Andrew Smart
Solutions Director
How did Virtual Sales Team begin? I wasn’t keen on the younger, full-time and scripted profile of telemarketing caller. I thought that calls would be better received and made by a more mature and experienced part-time worker. This led to the idea of staffing a telemarketing agency predominantly with part-time back to work mums and semi-retired professionals, performing short bursts of high-quality calling activity provides a higher quality and more natural call.
What is your background? I returned home from a world travelling trip in 1994, needing a new challenge – I decided to give sales a try. I took a role as a business development manager (BDM) in point of sale print and packing – talking up to six companies a day. This is where I learnt my sales craft. Later, I took a job at a global through the line marketing agency. Here I began to understand professional marketing and sales from a corporate perspective. I then became a BDM for the agency’s contact centre.
What does your job involve? The most important part of my role is to set and manage the company culture. Our ‘one team’ approach is an aspect that our clients like and something I’m really proud of. I’m also responsible for commercial strategy, sales and marketing. I account direct some of our fab clients too, something that I very much enjoy.
Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people know? I appeared in an ITV game show called Pokerface with Ant and Dec. It was five weeks before I started Virtual Sales Team. I came second and won £7000!