not appreciated. Usually, constant turnover is a clear sign that something in this company is not right.

What would you do differently if you could start over?
Absolutely nothing, because every right or wrong choice has given me valuable experience that can only be gained through practice.

How to maintain our motivation in times of stagnation?
We must remember that in business, nothing ever stands still, and apparent moments of stagnation are an opportunity for preparation and reorganization (if such is necessary). Also, we should not expect continuous growth – it is normal for certain periods to be characterized by fewer new clients and less revenue. The important thing is not to forget that these are just periods and they do not define the overall trajectory of the company’s development.

How to achieve a balance between professional and personal life?
A difficult question, because everyone understands the answer in an individual way. My advice would be not to bring work home and vice versa. Let’s always give our 100%, whether we are in the office with colleagues or at home with family.

When is it time to change our career, not just the job?
The question “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” that is regularly asked in job interviews sounds like a cliché, but it is extremely useful when we need to make a defining decision. Look around you and assess – is this where you want to be when you celebrate your next anniversary.

If you had to give just one piece of advice to people seeking success, what would it be?
Invest in yourself – never stop developing and learning.

What is your definition of a “successful career”?
Having a successful career means seeing meaning in what you do and going to work every day with desire. Contributing not only to your own development but also to the prosperity of those around you.