A day in the life of our Sales Manager

Chris James has been in the Sales Manager role for just over three years, and plays a critical role in growing The Maltings Document Storage Solutions Ltd in South Wales and beyond. Chris' knowledge of the business, ability to nurture and grow customer relationships and his enthusiasm for fantastic customer service makes him the perfect fit for our Sales Manager role.

What does your role entail at The Maltings Document Storage Solutions?

As Sales Manager, I am responsible for the growth of the business by generating new customers and ensuring our existing customers remain pleased with the services we provide. My role involves attending networking events and exhibiting at business shows to increase our brand awareness. I also carry out customer service visits, complete tender opportunities, carry out cold calling and marketing activities and also support the Operations team when required.

What is on your wish list for the next 10 years with the organisation?

I would like to see us expand our services into other regions of the UK. Our service team are exceptional at what they do and we have a lengthy list of client testimonials to support such a statement. We benefit from a large number of client referrals and I am sure that once more businesses outside of Wales experience our service first hand, further referrals will follow. This will allow us to expand, open new repositories in other regions and create more jobs within these areas.

What advice would you provide to any future prospective candidates?

My advice to any prospective candidate is quite simple really. If you are the type of individual who is professional, dedicated, has a thorough approach and a willingness to help colleagues provide a first class service to our customers as part of a team, then look no further, especially if you are seeking long term employment within a growing and highly professional organisation. I am confident saying this as I am classed as one of the newest members of staff, having been with the company for a mere 3 years. Most of my colleagues joined The Maltings over 12 years ago!

How do you balance your career and your family life?

When I think about work / life balance, I remember a wise, old, former manager telling me about the ‘Tripod of Life’ when I was just 18 years of age (21 years ago). The tripod is made up of 3 legs (obviously) which represent Work, Family and Leisure. Needless to say, if one of those legs is drastically uneven, the tripod will fall over!

I occasionally remind myself about the ‘Tripod of Life’ and continue to enjoy a great work / life balance.

If you could switch your job with anyone else within the organisation, whose job would you want?

I would not swap my job, sorry! I know how cheesy that sounds, but I really enjoy the challenges that the Sales environment brings. Following cold calls, telephone calls, meetings, etc., nothing is more rewarding than seeing a new client sign up and utilise our services. Additional satisfaction is gained by carrying out customer service visits and feeding back the customers’ comments to our Customer Care Team. After all, this is the result of their hard work, not mine. There is no better feeling as a Sales professional than knowing that your Service team will deliver service excellence to each and every customer. This makes selling a much easier prospect.

How do you define success?

I would define success as continuing to see the business grow month on month. Having worked in a recruitment environment in the past and been made redundant myself, I understand what it is like to be out of work. In my eyes, I see my position within Sales as critical to ensuring our jobs and futures are as secure as they can be. Success breeds success and with every new customer comes opportunity, not just for our existing staff, but an opportunity to add new recruits to the team as we grow. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a wealth of industry knowledge and experience and I am genuinely excited about the future of this business.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.

I haven’t always had an office job. For 11 years I was a Forklift Truck Engineer. I would often be found rolling around in pools of oil and water underneath broken down machines with various tools in hand.

Do I miss it? Absolutely not!

Want to know more about Chris' role and the services we can offer. Contact us today.