Tell us the reasons for wanting to share your average day working as a sales representative for Affinity Balkans?
Honestly, mainly because of how it has shaped me to be a stronger and happier person. Yes, the time spent in this position has helped me grow professionally, but I also believe that it has made my personal life better.
Can you outline your usual day for us?
In the most cases I spend days on the road visiting our clients and trying to find new leads. My day is filled with new acquaintances, new challenges, and new knowledge, going from client to client. Even when I am in the office catching up on paperwork, I am assisting my clients, informing them about our products, and generally showing them why we are leaders on the market.
What challenges do you usually face on an average day in the role?
It is indeed a challenge, always striving to provide our clients with assistance, expertise and services above the competition, but this is what makes us one of the best in the market. It is also time consuming because of the complexity of changing tolls, cards, VAT services etc.
What skills do you usually use in your day-to-day?
… maybe being a bit of a chameleon. You cannot have the same behaviour with all customers. The most important thing is to “feel” the customers’ needs, expectations, knowledge and adjust your approach accordingly. It is of great importance that customer feels confidence in you, and trusts in your abilities to help them find the best solutions for any case and any problem.
What is your favourite part of your role?
My favourite part is definitely winning new clients. It can be quite a rush when I sign a contract with bigger clients. It is at point I know that despite heavy competition, I can convince them that we can take care of them better than anyone else.
What is the biggest mistake you have made in the role?
I am sure that I have made plenty of mistakes over the past 7 years. There is a fresh one that I would consider one of the bigger ones.
I got confused when I visited one customer for the first time, he has been my client from the time I worked in tele-sales and everything I knew was from phone calls. I recommended routes for him and mentioned some alternatives, told him which gas stations are best for him, but he just looked at me…
He then asked me if I know who he is and what company I am just visiting. Turns out, I was thinking of my next appointment, and this was a first meeting with a new client. In my defence, they do share the same first name. 🙂
What would you tell someone else starting out in this position?
I would tell them to be patient, focused on his/her role, not to give up even if sometimes you are facing a lot of negative attitudes and rejections. After many years in this company, I can say that I am feeling satisfied because I “survived” many obstacles, and my self-confidence has grown substantially.
How long have you been working in sales for Affinity?
I have been a part of the group over 11 years, since the day it was first founded in Serbia. At Affinity my first role was part of the customer care team, supporting sales in the aftersales activities. For the past 7 years I am in sales, starting in a tele-sales role and then I have moved to field sales, which I find much more suits my personality.
What do you wish you knew before starting the role?
I wished I knew how much our clients liked to talk, and especially how much I can use the information I get from them to better prepare for the ‘fight’ with our competitors. Being in tele-sales, I was ready to present our services advantages, but in the field it is easier to find other ways of winning clients.
What do you love the most about your job?
This role is very dynamic, full of challenges, full of advantages, so every day I allows me to improve myself and to develop my knowledge. I wake up every morning with smile on my face and think about what the next win is for today.
