Creating trust is key to award-winning business development success
Sandra Robinson is a force to be reckoned with, whether that’s in person, on the phone, or on social media.
Royal Wolf’s Manager, National Accounts, who looks after customers in the Defence, Utilities and Infrastructure sectors, recently won the Business Development Success of the Year award at Australia’s Women In Industry Awards.
“I was very shocked on the night,” she says. “I didn't have a speech prepared which was a very bad idea and I had to stand up in front of 400 people and do one off-the-cuff.”
The award recognises an individual who has created new growth opportunities that enables their company to generate increased revenue.
Her trophy sits proudly on the desk beside her. “I didn't think I'd win so it's right here to remind me that I’ve done the work,” smiles Robinson who is also nominated for Master Builders’ New South Wales Women in Building Award.
Her incredibly likable, yet strong, make-it-happen type personality are traits that make her a top salesperson.
LinkedIn as a sales force
Robinson’s impressive LinkedIn following – more than 10,000 and counting – is also a rich source of leads.
Her posts on the social media platform are both honest and caring as she offers insights about everything from sales and productivity to mental wellbeing and life in general.
“If you're going to invest time in a sales tool, you need to make sure it is effective. On LinkedIn I needed to develop a personality to create familiarity for people, which builds trust, and then sales come from that.”
Royal Wolf invests in the LinkedIn Sales Navigator for its team which has been an extremely powerful tool for connecting with customers and potential B2B clients.
“As a sales professional, we are always chasing work, and for me LinkedIn is the only place where I don't chase. I work hard on it, post consistently, and I'm active, but people simply contact me because they have a need for our products and the solutions we offer.”
Creating business growth opportunities
When it comes to creating business opportunities she has a dual approach.
“Firstly, I look at what markets have potential to grow and then target them by showcasing the full capability of the company to customers and potential customers.”
The second, and crucial part of the equation is securing the business by being an empathetic and problem-solving salesperson.
“I really go above and beyond for the client, I never say no, I find solutions. In time, when you look after your client, it creates trust. I’m also very good at building relationships quickly.
“I go in with the idea of being myself and being honest. If I can do something, I can do it and if I can't, I'm the first to admit it. If I don't know something, I'm the first to say, ‘I don’t know but I’ll find out for you’.”
Family ties meet business development
Born in Portugal, Robinson moved to Australia with her family when she was 11. She juggles a busy family life (“Two kids constantly doing sport on weekends.”) with work.
“It’s hugely busy but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd get bored,” she laughs.
But because of the flexibility and family friendly environment Royal Wolf provides she never misses her children’s school events and sport, or being able to look after them if they are sick.
Sandra was drawn to Royal Wolf because of its backing by United Rentals, the world’s largest hire company, and the potential and future opportunities that it brings.
“Royal Wolf is a company that is going places and I wanted to jump on board and go on that journey too.”
Her current role encompasses management of some of Royal Wolf’s biggest clients, including the Defence Force, and some of Australia’s biggest Tier 1 Infrastructure companies.
She is constantly looking for growth potential within her existing clients and new opportunities in emerging markets where Royal Wolf’s products and services can be of use.
“For example, why are we doing a lot of work in NSW for a customer whereas there is very little happening in Queensland? It's about evaluating those accounts and seeing where there's potential to grow.”
Showcasing capability
Key to growth is targeting large companies that are not using Royal Wolf’s products currently and showcasing their versatility and capability to solve business challenges.
The Royal Wolf product range, made up of more than 100 container products, includes general storage, refrigerated, and dangerous goods containers as well as accommodation, building and construction solutions, and container modifications.
Robinson says customers – both current and potential – often don’t realise the scope and scale of what can be done with a shipping container.
“And that's great because that's the sales pitch. Generally, everyone knows Royal Wolf does containers, but they don't know our full capabilities within the container space”
“They are such great products in the sense that you can do so much with them. I only became aware of that and fell in love with the container side of the business after I joined. Personally, I was so surprised with how extensive our technical solutions are. Our engineering, project management and manufacturing capabilities are outstanding.”