When the position opened up for an Inside Sales Representative at SIMARK’s new Grande Prairie location, Christine Loiseau jumped at the opportunity.
When the position opened up for an Inside Sales Representative at SIMARK’s new Grande Prairie location, Christine Loiseau jumped at the opportunity. She joined the team just over four months ago, hanging up her electrician’s tool belt to form connections with clients rather than wires. As it turns out, the combination of her electrical industry background and her easygoing, friendly nature makes her an old pro in a new role.
Christine’s no stranger to many of the products she now sells. She’s also aware of the significance of a northern region location. “When I used to work with these products in the field, if something came up and you needed something you didn’t know when you were going to get it,” she says, “Now I know that if the guys need something, then we’re just a phone call away. There’s no longer the stress of waiting, we can tell them we have it here and they can come pick it up right now.”
Product knowledge is key in any sales role. Communicating that knowledge can sometimes be tricky. Fortunately, Christine speaks the same language as her customers. “I feel like people can connect with me. I’m easy to talk to and if they need to explain something, they can use field terms,” she says. Every conversation is another opportunity to build rapport with clients, something Christine takes great pride in.
Developing client relationships out of a new office can be intimidating—but not for Christine. She takes a glass-half-full approach, seeing each phone call or email as a chance to create or strengthen ties. Every day is filled with opportunities, she says. “I get excited to see what kind of orders come in and who’s going to phone. If I give a quote before, are they going to order it? Are they going to talk to me or go to someone else? It’s just exciting…the more emails I have, the more I know that people are getting to know me and want to work with me.”
Client connections aren’t the only relationships Christine’s built. She credits a great company culture with helping her settle into her role so quickly. A pretty steep learning curve has been lessened by her internal support network. “We have a great SIMARK team across all of our offices. If I have any questions, I know I can count on them to help me out…They’ve all been awesome,” she says.
Christine is hardwired for connecting with people. That’s why her career shift makes so much sense. She’s embracing all the perks that came along with the change from electrician to inside sales representative: “It’s much less hands on, that’s for sure…And that’s okay—I don’t have to get dirty anymore,” she says.