Attitude is the key in sales work
Petri Vainikainen has enjoyed working at L&T for nearly twenty years, and in that time, he has worked as a salesperson, a customer support manager and a unit manager. In his current position as Regional Manager, he oversees, among others, the activities of the Cleaning Services and Property Maintenance units within his region of responsibility, and makes customer visits.
“We all have to work toward the same goal. At L&T, we are given the framework, but within that framework, we have quite a bit of freedom in deciding how to carry out our own work tasks. The company has room for all types of people and, in service sales in particular, personality is a vital asset, because there is no concrete product for customers to hold in their hands,” explains Petri.
A six-month training programme is now in the planning for newly recruited salespeople. The programme will be implemented by alternating practical work with training sessions.
“Selling services often require the establishment of long-term relationships in order to foster trust in the essential nature and professional skills of the salesperson in question. A significant part of professional skill involves knowing the product or service you are selling. L&T’s service concepts have been designed to be simple, so that the salesperson has an easy time in selling them and the customers understand exactly what they are purchasing. We are also encouraged to participate in courses and further training programmes. These are very useful for gaining new ideas and tools which can be utilised to help establish a personal sales method,” Petri says.
The results of one’s sales work can be seen in a concrete fashion. The work requires discipline to ensure that targets are met in terms of customer contacts and visits as well as tenders. On the other hand, situational awareness, and a social and active nature are also important, since sales are not closed from an office desk. Petri is a competitive person and admits that this has been a useful attribute in sales work.
Successful performances feed one’s confidence, and it is extremely rewarding when the whole deal goes smoothly.
“Sometimes a deal will be made with very little hassle, but the greatest feeling of accomplishment comes from a deal that is sealed with some effort: first contacting the customer, convincing the customer about the service, finding the appropriate solution to meet their needs, and then carrying out smooth co-operation with the production team,” Petri explains, revealing through his statement the fact that sales work relies a great deal on one’s approach.