Leading with Questions: How One Salesforce AE Uses Curiosity to Solve Customer Challenges in Sydney

Nato Foti has always been curious about how work actually gets done.

Early in his career, that curiosity manifested in consulting. He enjoyed the pace, the problem-solving, and the exposure to diverse industries. But the moments that stayed with him were always the ones closest to the customer, where ideas moved from slides into reality. “I’ve always been drawn to the execution side of things,” he says. “To see decisions turn into action.”

That instinct is what eventually led him to Salesforce.

From his very first interview, things felt different. “It felt like a genuine conversation about how I think, how I work, and the kind of growth I was looking for,” he says. Today, he has found a culture where asking big questions is encouraged, leaders are accessible, and customer relationships are treated as long-term partnerships. “You’re trusted to show up for the customer and do the right thing,” he says. “There’s a lot of support, but also a deep sense of ownership.”

If you’re looking to build your own career on a foundation of trust and support, we invite you to join our Talent Community.

Navigating Constant Change with a Clear Point of View 

As an Account Executive working in Sydney, Nato’s role involves guiding a customer who knows they need to change, even if the path forward isn’t fully clear yet. This usually means starting with the reality of how their business looks on paper. “You can always say data should be perfectly organized. But in the real world, systems are fragmented and customers have different ways of working,” he explains. 

For Nato, an effective conversation is one that is rooted in business outcomes, not just technology. He focuses on what the business is trying to achieve and stresses the importance of having a point of view on how to solve a problem, instead of just pitching a solution. 

Because of this, he sees his role as a translator, keeping fast-moving technology and long-term business goals in sync. “Often, technology moves faster than the conversations customers are ready to have,” Nato says. “I try to anchor on the big decisions and goals the customer really cares about, and then work backwards from there.”

Showing Customers How AI Can Simplify Their Existing Process 

For many customers, the real question is not just what AI can do, but also how it shows up in moments that matter.

Nato recalls a recent project that demonstrates the agentic shift. A solar installer was handling a high volume of inquiries, where customers filled out a form and waited weeks to find out how many panels would fit on their roof, how much energy they could generate, and whether solar would make sense for their home. With Agentforce, that experience changed nearly overnight. By analyzing electricity bills, location data, and usage patterns, an AI agent can now provide relevant answers instantly. “When someone asks, ‘How many solar panels can I put on my roof and what will be the return?’, the agent is able to provide those details in real time,” he says.

This reflects Nato’s core belief: tools should fundamentally change how work feels. 

And Agentforce doesn’t just help the customer; it helps Nato, too. Instead of manually reading through notes and account history before a first meeting, he now uses Agentforce to quickly get a deep understanding of the customer’s priorities and other important details. “We’ve never had a time where technology was this accessible,” he says. “The result is that we can go from an idea to real-world impact almost immediately.”

My Advice for the Next Generation of Sellers 

As AI reshapes the industry, Nato believes a specific mindset will define the sellers who thrive. He offers four simple ideas to guide the next generation:

• Never Stop Learning: You don’t need to know everything upfront. What matters more is the willingness to keep asking questions, especially in a role that keeps evolving.
• Start Building Early: Don’t wait for the perfect product. Try solving real problems, even if the solution is still taking shape.
• Embed AI in the Workflow: AI creates value when it’s part of how people already work, not when it sits off to the side as a separate tool.
• Be a Translator: Use clear, simple language and anchor conversations in how the customer actually works and makes decisions. 

Want more tips? Check out how our sales teams are boosting their own productivity with Agentforce.

Recharging Away from the Screen 

For Nato, family comes first, especially time with his three-year-old daughter. Beyond that, he’s a lifelong learner. He reads, listens to podcasts, and spends time deconstructing and rebuilding mechanical watches to balance a role that lives largely on screens and in conversations.

Looking ahead, that curiosity is what Nato expects to carry forward. The tools will change and the role will keep evolving, but he believes the mindset matters more than the moment. “The foundation is still about trying to solve real-world problems,” he says.

If you’re ready to work alongside customers as they navigate the future of agentic AI, we would love to meet you. Join our Talent Community or explore our open roles today.

AI supported the writers and editors who created this article.