Going the extra mile: How a visit from a Rogers field rep can help your business

We sat down with a Rogers Territory Sales Consultant to find out how she's helping businesses like yours every day.

The best part of working for Rogers, says Brenda Ross, is that it gives her an opportunity to get to meet and help customers.

A Territory Sales Consultant in Barrie, Ontario, Brenda has been in sales for 30 years, and has spent the last seven years with Rogers. She serves business customers and spends most of her week not in the office, but out and about, getting to know her clients, learning firsthand about what they need, and coming up with solutions to their problems. Brenda says she was once told she makes a great sales rep not because of her ability to pitch products and services, but because she listens more than she talks. When she meets with a client, her goal is to get them talking about their issues so she can cut through the clutter and help resolve them.

Recently, we took Brenda out of her comfort zone by asking her to do all the talking.

RBF: What are some of the most common concerns you hear about from prospective Rogers customers in and around Barrie?

Brenda: The internet. Specifically, reliability and connectivity. I hear prospective customers talk about how they’re so happy to have an option to get fast download and upload speeds that allow them to do things like take advantage of the latest cloud-based business services.

RBF: What sort of solutions do you typically provide to their problems?

Brenda: Honestly, offering them fast and reliable internet. That's the main thing businesses are looking for. And working for Rogers, it's easy for me to provide a solution to that problem. Rogers provides excellent internet to small and mid-sized businesses.

They're also typically looking for something affordable for ways to save business costs. Some are looking for other products, like business phones and wireless services, but internet is definitely the main pain point for customers I deal with up here in Barrie.

RBF: Does it help knowing that you're local?

Brenda: They're usually amazed to hear that I'm local. As soon as I say that I'm local, they begin thinking about how I, personally, can help them with specific issues. I can save them time since they can get in touch with me directly.

And they love that I will come out to visit them. A lot of customers still want to see a sales rep in person. That goes a long way. If you're there in person, they know you're taking a special interest in them. You're likely to get their problem solved a little quicker. "Wow, door-to-door service!" That's something I hear a lot.

RBF: Are customers ever surprised by the advantages of dealing with a local representative?

Brenda: Actually, I was just talking to a customer the other day, a building contractor in the Collingwood area, and as I was helping him sort out new internet services for his business, he mentioned that he was having trouble setting up internet at his home. I immediately contacted one of my residential sales associates who got in touch with him right away and had everything sorted out in under an hour. He let me know in a nice email that he was happy we were able to take care of both his business and personal services at the same time.

And then as the discussion progressed we talked about wireless, and he discovered the cost savings that can come with switching his mobile phone from a personal to a business account. So we did that, too.

RBF: Is there anything you've learned from your customers during your years in the field?

Brenda: It's the commonality of pain points and the similarity in stories that I hear when talking to potential customers. Neighbouring businesses tend to experience the same problems, especially when it comes to something like internet, so when I hear about an issue from one person, I'm already prepared to help the next.

It goes back to that personal touch you get dealing with someone local, who takes the time to get to know and understand what you need, sometimes even before they ever meet you. Reps like me are here not just to sell to potential customers, but to listen and learn. And that eventually helps customers in return.