Her Story
About Patricia
I work as a Sales Manager for an IT compliance platform company, where I manage the Latin American market. For the second year in a row, I am the top salesperson in the company globally. We work with the largest platform globally, serving huge clients like Amazon, Caterpillar, Schneider Electric, GM, and others. As the key contact between clients and suppliers, my primary responsibility is sales - I explain and sell the compliance platform, which is a mandatory requirement to work with these large companies globally. One of the main challenges I face is that some suppliers in Latin America don't want to comply with safety requirements that differ from United States standards, but if they're going to work for a global company, they have to meet all the safety requirements. Before this role, I had my own PR company in Latin America for 11 years. I decided to move to the United States, and this position is remote, so I manage Latin America online without direct reports.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Patricia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to working very hard - I always work very hard. Making sure my clients feel important is crucial, and answering them very shortly and in a timely manner is the most important thing. When a person wants to make a sale, it's an emotion. If you're going to purchase something, you are ready when you call. If you call this client in 2 days, this emotion may disappear and you're not going to do anything. So being responsive and keeping an eye on everything, not answering anything more than 2 hours, and making your client your priority - that's what has driven my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was 'Don't give up.' I also learned invaluable lessons from my mentor, Michael Mahoney, who was at Jackson Safety before it was acquired by Kimberly Clark. He taught me everything I know. One of the most important things he always told me was about email communication - because when you're working remote, there are a lot of emails. He said to make your message in the first paragraph, always. Because if you write a long email, they are not going to read it, so make sure the point is in the first paragraph so they read and understand what you want. He also taught me how to provoke an interest for a product and how to react when things don't go as planned.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering IT and sales is to work hard - they really don't work hard. If you are in sales, make your client your priority. Don't answer anything more than 2 hours. You need to keep an eye on everything and be responsive. Work hard is the foundation of everything. Also, listen very carefully. Try to understand what the overcoming challenge is and be ready always to overcome and have answers. But you have to listen carefully and don't interrupt the person, because your client and the other person on the other side want to be listened to and respected.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I face in my field right now is that some suppliers in Latin America don't want to comply with compliance requirements. The safety issues are not the same as in the United States, but if they are going to work for a global company, they have to meet all the requirements, all the safety requirements. It's mandatory to work with these large companies globally, so getting suppliers to understand and comply with these standards is an ongoing challenge.
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