MERCHANT FOCUS: RISING STARS
MEGAN SIMPSON Job title: Sales negotiator, Keyline Civils Specialist
What’s your role?
I work as a sales negotiator at Keyline Civils Specialist Portsmouth. I’m responsible for supporting our customers with their product needs - handling enquiries from new and existing customers both over the phone and on email and processing orders. My role also involves tracking the orders to make sure they are delivered in full and on-time.
How did you get into this industry? Before joining Keyline in 2019, I had no previous experience in the merchanting sector. I had been working in the hospitality industry, but I was keen to move into a job where I could learn and develop. One of my friends suggested I should consider a role with Keyline as there are a lot of potential opportunities and the real possibility of a longer-term career, which really appealed to me.
What might a typical day for you at work be? A typical day for me is to ensure our customers’ orders are well serviced and this includes following up on previous quotes, creating collection and delivery tickets, filing, booking in the stock that we receive from our suppliers, actioning MIA (our invoice query system) and serving at the counter. I also allocate time to completing my Trusted Civils Expert, Level 2 Apprenticeship. As part of this 12-month course, I am gaining in-depth knowledge about the products and services that we offer as a business and the civils sector, as well as developing my communication and relationship building skills.
What were you doing at work last week? I worked on my apprenticeship course and learnt a lot about the key account management role. This is a role that interests me a lot as it is all about building great relationships with our customers. I also took some time to learn more about our product range in order to improve my confidence and provide advice when talking to customers and discussing their requirements. I also priced several big projects that are scheduled to go ahead in the coming months.
What are your big challenges in this role? Although women are becoming a bigger part of the industry, our customer base is still predominantly male. It is easy for women, especially when they first join the industry, to feel intimidated by this. However, our customers have always been friendly, and for me, this has become much less of an issue - as my confidence and knowledge have grown.
What do you love about your role? What I love the most about my role is how diverse it is and that there is never a boring day.
I love how much I learn on a daily basis with customers, colleagues and suppliers.
What do you think has been your biggest achievement so far in your role?
I am proud of the success I have had in managing two of our branch’s biggest customer accounts. I have built a great relationship with the teams within these businesses and worked hard to ensure their needs are met at all times.
What would you like to achieve next? There are a lot of opportunities for me to develop my skills and grow professionally, especially using what I am learning through my apprenticeship. In the immediate future, I want to expand my knowledge of the products and the business further. Most importantly, I would like to be recognised as a key player and an asset within Keyline and the wider Travis Perkins Group.
What advice would you give someone new to this industry?
Go for it, and do not be scared of new challenges! At the start, it can be daunting but Keyline and the Travis Perkins Group offer so much support and will guide you the whole way through.
What would you say to someone who might be thinking about a career/getting a job in the merchant industry?
To jump in the deep end. It’s a great industry to work in as you get the perks of learning about construction, meeting new people and have the opportunity to progress and develop in your career. When I first started, I was unsure if I had made the right decision because this was an industry that I had no experience in. However, I am so glad I joined Keyline because I’ve had so much support and encouragement to succeed within the company.
What are the changes you foresee the industry making in order to survive the future? We need to continue adapting to our customers’ needs and focusing on how we can support them at every stage. I believe that working to create more diversity in the industry is also crucial. Not only will this make the sector more welcoming to new people, but the industry will benefit from new ideas and perspectives. BMJ
MANAGER’S VIEW
Alex Hairsnape branch manager
Megan has only been with us for a relatively short period of time, having joined our branch at the start of 2020. However, she has really
thrived in what has been a particularly challenging year. Megan has developed both in confidence and ability over this period and has become a key player within our sales structure. She takes every challenge head-on with a light- hearted, pragmatic approach. Our customers’ feedback is always positive, and she has played her part in winning some significant orders this year. As part of Megan’s development, I was keen for her to participate in an apprenticeship scheme. Supported by the team, Megan has really got stuck into this and is set to complete the course in the next few months. Her attitude to others and lively personality has really helped the team through some challenging times.
March 2021
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
19
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