We caught up with Paul who works in the Manchester division of leading software technology solutions company, Softcat, and found out a little more about the values and dynamic within the team.
What is your role at Softcat?
I’m a Datacenter and Cloud Sales Specialist. I spend the majority of my days on phone calls with customers, leading customer demos and talking to our members and suppliers about certain projects. About once a week I’m in customer meetings and doing presentations alongside our Account Managers. It’s always effective having the face-to-face contact when closing a deal or building up relationships. When I’m not doing the above, I’m sending a lot of emails. Everyone loves an email at the moment.
How did you start working at Softcat?
I joined the Softcat team just over 8 months ago. I’d been abroad for 2 years and, when I came back, I wanted a new challenge. Prior to travelling I had gained my sales experience working in retail and then spent time as a holiday rep. When I got back to the UK, I approached a recruiter and Softcat was the first company that they brought to me.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
Being recognised and being treated as a person not just a number. At Softcat we really value the individual and will always take the time to give people credit for a job well done. It’s something that I noticed early on after joining the team and makes the hard work really worthwhile.
What would you say is Unique about Softcat’s culture?
It doesn’t feel like work. As funny as it sounds; ‘If you find a job you enjoy, you’ll never work a day in your life’. I never believed that phrase until I started working here. I find that the days fly by and you don’t recognise that the week is over when you get to Friday, as it’s a genuinely enjoyable place to be.
What key qualities would you say a graduate needs to succeed working in sales at Softcat?
Confidence is the a main one – if you’re not confident I wouldn’t say that sales is for you.
The ability to bounce back is important, otherwise you’ll fall in a downward spiral. You can’t win every deal, and that’s okay as long as you don’t let a loss stop you from going after your next win.
Lastly, I’d say that the ability to get involved with the team is really important. It adds value to your experience and the team helps keep you motivated. The day I joined I was welcomed with ice-breakers with the team and it really started things off on a good foot.
Thanks to Paul for his time. If you’d like to find out more about Softcat and the roles they’re hiring for, take a look at their profile.