It has been a while since I have posted on my website. The reason is that I started to work at Lowe’s Home Improvement which has made my schedule less stable but in a good way. I work at Lowes as a Customer Service Associate, one of those red vest-wearing individuals. I took this opportunity to get out of the house and to show my benefit since I like to let my actions talk for me instead of talking about them verbally. I have found that similar skill sets are working in this retail environment compared to my prior work history as a researcher, tech support, customer support, and trainer within the open-sourced Government Contracting (GovCon) information dissemination industry.
I have met my goals at Lowe’s Home Improvement and continue to grow by showing what I can do using my research skills. A common reaction when I talk to coworkers, management, and customers is surprise when I talk about not being a salesperson. To provide context, within the first two months of employment, I was directly involved with getting my store to second place in a national internal company competition selling John Deere riding lawnmowers. One will think that, yes this is salesperson territory. I would talk and argue that my success was not because of my ability to sell, remember I do not see myself as a salesperson, it is my ability to find answers to questions and issues through research. Customers come into a store looking for a solution to a question/problem. I use technology, such as the handheld mobile device, to solve those questions/problems that result in sales. As a research and history major, “No” is a valid answer not to be pushed. This does not mean that I cannot find another route or solution to assisting customers. This approach has also gotten me recognition by the way of patches for my vest and acknowledgment in one of the two semi-annual storewide meetings by simply using my strength, research, or finding answers, in my attempt to show what I can do.
Going back to accepting “No” as an answer. I do not push since pressuring customers into a purchase they may not be satisfied with can and often creates problems in the long run. Yes, it gets the sale at that moment but it is short-sighted. The customer is more likely to return the item and look for another which in turn could take my time to find another solution. Perhaps it is my background in a subscription-based third-party website where the first sale does bring money but the true profit and money-making are the renewals. I would rather play the long game to have customers continually return to the store. This has served me well in my prior work history where I was the reason why clients stayed as subscribers and customers in my prior work history.
My resume may seem like it jumps from place to place but in the context of finding answers, it directly resembles my abilities and my history of providing growth for my employers. In my short time with Lowe’s, I have also been asked to perform other duties because of my various abilities and letting my actions speak for themselves. One of these is to obtain Leads for services that Lowe’s provides. I cannot talk much about this specifically but one of my first leads resulted in a sizeable services contract. Not too shabby for one who is not a salesperson by a researcher. I talked about this here since this goes to my point about my resume. I do not fit in one box, I have a history of success but also know that it may be difficult for human resources departments to decide to contact me based solely on my resume (and yes, my resume has been reviewed by many professionals). I enjoy doing and having various responsibilities. I also have a history of support which helps grow sales. I am just looking for an opportunity where I can provide this support to help companies or government entities grow.