Maria Johansson - Sales Consultant
Tell us about yourself and your role at Svea Solar?
Hi! My name is Maria. I am a sales consultant within solar panels! I have actually never been that good at technical things. I am more of an aesthete. I have worked in the travel industry all my life, doing things like entertaining people on stage and organizing big events and group trips for companies. But I have realized that I can learn and that I am really good at this job at this point – all the technical parts of it!
At Svea Solar, all sales consultants sell differently. My approach is to create trust, so that the customer feels safe when buying from me. I want to give my customers a smooth process from start to finish, and not just try to sign the deal. I make sure everything is done correctly for the customer, taking into account their specific needs. If the customers feel safe and secure, it is more likely that they will want to buy our services.
What does a normal day at work look like?
A typical day starts between 8-8:30 - we have some flexibility. In the morning, we do as much administration as possible before calling new customers from 09.00. It's amazing that we have customers almost standing in line to buy solar panels – I can really feel that we are helping our customers, and that we are not bothering them when we give them a call. There are a lot of phone calls to be done during the day, so we need to be persistent and enjoy talking on the phone with people. To be successful, you need to call continuously - even if you have a bad day! Often the clients turn the mood around and make it a really good day in the end!
In the afternoon, there is more admin to do and follow-up calls with customers.
What do you think is challenging with your work?
It can be a bit challenging to do everything on your “to do list”. In the morning, I often think I have lots of time, but the days go by quickly - both because it's fun, but also because it's difficult to get everything done on time. Planning my day is sometimes difficult because customers have varying levels of engagement, so the call times vary a lot. As a salesperson, my salary depends on how hard I work. For me, it was a big change to go from a fixed salary to a variable salary, but the salary is really good if I'm willing to work hard, and I am.
Why did you choose to join Svea Solar?
I applied for many jobs, but they all reminded me of my previous work and I wanted to change industries. Then I found Svea Solar's job advertisement and it felt really exciting. During the interview process, I was energized by the company culture. I thought; "This is where I want to be"! From the day I started I have been completely sold! I have always been taken seriously, listened to, and everyone here is given the chance to speak and have their voice heard.
What is special about working in Svea Solar’s sales team?
We help each other a lot! We always share tips, thoughts, and ideas on how to perform better. If we have difficulties there is always someone who can help and support you. We get a lot of energy from each other. It's a really good teamwork!
Ps - we are actually looking for our new sales stars NOW - check out the job advert here!