What’s your role at Groop?
I am a Partnerships Executive – the majority of the time you’ll find me on the phone creating new relationships and connecting with people and introducing what Groop offer plus Sally our CEO and Guy our Commercial Director.
I also attend webinars, conferences and demonstrations and in between you can find me chin wagging to the rest of the team (I try to limit this because I could talk all day!) or overindulging in coffee… and maybe the occasional cake.
What’s your background?
I’ve worked in sales for nearly 10 years now, I cannot believe how quickly that’s flown by.
I’ve worked in call centres, hammering the phones daily, sales and retail – but sales is my forte. Outside of work I will happily chat away to anyone; my gift of the gab is a 24/7 personality trait… even when I’m asleep (spare a thought for my poor partner).
When the opportunity arose to work for Groop I jumped at the chance. I always wanted to do something that made a difference.
What skills do you need for your job?
It’s important for me to understand that people are just people – regardless of their job title. The ability to relate and connect to almost anyone is hugely important; I am a social chameleon and people make me happy.
Without a connection there’s no chance to build a relationship. I’ve always been passionate about building a relationship from nothing, speaking to a huge and diverse range of personalities and finding out their stories and seeing where Groop could fit in and be impactful.
As is standard in my role, you need to learn to take knock-backs on the chin. Every day is completely different. If you have one bad day, it shouldn’t affect the next day which could be and normally always is, amazing.
Groop isn’t your standard Software as a Service (SAAS) organisation – I am not a robot, I am not scripted, I am completely me (within reason) … professionalism is key.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Two words… Groop Team. I get to work alongside the most amazing bunch of people sharing the same vision. It’s the first time I’ve worked in Business to Business sales, and it’s not what I thought it would be at all – in a really good way.
I love a challenge and I love problem-solving. I’ve worked in jobs previously where you become automatic and you don’t get a chance to use your personality. It’s different here and the freedom to think helps me be more creative with our solution.
Despite my tattoos (there are a lot!), my piercings (again – a lot!) and my weird ever-changing hair colour (pink and black this week), I am taken seriously and I am a valued member of the team.
How do you spend your spare time? Do you volunteer?
I’m a country girl at heart. Always have been. After a week of working hard at Groop, there’s nothing I love more than disappearing out to the countryside with my dog, Ivory – check her out on Twitter. However, I can also party with the best of them and last week you would have found me dressed as a gothic elf for a Lord of the Rings party… you can never take life too seriously. Just don’t ask about the dinosaur costume.
I micro-volunteer in my community. Like many people my age, I am desperate to help but don’t know where to start. I chose to partner up with 87-year-old Nina, who spices up my life weekly. I also work to support homeless people when I can, I’ve become quite close to someone in particular over the course of two years. At Easter we spent the day together and I learnt about life from a whole different perspective. We are lucky for what we have.
I think terminology is an issue with volunteering – come and see me talk about the opportunity to reach out to millennials to volunteer at the Groop Annual Conference – change is key and millennials are the future.
Blog done.
