Martyna Blak joined our team in July. Since then, Martyna has taken part in a series of training sessions including role play scenarios with Alliance Director Steven Massey. We posed a few questions to Martyna and Steven shared his thoughts on Martyna’s progress so far…
How do you feel your first 4 months have gone?
It’s been pretty full on; I’ve mainly been focussing on resourcing and getting to know our clients. I have also been concentrating on building my account management skills.
How’s your training going?
Really well. I joined the team on a sales course which was a first for me but more of a refresher for them. In addition to the sales course, I have been involved in a series of role play scenarios with Steven.
Can you tell us more?
The main focus has been how to open doors and follow a path towards gaining new business. For instance, how to get beyond the gatekeeper, sourcing the right contact, finding a route to people who don’t take calls and framing open questions in order to put myself in front of the right person. At first, I was a bit apprehensive, but I am becoming more natural, I know what to say and we’re now working on how to deliver the message.
What are your hopes for the coming months?
Although I enjoy resourcing and account management, I believe I can excel in sales, I expect that sales will become my favourite part of my role of Alliance. I’m looking forward to it.
Stephen Massey is delighted with Martyna’s progress as he explains…
“Martyna started as a resource and account controller, which entails sourcing staff and servicing client accounts. That in itself is no easy role, it certainly isn’t suited to everyone but she performed really well, firstly on site with a client and then in our office servicing several clients. Martyna is a confident and gregarious character; it was the opinion of several of her colleagues that she could train in sales. Martyna and I had a brief chat and I quickly I agreed with their opinions.”
“Sales in our industry is extremely hard, it is very competitive. Many agencies treat sales staff and consultants as if they are expendable, this is not our style. Martyna has more training to do, but during the second session she demonstrated an unusual flair, she said things that demonstrate a confidence I have rarely seen and her potential could be limitless.”
“If Martyna progresses as I hope, she has the ability to grow what we call ‘plans’ or ‘desks.’ Once a desk is grown to a certain stable profit level she can recruit and train others to look after this desk on her behalf, whilst building further desks but maintaining her original commission from the first desk. That is what we call a 360 consultant, someone who can service a desk and build new ones.”
“Much further down the line if Martyna wanted to run her own branch, we will set one up for her. By this time, she will have proven that she can build multiple desks and train, so should she want to go to Coventry, Leeds or wherever we will back her. We do the due diligence, sort the office space and she can concentrate on building her own empire.”
“It’s very early days, but the ball is in Martyna’s court. We just give her the backing and support to help her smash the ball as hard and as far as possible.”