A Day in the Life of a Sales Account Manager at Scythe
When it comes to learning about M.52 and Scythe, Sales Account Manager Alex Uys is the go-to expert for new customers. As the first point of contact for reservations and sales, Alex answers the detailed questions about M.52 and its technology, schedules demos, and secures clients a spot on our reservation list. Combining his deep industry knowledge with a passion for innovation, Alex helps clients unlock the full potential of their partnership with Scythe, one phone call at a time.
What does a typical day at Scythe look like for you?
As a Sales Account Manager, I get to showcase M.52 in front of potential customers through industry events, live demos, and even virtual meetings (thank you, FaceTime). The best part of my role is seeing typically stoic landscape contractors' faces light up with excitement as M.52 arrives at their doorstep.
My day typically kicks off with a strong cup of coffee and a team check-in to review active opportunities and contracts. From there, I dive into connecting with potential customers—whether it’s following up with companies I’ve already demoed for or identifying new leads in key markets. Research and outreach play a big role in my day, often involving quick, compelling introductions to spark curiosity about what we offer. Sometimes, all it takes is a sleek photo and a single, well-placed sentence to grab attention.
Most of my time is spent on calls—reaching out to prospective clients, answering questions, scheduling demos, and navigating the sales process. This is both the most rewarding and the most challenging part of my job. I love meeting new people, hearing about their challenges, and discussing how we can help. Change can be daunting, but being part of something innovative makes it all worthwhile.
Travel is also a big part of my role, and I like to work in bursts of high energy. On demo trips or roadshows, I hit the ground running, often scheduling multiple demos in a single day. My personal record is 13 demos in just a week and a half!
Alex holding a live demo on his most recent Southeastern Demo Tour
What's one of your favorite projects from the past year?
My favorite project was shooting the Forged in the Field video when I first came on to Scythe. I got a truly exhilarating behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into testing and building M.52. Not only did I learn that our machine is tough, but I learned a ton about the people here at Scythe. Mainly that they are nothing short of brilliant.
This project provided an opportunity to showcase the resilience of M.52 and also gave the outsider a look into the people and culture at Scythe. The biggest challenge was time. We had two days to shoot the entire piece. I remember pulling up the garage door in the back of the warehouse in pitch black one morning, well technically it was still night. We got scrappy and inventive, at one point I was even pushing our cameraman down the production line while he sat on a utility cart.
Truly, the best part about the project was that we got so many people from across the organization involved, and we even pulled a truck with three robots on a trailer using just one M.52 in the parking lot! The video really set the trajectory for what my experience at Scythe has been and I can honestly say we are still on course.
Alex overseeing the final production shot on the 'Forged in the Field' video
Which of Scythe’s values means the most to you?
Cross-functional collaboration (Gestalt) is fundamental to my role at Scythe, whether it’s checking in with production to see if we have inventory to send machines to a certain location, or speaking to mechanical engineering to address a specific ask of a client, I have days where I make laps around the office, bouncing from team to team.
And this I would say, is the main reason I love working at Scythe. All of the people I get to work with – the feeling of access to different teams across the organization is unparalleled.
What's the best career advice you've received?
The best career advice I’ve received is actually a Teddy Roosevelt quote,
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
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The only thing better than robots is sailing on the open ocean.
Who is your favorite fictional robot?
TARS from Interstellar! He’s hilarious, the perfect comedic relief to the heartbreaking and exhilarating story that Christopher Nolan weaves. He’s also a robot with true morals and he saves the day several times, even sacrificing himself.
"I have a cue light I can turn on when I’m joking, if you like."
What's your favorite office snack?
Eggs! They give me the energy I need to get through those back to back sales calls.
Offering a snapshot of life at Scythe, the Scyther Spotlight series showcases our team members and the work they do as we pursue our mission together. From software to hardware, manufacturing to customer operations, you'll get to see what our
multi-disciplinary team members are up to and how they collaborate every day.