When I first said yes to the opportunity to work with StaffStat, I knew I was in for a wild ride. I knew there would be things that I would learn to love and things that I wouldn’t love so much, just like any other job. I knew that I would come into contact with potential customers who would be fantastic and I knew I would come into contact with some who would be much more difficult to deal with. I also knew that I would have to push myself outside of my comfort zone daily, since working in a ‘sales’ position was something I had never done. Although feelings of hesitation and uncertainty arose now and then, I’m glad I chose to ignore them and be happy with my decision.

Since coming on board with StaffStat I’ve realized that this is what I was meant to do all along! Working with Plan A in the Recruitment department prior to making the move to StaffStat allowed me to become familiar with the system from a customer standpoint, which gave me the opportunity to see the system through the eyes of those that I now deal with every day. If I didn’t have the opportunity to work with Plan A and use StaffStat prior to selling it, I don’t think I would have felt as prepared as I did walking into the office as a Solution Sales Specialist on July 4^th.

In the past four weeks of working with the StaffStat team, my eyes have been opened up to many different things and, sticking with the theme of the number four, I’m going to share with you four things that I’ve learned since I started on my new journey!

1. I’ve learned to accept that I’m going to get rejected and that it’s okay. Not everyone is going to want the product that I’m selling. Not everyone is going to see the value in the service that I have to offer. But some will, and that’s what I have to focus on!

2. I’ve realized that patience is everything. If I were to say I’m a tech geek I’d be lying, but I understand technology. It doesn’t take me long to get used to new technology and I understand ‘tech lingo’ (somewhat), so sometimes dealing with the customer service questions that come through from our current customers and their staff can test my patience. I have to continuously remind myself that just because I understand it doesn’t mean that everyone else does! I was in their position once too.

   Not only do I have to practice patience with current customers and users, but I also have to practice patience while waiting for responses from those that I’ve reached out to. It’s not always easy for me to sit and wait for potential leads to get back to me, but there’s nothing I can do but be patient!

3. I’ve recently come to the realization that cold calling isn’t THAT scary. A way that we’ve worked around the ‘cold call’ is to start off the connection with a ‘cold email’ instead. An email is much less intrusive and it gives the customer some notice prior to making the call (I usually note in the email that I will be following up with a phone call on a specific date so that they are aware).

4. When I first started in my new position, I had it in my mind that I was no different than the telemarketers who call and interrupt your family dinner to sell you something you don’t need. But then I realized that I believe in my product and I’m selling a solution that’s needed and that I’ve seen is proven to work. Shifting my mindset and believing in the product that I’m selling has made it easier to fall in love with my job!