Five minutes with Sales Team Leader, Lauren Robinson

As one of durhamlane’s Sales Team Leaders, my job involves wearing many hats. But in the best possible way. I work for our clients on behalf of durhamlane, effectively becoming a full-time member of their team throughout a project.

This really takes the pressure off a client’s in-house sales team. In turn, giving them the time and freedom to close more sales and build stronger customer relationships. It also gives our clients access to our agency expertise. Which supports them in streamlining existing processes and shortening their sales cycles.

This is what a typical day in my shoes looks like. Strap in – it moves fast!

My average day is anything but average

Right now, I’m working with a client in the not-for-profit ecosystem in the print industry. They aim to connecting users and suppliers for mutually beneficial business growth. This means every day is pretty varied and full of lots of exciting opportunities. At the start of the project, I’m given access to all the resources needed to engage with the client. This includes their CRM, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. Being trusted with their infrastructure offers a huge amount of support in enabling meaningful sales conversations with prospects. This level of connection with the client stops it feeling like a typical sales job. Instead, making it much more fulfilling.

It also means I’m very much in control of my own schedule. The client trusts me, durhamlane trusts me, and as they have shared visibility over my ROI. In essence, they can all see the results I’m delivering. It’s a really empowering role, giving me independence and agency. All whilst still receiving great support and advice from my team at durhamlane.

It’s much more than traditional selling

The way durhamlane sells isn’t your typical ‘smile and dial’ call centre. Everyone that works here goes through training in our unique selling approach. It’s our Selling at a Higher Level methodology – honed and developed over more than a decade. This approach sees us approaching our prospects across a range of channels. Including by phone, email, LinkedIn and Whatsapp. In turn, we can then develop sales conversations into highly qualified business opportunities for our clients.

As a result, my role is really diverse. There’s a lot of relationship building. Crafting key connections with my client and their customers, checking in with prospects. And, most importantly, ensuring that everyone’s needs are being met. It’s a job for natural problem solvers, and there’s always an exciting new brief waiting to be taken on.

I’m a remote employee and the vast majority of my role is performed at home. So, when I was invited to work on a big event for my client in Indianapolis, I was really excited to travel to the USA. This opportunity saw me selling space for the event, assisting in planning, being a point of contact on the day, and celebrating the results with them afterwards. I love getting to see a project through from start to finish – it’s a really rewarding aspect of my work.

My finger always has to be on the pulse. If my client needs something delivering, I’m there to provide the solution.

Looking to begin your career in sales as an SDR?

If you thrive on human connection, a sales position with durhamlane could be perfect for you. My job involves building relationships at every turn. Reaching out to prospects, planning events, sourcing venues, sorting logistics, socialising, networking and more. The golden thread throughout it all is my ability to connect with others and really engage with them. I’m constantly sharing feedback and arranging next steps, so if you’re a naturally curious communicator like me, this could be a great career choice for you too.

My personal experience of working at durhamlane has been really varied. Sometimes I can be travelling over 3,000 miles to meet a client. Sometimes I can be dialling in on Zoom. It keeps things interesting, keeps me hungry, and helps me keep all my clients happy.

If you enjoy a varied workload, you’re up for being fully immersed in a wide range of projects, and are comfortable in sharing knowledge and listening carefully, I’d highly recommend a career in sales development. It’s so much more than the stereotype.

Kick start your career in sales development now – take a look at our available roles.