You’ve heard of sales people, but have you heard of sales support? The associates behind the sales team that help them assist customers in whatever way possible. Sarah Luna is the Finance & Sales Support Specialist here at Jenner Ag, and the account managers would tell you customers have no idea how much she does for them. She has been with the company for 11 years and in that time has gotten the opportunity to work closely with several departments.
“When I started at Jenner Ag, I handled Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, then I transitioned into the role of Office Manager, and from there I ended up with the Sales team,” she says. In her various roles, she has had to adapt and find the way to do her job, whichever one it may be, the most effective way possible.
Sarah attributes much of her success to Jenner Ag teaching her to work with a variety of different personalities. “The sales team as a whole is pretty driven. Everybody has their different ways of receiving information and working through things. I think just taking the time to learn and know each member of your team’s personality makes a big difference,” she explains. “You need to know how to work with different people and communicate effectively. Jenner Ag helps teach those skills. For me, that is interesting to do because then you see things from a different perspective you might not have otherwise considered.”
One way she accomplishes this tactic is knowing the best way to keep an open line of communication with each member of her team. “I try to know that I may need to call this person, but another person could prefer texts or emails. I have to be flexible in my position. I want to be able to get them anything they may need to be as informative as possible when talking with customers,” says Sarah. “When they call for a question, I make sure to get back to them ASAP and give them an answer, because a lot of the time they are on their way to meet a customer.” At the end of the day, she says the main goal is the best outcome possible for customers. We want the process of a customer buying equipment from us to run smoothly.
Sarah says part of the reason this is successful is due to Jenner Ag always adapting and changing to fit their associates’ and customers’ needs. “Jenner Ag is 3 times the size it was when I started. That’s because they adapt to what is going on in the industry and the world. Management tries to come up with the best way to serve our customers and remain profitable,” says Sarah. “Our beliefs and core values stay the same, but our strategies are ever-changing to how we can best fit everyone’s needs. They adapt as needs change for each department. The role I am in today didn’t exist when I started, and now, it’s crucial.”