Sales Team Employee Spotlight
Getting people to know more about our business is an important part of our media content and brand representation. We want to show the faces behind our brand and the personalities which make Virtual First what it is! Since our rebrand in November 2021, we have taken on more sales team members to fulfil our goals and client expectations.
However, we also have lots of longstanding team members who have been part of the business from the start. Adam has been part of the Sales Team since 2018. Joining when the business was still known as CloudTalk Communications, Adam has witnessed and been part of numerous changes since the company began! He joined when he was 18 and fresh out of school, so we have been able to watch Adam grow as much as he has been part of our growth.
We did a quick Q&A with Adam to find out a bit more about him!
What is your sales team role?
I am an Inside Sales Executive for Virtual First. This essentially means I speak with organisations about their IT Strategy; whether that’s the Unified Communication and Collaboration, Audio Visual, Cyber Security, IT Solutions, Intelligent Buildings, and more. I ask, what works well? What challenges do they have? What effect do these challenges have on the organisation (financial, time-consuming, accessibility)? Once I understand a company’s challenges, it put me in a good position to suggest a solution that fixes this challenge.
One solution I am excited about for 2022 is our Audio Visual/Collaborative meeting rooms. Staff going back into the office full-time or on a hybrid model means video meetings will continue to be used extensively. Our range of devices offer integration with all video conferencing tools; Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Zoom and go 2 Meeting (to name a few).
Simplicity is key and we offer ‘one-touch join’ for our devices making them easy to use for staff in job functions, not just IT. Increasing user adoption is the key to maximising a return on investment.
What do you do in your spare time?
I play rugby (for Esher Rugby Club), well I try too, as I am injured most of the time! As I am currently. But typically I do love playing rugby. I also socialise with my teammates a lot, which is kind of the same thing anyway! I am very keen to get back to playing as soon as my knee injury sorts itself out.
What do you love about being part of the sales team at virtual first?
Well, mainly I am a big talker and I love interacting with people and finding out more about them, so sales seemed like a good fit! I also love problem-solving, so working here was really the perfect role. With Virtual First, our sales team look to solve the problems that people might have within their business. If a company is struggling to find a balance between working from home and in the office, we can help support you to find a way to implement the right technology and practices. Recently I was challenged to finish a Rubik’s Cube in an hour, which I didn’t quite manage, and that annoyed me no end! So, I definitely love a challenge and working through things. This year has brought a lot of satisfaction through helping organisations to solve digital problems, increase productivity and improve their flexible working.
How long have you been with the company?
I joined back in 2018, when the company was still known as CloudTalk Communications, so I’ve been here for nearly 4 years now. I have learnt a lot since I first joined and have taken on a lot more responsibility, so my career growth is something I’m really grateful for.
What is your favourite thing about Virtual First?
Being immersed in new technology on such a regular basis is really exciting! Over the past 4 years, I have learnt so much about the digital world. I am constantly checking for any updates, new stories or progress to continue to partner with businesses effectively. Something which helped a lot during my families annual Christmas quiz – although I was pretty rubbish at everything else!
What advice would you give to someone who was looking to be part of a sales team?
It’s really cliché, but don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I remember when I first was calling people and trying to instigate conversations, I was so nervous. But now I’ve made every mistake in the book, I just think ‘what’s the worst that can happen!’, which means I am now having better conversations with clients than before as I can just be myself. Learning from my mistakes has really helped with my technique and the rapport I build with clients, so I think you just accept mistakes will happen and learn from them when you can!
Where do you hope to be in 10 years time?
My dream would be to climb up the career ladder at Virtual First. So maybe in 10 years, I’ll have a team I manage myself (hint hint to those reading this). But I have always thought I will know I’ve made it when I’ve got a really nice, big kitchen with an island in the middle and… a really fancy set of knives! So if in 10 years I’ve achieved that, I’ll be happy!
If you want to find out more about Adam or connect with him on LinkedIn, you can find him here or email him at adam.elvidge@virtualfirst.uk.
