Describe a typical day/ week in your role The core of my role is to generate new business and to on-board those new customers for the first six to twelve months within their journey at Northgate. I have to ensure that I maintain long relationships with customers in a diverse array of industries, or certainly any that may use commercial vehicles.
Typically, if I am not busy putting vans on the road, then I am spending my time strategically planning my area for new business, followed by emailing companies, networking or cold calling. My personal skill set is within a more face to face environment so I try to spend as much time as possible getting in front of my customers.
How does your role compare with others you've had? For ten years before joining Northgate I was self-employed, so I was very much used to building strong working relationships with stake holders across multiple businesses. I try to put that in motion with this business as well..
What key skills do you think are required to do your role well? A van can be the heart and soul of the successful running of a business, there is a lot of technical knowledge that can be involved, so you have got to get it right and be used to building solutions around a customer’s needs.
My focus is often dealing with businesses who are very traditional and therefore historically they may have been used to purchasing and owning their assets outright. Northgate's proposition is about flexible rental so they don't need to own their vans, they purely use the asset for their business. This is very beneficial in many ways, so it's a lot about educating customers - I see myself as more of a Consultant, that is definitely my main role.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career with Northgate? It's not just about being a Sales person, because one could say anyone can sell. I think you have got to be patient but also remember that your job is to be a Consultant, not a Sales person.
The sale can be quite a long burn - it's not a quick or transactional, so you have got to be very patient but also consistent. A suitable type of person for Northgate would be someone who has run their own business and who wants to be challenged.
What do you like most about working for Northgate? The best thing about Northgate as a business has to be the people - everyone is very honest, they call a spade a spade, so you always know where you stand. The standards are very high and that is important. If you like to be challenged, you like competition, you like to network with people, this is definitely a good place for you - it’s fantastic.
