Ian Jolley, Sales Director at Direct Voice and Data joined us for a chat about everything from his role at the company to agile working and the future of telecommunications. Read the full insightful interview below.
How long have you worked at Direct Voice and Data?
I joined the team in May of this year, as Sales & Marketing Director. In short, my role is to implement a new strategy, which focuses on our customers and provides excellent experiences with complete end to end solutions.
The family ethos and customer-centric focus of the company aligned well with my own values and beliefs which was exactly what I was looking for. It felt like a perfect fit!
Tell us more about the sales department.
At the minute, the sales team consists of a number of internal and external Account Managers, a Sales Executive and Customer Engagement Consultant. As DVAD continues to evolve, so does the sales team, which means our department is always growing.
Due to COVID-19, our customers are overcoming some huge hurdles and agile working solutions are in high demand. Our team is working closely with customers to help teams to work remotely with ease during the pandemic. We want to ensure our clients have the latest future proof solutions that make agile working effortless.
Our consultative approach ensures we provide a bespoke solution for each customer which takes into consideration key business requirements.
What does a typical day look like for you?
No two days are the same, but I spend most of my time with the sales team. I provide coaching where needed and review how we can improve our current offerings and solutions. Understanding the sales team and what challenges they face is a vital part of my job, as well as working alongside the wider DVAD team.
There is no doubt that the last five months have been a challenge, with such a high demand for agile working solutions. The sales team have worked extremely hard to support customers and make working from home a little easier in such a difficult time.
How have you assisted customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
Making agile working work has been one of the biggest challenges faced by our customers, as explored in our recent whitepaper. For instance, many companies have telephone solutions that work perfectly when people are in the office but are not fit for purpose when it comes to remote working.
Our solutions are designed with flexibility in mind. Using softphone and mobile apps, customers can continue to use company landline numbers when they are out of the office. Thanks to our range of Unified Communication solutions, all of our customers have been able to work as ‘normal’ from home and communicate with clients, customers and colleagues without hassle.
Finally, in your opinion, what does the future of telecommunications look like?
Cloud-based solutions are no longer the future, they are now. Companies have had no option but to embrace agile solutions in lockdown, as many closed their office doors to stay in line with government regulations. Despite some offices reopening, we need to continue to adopt these remote technologies.
Working in an office is no longer the go-to approach for companies, as some have even decided to implement remote working for good. Whether you’re returning to the office or not, it’s likely that many companies will adapt their remote working policy to accommodate the needs of colleagues. Some people may need to work from home more often than others for personal reasons and an agile working infrastructure will support this.
