Over the coming weeks, we will be taking a look inside the different teams at GetYourGuide to give us some insight into what it’s like working with each team. First up, we have our Sales team. The Sales team is on an endless path to discover all the amazing activities around the world and bring them to our customers. We spoke to some of our Account Managers from around the world to see exactly what it’s like being part of our Sales Team:
Can you give us a brief summary of what your team works on?
Stephanie Hubner & Tilly Hemperger, Area Manager Australia and New Zealand + Account Manager, Australia: First off, making GetYourGuide customers happy (that was a given)! So, how we do this? By luring top suppliers to ‘come to the red side’ and work with GetYourGuide. Our top priority is tackling our Australia and New Zealand acquisition list and investigating data to know exactly what our customers really want. This means heaps of talking, calling, rapport-building, meeting, putting out fires, and of course, closing (#alwaysbeclosing). Essentially, making sure we are 100% prepared to go out and get those top-notch products.
Eulalie Cocquerelle – Account Manager, Paris: I am in the sales team working from our Parisian office. For now, our objective is to acquire top products in France, so as to have a perfect inventory for our customers. To acquire new products I can either contact potential new suppliers and negotiate with them to start a collaboration, or discuss with our existing suppliers to try find out if they have the products that I’m looking for and if they want to put it on GYG. France is a huge market so there are two Account Managers here: Thomas and myself. Thomas takes care of Paris, and I’m taking care of the Provence (the French Riviera is a main market).
Francesca De Falco – Account Manager, Rome: The Rome team is a team of 3 and will be growing this year (stay tuned, 2 new account managers on the way!). We manage the top destinations in Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice. We work with the local suppliers to really bring the most exciting experiences to our customers. Sometimes our suppliers concentrate their attention on the same old tours, and we are there to advise them on their opportunities of offering new tours based on data (for example: the search volume in a city). We also work directly with big attractions all over the world, and as account managers we have the chance to see these wonderful attractions from the inside, understand the “behind the scenes”, and work with the attractions to improve the customer experience. Why print a voucher when you can just enter at the turnstiles? Sometimes big attractions need to be reminded that customers want to travel hassle free! It’s all about the experience. GetYourGuide takes care of customers, which is why we have our Ground Operations team at the main attractions in Rome: the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum. We meet and greet our customers and lead them into the attraction and make sure they enjoy their journey from the very beginning: the meeting point
What advice would you have for someone who would like to work with the GYG Sales team?
Zuzana Kaniokova- Account Manager, Berlin: Make sure you are passionate about travel and not afraid to challenge the status quo. Everyday suppliers will tell you why getting online is not possible, why the vouchers cannot be scanned, or why it’s difficult to get last minute bookings. You are the one making the change and it’s up to you to work with the suppliers to see this too. You better be fast and fearless. Because if you’re not, others will make that leap before you. If you are an explorer, not a follower, this job just might be for you.
Stephanie Hubner & Tilly Hemperger, Area Manager Australia and New Zealand + Account Manager, Australia: Get ready to:
- Embrace the ‘no’: rejection doesn’t mean the conversation is over!
- Prepare for hard work (and tons of fun!) along the way
- Befriend an amazing team filled with people from all around the world
- Immerse yourself in an environment that is fast changing, varied, and exciting
- Constantly learn, grow, and challenge yourself
Be sure to channel an attitude that is proactive, optimistic, fun, open, curious, entrepreneurial, and problem solving. Situations to prepare for? Well, you might be so lucky to find yourself courting suppliers at trade shows, mingling with industry professionals at networking events (including maybe a cheeky champagne or two!) and mediating your negotiations in one minute. And in the next minute, you could be tactfully reframing rejections, earning oodles of frequent flier miles as you travel to your destinations, and enjoying the perks of product testing as you swim with dolphins or kick back with a glass of wine.
Eulalie Cocquerelle – Account Manager, Paris: Personality is an important criteria during recruitment, so I think that the most important thing for a candidate to remember is to be as natural as possible, not trying to be someone you are not. Then, positivity and passion are really appreciated at GetYourGuide. Don’t stress, just enjoy and see interviews as a great way to learn and meet new people.
Sandra Goncalves – Account Manager, Spain: I’d advise to be hard-working, positive and persistent, with good analytical and organizational skills. And, if possible, good e-commerce understanding. Also, simply – to be friendly 🙂
What does an average day in your team/role look like?
