No two working weeks are ever the same for Viva Energy’s Karina Skourletos. Her responsibilities as a Key Account Manager are quite varied, but she is generally involved in strategy development, project work and interacting with customers right across Australia.
Here, Karina shares her insights into her role, the challenges she faces and what it’s like to work in sales for Viva Energy.
From internship to account management
Following a successful internship, Viva Energy offered Karina a role in March 2015 as a Graduate Commercial Analyst. She moved into her current role, as a Key Account Manager for Aviation Lubricants, in April 2016.
“这是一个多方面，很大程度上是顾客面对的角色，我真的很喜欢，”卡纳说。“我将石油，液体，润滑脂和溶剂销售为大约60个客户，包括大型商业航空公司，特许航空公司，维护和维修组织，经销商和飞行学校。”
When Viva Energy first offered her the role, Karina worried that she might not be the right fit. “I have no technical background,” she says. “I did a double degree in arts and law at university. But I soon learned that my role is a sales role, and we have an amazing technical team to provide that technical support when I need it.”
销售上诉的角色
三个因素最终将Karina绘制到关键客户经理角色：
1.利益攸关方管理
能够管理多个利益相关者是可转移的技能，您可以在一系列角色中使用。在Karina的立场，这意味着了解她所在的市场部门，并了解她的客户及其业务。然后它是关于弄清楚她如何发展业务以及她的客户如何发展 - 与她和viva能量有关。雷电竞
2. An environment that fosters development and growth
“作为销售人员，我已经能够开发我的技术和销售技能，这一点非常重要，”Karina说。“这是一个发展领域，我不会在其他地方工作。”
3. Strategy development
“This was my first real foray into developing strategy,” says Karina. “I had to change the way I thought and learn a new skill, and that’s really changed the way I think on a daily basis.”
The shift in mindset was initially a challenge, but it proved to be worthwhile. “I used to be a very black-and-white person – perhaps that came from my training in law. But now it’s more about revisiting the strategy – what’s working, what’s not. It’s more test and learn. Let’s try to think of really agile and innovative ways to help our prospects and our customers where we can.”
Advice for aspiring account managers
So, what’s Karina’s advice to those considering a career in sales within the oil and energy industry? Don’t let it intimidate you. “Quite the opposite,” she says. “It’s a really interesting, very diverse industry. Don’t think that just because you don’t have a technical background that it’s not an industry that’s open to you. Instead, you should look at it and say, ‘Yes! This is really different. It’s really cool.’”
毕竟，该行业是澳大利亚的骨干。“以某种方式，石油和天然气供应该国的伟大制造工厂。Karina说，我们提供卡车，航空公司，公路火车和大型矿业公司。“我们如此融入这个国家，并成为一个组织的一部分，一个有一个非常丰富的历史的行业非常令人兴奋。”
Interview with Karina Skourletos, 20 April 2017
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