Claudia Landley mastering sales
Published:Sunday | April 5, 2020 | 12:00 AMJudana Murphy - Sunday Gleaner Writer
She had no interest in cars. Her parents did not own one, and neither did her seven elder siblings.
It has been over a year, and the story has changed for 27-year-old Claudia Landley, who is one of the few female sales executive at automotive company Audi Jamaica.
Landley was one of scores of attendees at the inaugural Women in Finance breakfast seminar hosted by the Jamaica Institute of Financial Services.
After completing an undergraduate degree in entertainment and cultural enterprise management, she worked as a customer-service representative at a local bank.
She came across a job opportunity at the ATL Automotive Group at a time when she felt she had worked long enough in customer service.
“I did not know anything about cars to be selling cars, but I just employed my persuasive skills, then I went into product knowledge. I can’t just say, ‘Hey, buy this car!’ I have to know that the car has a one-litre turbocharge and how to compare a turbocharged engine to a three- or two-litre engine that’s not turbocharged,” the enthusiastic sales executive explained, continuing, “I think sales is 90 per cent emotion and 10 per cent information.”
She explained that although everyone knows that a car can take them from point A to point B, giving a customer a reason to purchase a car at a specific price requires skill.
“From I was young, I always had a natural connection with people in terms of public speaking, just starting up a conversation, and out of that natural connection, I’ve developed a persuasive character,” Landley said.
Landley started in November 2018 and has found the experience working with her male counterparts rewarding.
“I have developed an appreciation for men even more. I take it as my responsibility, being the only female on the team, to really empower the guys – leave them a note in the morning, give them a word of encouragement, or just breathe a word of prayer,” she said.
She has found ways to build on her knowledge and prides herself in maintaining relationships with her clients.
“I call to say ‘happy birthday’ or, ‘I remember you said that your son had a swim meet, how did that go?’. That blows customers away because you’re listening; you’re in tune with them,” she said.
About plans for her future, she said, “I have an open mind, and I’m still evolving.”
“When I compare where I am to my purpose, I am achieving... . Anywhere I go, I will be dominating that space,” said a confident Landley.
The seminar came just days ahead of International Women’s Day, which was celebrated on March 8 under the theme ‘An equal world is an enabled world’.
The crux of the seminar was a panel discussion with distinguished women in the finance sector.
Managing director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Marlene Street Forrest, country representative for the Inter-American Development Bank Therese Turner-Jones, and Exim Bank Managing Director Lisa Bell were the panellists.
A 2017 International Labour Organization (ILO) survey found that women in the Caribbean make up 27 per cent of CEOs and that only 25 per cent of board members are women.
It also found that only 18 per cent of board chairs were women.
Turner-Jones suggested a major institutional change that would see equal representation of genders on boards.
She found support in Street Forrest, who said it was an ideal suggestion that would probably have to be legislative.
“Many of the companies are private companies, and they are owned by men. The point I want to make is that more women have to look at owning their own companies,” she said.