People at Datel: Geoff Green, New Business Sales Consultant

Geoff Green joined Datel this year as a member of the New Business team, after landing the role of New Business Sales Consultant. Now, several months into his new role, Geoff discusses his experience of working as an integral member of the team at Datel.

First, tell us a bit about you and your background.

My background prior to joining Datel in January 2016 was in a completely different market, that of Computer-aided Design Software. Although the software and general people I meet are different now, the process and stages of meeting a client are very similar. Both roles involve consultation and understanding a client’s issues and needs before presenting a suitable solution to them.

I’ve worked in Sales for the last 16 years and love meeting new people and companies, and ensuring we can offer a solution that provides a return on investment whilst allowing a business to grow in line with their expectations.

How did you find out about Datel?

I hadn’t heard of Datel previously, most likely due to the fact that my previous job had been in a different industry.

I had just begun to actively look for a new position and found Datel through a recruiter I had used many years ago. I’d obviously heard of Sage, and this coupled with Datel’s position in the marketplace excited me.

What made you decide to apply for the role at Datel?

I did a lot of research into both Datel and Sage before applying for the role through my recruiter.

I was aware that Sage was a huge and successful business in its own right, and the more I researched Datel the more impressed I was with the amount of Sage awards Datel had won over the years, and the size of the business in general.

How did you find the recruitment and interviewing process?

At my first interview for the role, I was given the opportunity to chat to another member of the New Business team. This gave me some great insight into the day-to-day role, and provided me with comfort that the process was similar to other roles I had worked at previously.

It was quite clear that as well as being right for the role, Datel spend time to understand that the person would fit in with the business’ ethos and culture. This impressed me, as other businesses I have worked for don’t take this into consideration and I believe it’s important for teams to have a good working relationship.

What does a typical day at Datel involve for you now?

As a New Business Sales Consultant, my role is quite varied on a day-to-day basis. If I am visiting clients then my day mainly consists of travelling to client offices and meetings with the clients. This usually involves either an initial meeting to understand the client’s requirements for a new business management system, or returning to perhaps carry out a demonstration of the software or discuss pricing.

When I am working from the office, my day tends to revolve around internal meetings, preparing quotations, discussing prospects requirements with our consultants and Project Managers, and calling or emailing clients with next steps or updates.

What is the day-to-day working environment like?

As my role involves working from home or being out in the field, my day-to-day working environment is usually either in my home office or in my car. If I need help or assistance, Datel are very supportive and I tend to visit our head office once per week for meetings and internal training.

What do you enjoy most about working at Datel?

I’m relatively new to Datel, having worked here for six months so far. I really enjoy my job and the people I get to meet. Additionally, my colleagues in the New Business team are great and have been really supportive, along with the Senior Management team at Datel.

How do you think your role might develop or change in the future?

I think with the advent of cloud-based solutions such as Sage X3, the sales process is likely to change and involve us having more discussions with clients about the correct way to deploy Sage, in terms of which option makes the most commercial and practical sense to the client. 

Would you recommend Datel?

I would heartily recommend Datel to both family and friends as a fantastic place to work, with great people and good benefits. I’m looking forward to hopefully spending a long period of my working life here.