Stephanie Hubner & Tilly Hemperger, Area Manager Australia and New Zealand + Account Manager, Australia: Our 2 woman team kicks off the day in spectacular fashion! Steph braves the wild seas from Manly to the CBD while Tilly single-handedly tackles the subway system (and a stinky armpit or three). Once at the office it’s go time! We spend most of our time speaking to our suppliers. Be they from the sunny beaches of the Gold Coast, the scorching rocks of the Northern Territory, or the glow-worm caves of Waitomo in New Zealand (it’s a tough gig). Every day we focus on our acquisition lists to ensure that all 23,859 kilometers of Australia’s coastline is covered (just FYI, close to 10 Germanys fit inside Australia’s borders). We also don our stylish, if imaginary, detective hats to investigate innovative ways to optimise our destinations. On occasion we sneak in a little mystery tour or four to be doubly sure our customers are having a grand ol’ time. A little taste of what we’ve been involved with lately? We’ve soared above Sydney in a bumblebee helicopter, rubbed shoulders with the leading women in our industry at an International Women’s Day event, and mingled with the best representatives from Tourism Australia.
Eulalie Cocquerelle – Account Manager, Paris: Usually, I start with looking at the daily reports of my main destinations: bookings, did we have bad reviews or not, has a new supplier had their 1st booking,etc. Then, I start to read my emails and fix any potential suppliers issues. It’s super important for me to be as reactive as possible with suppliers because that’s what they like about GYG: being in contact with someone who is dedicated to them and who can fix all the issues quickly. Then, I start to hunt new top products (80% of my time) via the internet and by calling suppliers. Once a month, I try to travel in order to meet my suppliers on the spot and try activities when I have the time. I also have to do optimization (20% of my time). This is all about optimizing existing accounts by increasing commissions, improving the content of my best products with the teams in Berlin, etc.
Sandra Goncalves – Account Manager, Spain: I start the day by analyzing the performance reports of my destinations in order to make sure everything is working smoothly for customers as well as for suppliers. Then, I usually schedule my priorities for the day, the most important objectives to achieve, and I start working on them. This includes a lot of phone calls, meetings, business travel requests, and emails with both suppliers and GetYourGuide team members from different departments. Most of the time I spend the last minutes/hours of my day going through the emails I wasn’t able to check during the day.
What is your team currently working on?
Zuzana Kaniokova- Account Manager Berlin: We know there are “must-do’s” in each city. You cannot go Iceland and skip the Blue Lagoon, the same way your visit to Prague is incomplete if you don’t see the Prague Castle. We are looking at how we can get the must-do activities online and guarantee the customer the very best experience they can have while traveling.
Stephanie Hubner & Tilly Hemperger, Area Manager Australia and New Zealand + Account Manager, Australia: We’re not ones to shy away from a challenge! We’re the underdogs here in Australia and New Zealand, since they are the more emerging destinations for GYG. We need to work smarter and harder in acquiring suppliers, show them the data, charm them with local knowledge, and be extra persuasive in convincing them that GYG is their future! Some other challenges we’ve faced are how to scan straight to email (a curse upon all printers) and sussing out the best place for a good chai latte. All suggestions are welcomed!
What, if any, are the principles that your team lives by?
Eulalie Cocquerelle – Account Manager Paris: Positivity is the most important and then clarity.
Zuzana Kaniokova- Account Manager Berlin: Move fast, be consistent, take risks which are calculated and based on data rather than reckless leaps. Learn by doing, listen rather than talk, ask questions rather than give answers. If you see something wrong, start the change yourself.
Stephanie Hubner & Tilly Hemperger, Area Manager Australia and New Zealand + Account Manager, Australia:
- Be authentic
- Work smart
- Embrace the uncomfortable
- Have fun
What is your favorite thing about working with GYG sales team? What, in your opinion, makes your team special?
Sandra Goncalves – Account Manager, Spain: My favorite thing about working with GYG sales team is the people. I love the multiculturality of our team, the intercultural knowledge sharing, and the competitive spirit we have. Work hard, play hard!
Zuzana Kaniokova- Account Manager Berlin: People think that salespeople need to be loud, outgoing, and bubbly. It’s true that some are, but it’s not necessary. The best salespeople listen and solve problems. For this, you just need to be yourself and there is space for everyone.
Eulalie Cocquerelle – Account Manager, Paris: The diversity of our team is amazing, you can learn a lot with each member of the team and everyone is willing to share his or her knowledge with you.
Stephanie Hubner & Tilly Hemperger, Area Manager Australia and New Zealand + Account Manager, Australia: Most impressive is everyone’s optimism and resilience. The sales team is a great example of how embracing the no and positively reframing it, can turn a conversation around (and equal a happy supplier). Equally entertaining is the sales team’s level of dedication and #commitment to GYG parties. Take a look around the dance floor at the end of the night and you’ll see for yourself!
Thanks again to Eulalie Cocquerelle, Francesca De Falco, Sandra Goncalves, Stephanie Hubner, Tilly Hemperger and Zuzana Kaniokova for answering our questions and for giving us such great insight into life in the GetYourGuide Sales team. If you are interested in joining our Sales team, please see all current vacancies here.
This post originally appeared on www.getyourguide.com
