Interview with Laura: Career start in sales at Local Brand X

Hello Laura! Thanks for taking the time today, can you please introduce yourself briefly?

Hello, my name is Laura and I am 24 years old. I moved to Mainz in 2019 for my studies and have been working here at Local Brand X in sales ever since.

What are your daily tasks in sales?

It always depends on the day, so every week can look very different. In principle, my responsibilities include everything from the initial contact we make with a potential customer, to a qualification meeting to get to know them better, to online presentations in which I introduce our Local Marketing Platform. If there are any queries, I am then also the contact person and accompany the potential customer through the rest of the process. In the end, a cooperation is hopefully established and the process is handed over to the Customer Success Team.

You've been here at Local Brand X for some time now. How have your tasks changed over the years?

At the beginning, of course, I first had to get to grips with the tasks in sales. I joined the sales team very early on as a student trainee, and my tasks at the beginning were basically somewhat different from what they are now. When I started, I made a lot of phone calls and was mainly responsible for the initial contact. I also accompanied Yannik a lot in meetings, until at some point I was allowed to take over the initial meetings independently. I also listened in on online presentations a lot at first, until I finally took over these completely on my own. And so, step by step, more and more was added to my tasks.

So you were also a working student at Local Brand X for a long time. Do you have any tips for other working students on how best to balance studying and working?

I think that is largely always a question of self-organization. During your studies, you learn quite well that you have to structure and organize yourself. That helped me a lot, for example. It also helps a lot to define clear days for university and for work, instead of doing both together on one day. And I think it helps a lot anyway if you find a job that you enjoy and where you like to go.

What do you enjoy most about your work at Local Brand X?

What I really like about Local Brand X is that the exchange with each other is so pleasant and that the hierarchies are very flat, so that everyone meets at eye level. I've always liked the fact that you can contribute your own ideas. You are perceived as your own person here and don't get lost in the crowd. You can also develop yourself here, which is very important to me personally. 

In terms of my area of responsibility, i.e. sales, I find it super exciting to be in exchange with many different companies and to consider where we would fit in well with the Local Marketing Platform. Companies that come from a wide variety of industries. This allows me to expand my knowledge even further and gain insights into other companies.

What have been your personal highlights so far at Local Brand X?

In sales, it is of course always a highlight when you manage to win a new customer. A personal highlight for me was the first customer that I won completely on my own and for which I was also the contact person throughout the entire process. Another highlight was generally the step away from being a working student to becoming a permanent employee and the fact that I have been given even more areas of responsibility as a result. As a result, I am now more involved in the individual structures in sales, which I find very exciting.  

In terms of team events here at Local Brand X, I think the Funzel trip we went on last summer was definitely a highlight. We all had a lot of fun together and spent a very nice day together.

Thank you Laura for the interview and good luck with Local Brand X.