What was the key that opened the door to the world of sales for you?

Diving into the world of sales and see there what's waiting for me.

Let's see… a key.What key opened the door to the world of sales for you?

It was real estate.Funnily enough, a key that opens doors I think there's something really important,this classic question in sales: "Are great salespeople born or made?" I think it's a mix of both.

I think that to be in the world of sales,you have to enjoy connecting with people,because in the end, you're constantly talking to people,trying to understand their problems,what worries them, how you can help them.

Because sales are about that, it's not about selling something they don't need.

I always try to think that I need to offer them something that's truly solving a problem for them.

Starting from there, I think that part probably comes naturally to me,I really enjoy connecting with people.

I have to say that my parents became entrepreneurs,coming from a very humble family,and found a way to build their own business.

So I've always been very close to being behind a counter in a shop,because my parents owned stores.

When I was little,after school or whenever, I would go there and my mum would say:"Stay here, we'll go home later." I would stand there, and if a customer came in,I'd say, "Can I help you?". And I liked it.

In fact, my daughter does it now,whenever we visit my parents and their shop is open.

So, I got into the real estate world.It's true that I started in real estate thinking it would be something more administrative, accounting,understanding the administrative side of it.

And I found a job in a real estate office.I'll tell a little anecdote of what happened there.

When the sales agents went out, since it was business hours,clients would come in, and I, without ever having seen a property,just by adding the data into the system and having seen maybe four photos,I'd ask them questions, understand what they were looking for and tell them: "Don't worry, come at this time,the agent will show it to you." And the agent would go, show the property, and sell it.

A little while later, the director of the office noticed,he came up to me and said:"Hey, Nitya, would you like to try working in sales and move over to the sales desk?" And I got upset and said:"Are you telling me I'm not doing my job well?" I was trying to keep everything up to date, giving it my all.

And he said: "No, you're doing your job very well,but we see something in you that we believe could make the business work even better." I said: "I'll give it a try, but if I don't like it,you'll give me my old job back." He agreed.

So I tried it.A client came through the door on my first day.

I said: "Yes, we'll go see this apartment at five in the afternoon." And boom! My first sale.

And from then on, one after another.I ended up becoming the director of the office after a year and a half,and a few years later I was leading not just that office but an area with three offices.

That's really how I got started in management not just in sales,but in leadership from a very young age, because I was around 20 or 22,maybe 23 at the time.

And now, do you also do sales yourself?Right now, I don't do sales.

These days, if someone from the team specifically asks me to join a meeting, I'll jump in, not only with prospects,meaning people interested in learning about our services,but even with our existing clients.

If at some point there's an issue with a client,a misunderstanding or something they'd like to understand better and they need my help, of course I step in and go.

But now I'm not the one actually doing the sales.Well, actually, I do sell. Every day I have to sell, because every time I hire someone, that's a sale.

You're also selling the idea of people wanting to join a company like yours.you're selling the vision, the growth,everything we're achieving.

We're all selling, all the time.So, I don't sell the actual product any more,but I do think I sell something every single day.

Thank you so much.