Ben Christensen

Critic
DISC Type : C

Co-Founder at Handshake

Denver, Colorado, United States

Overview

Ben Christensen is the Co-Founder of Handshake, a premier career network designed to democratize access to opportunities for early-career talent. A graduate of Michigan Technological University with a background in software development and security, he is described by colleagues as patient and exceptionally skilled at helping others learn.

Outside of his entrepreneurial work, Ben demonstrates a strong commitment to public service through his certifications as a Firefighter and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He remains engaged with his alma mater and the broader career services community.

Unique fact: For his work in building Handshake, Ben was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Enterprise Technology.

Personality Overview

Information Seeker

ROI Driven

Negotiator

They prefer to do logical analysis and value evidence over emotions.  Unless the value is proven by data, they are unlikely to value fancy features. They enjoy working alone and do not rely on others very often.

Topics They Care About

Early Career Talent
Co-founded Handshake with the specific mission of helping students and recent graduates successfully launch their careers, regardless of their background.
Democratizing Opportunity
Passionate about leveling the playing field in recruiting, ensuring that talent from all universities can connect with top employers.
Gen Z Recruitment
Focused on building the leading career network for Gen Z and actively shares content about engaging and hiring this generation of talent.

Media Appearances

Ben has no verified media appearances

Work History

12-2013
Co-Founder at Handshake
12-2011 - 5-2014
Lead/Developer at ITOxygen Enterprise
5-2013 - 12-2013
ASERT Security Research at Arbor Networks
1-2013 - 10-2013
Developer at Up and Running Software, Inc.
6-2012 - 8-2012
Target Technology Services Intern at Target

Education

BS from Michigan Technological University
5-2013 - 7-2013
EMT-Basic from Huron Valley Ambulance

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 13 Location : Denver, Colorado, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder at Handshake
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Insights For Selling To Ben

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Be ready to answer many clarity-seeking questions and requests for information
  • Don’t forget to mention how you compare to competition on both features and pricing
  • Be formal and objective, they will appreciate it more

DONT's

  • Avoid pushing them too much to involve other stakeholders unless it is critical
  • Don't give superficial answers, they are easily rattled by them
  • Don’t try too hard to build a relationship with them

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ben is

  • Strong evidence of ROI, effective pricing, and proven data points matter the most to them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ben

  • It is not very hard for them to say no if they are not convinced about the decision.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ben move?

  • Their decision-making is neither very fast nor very slow, they are somewhere in between.
  • Can Ben take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks if their analysis shows that it would be worth it.

You And Ben

Personality Compatibility


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