Interview with Verónica Ramos, Montana Colors Sales Department

"I COULDN'T BE IN SALES WITHOUT BEING PROUD OF WHAT I REPRESENT"

The work of the salespeople in a company like Montana Colors is essential when it comes to keeping our points of sale up to speed and distributing our products.  Here in Spain, the job is done with care and commitment.
We talked to Verónica Ramos from the sales department about her day-to-day plus topics like equality, brand values and interest in our products. We also found out how all this influences personal fulfillment through her job.

What’s the sales position like in a company like Montana Colors? 

Sales has changed a lot over the years. When you think about sales, the image of a middle-aged man leaning on the counter of a store waiting to show a sample to the manager comes to mind. That has become completely obsolete. 

Today, at least in Montana, our work goes much further. I’d say we are now the channel between the customer and the brand. We take care of advising them, solving doubts and incidents and managing the spaces dedicated to our product. Of course, we make sure that they’re up to date with new releases and that they market them properly.

What differences does your area have compared to other regions of Spain? 

Until recently, I managed all the communities of the Cantabrian coast, from Galicia to Gipuzkoa, passing through León, but we decided to restructure the area to make it more manageable. As a result of this, the culture and character of the customers has become more varied, but usually us folk in the north share some characteristics that are as stereotypical as they are true: we’re reserved, but faithful. 

Perhaps here it’s difficult for us to sell some of the more innovative products, or get new products and fittings into the stores, but things are easier when we build a relationship of trust. It’s a complex but rewarding region.

Your workplace is far from the MTN headquarters, right? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? 

Exactly. Personally, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Telecommuting forces you to be very organized and dependable, but if you can carry it out well, it’s fantastic. We spend our days traveling (sometimes very long days), but we can do office tasks from home. I really value the fact that we can save travel time and have some flexibility. 

However, sometimes you find yourself in a village in the middle of nowhere on a Wednesday in winter, having closed a good deal and you think, "How cool it would be to go into the office now and be able to tell the whole team over a cup of coffee!" 

But you can't have everything, right?

How long have you been working for Montana Colors? 

In December it’ll be six years. They have flown by.

Why did you decide to apply for a job at this company? 

It was a bit of a coincidence. I’d just submitted my final degree project and was looking for a design-related job when an offer from Montana appeared. I used to use MTN products, and I thought it was an amazing opportunity, so I applied and got lucky! 

When I started, I was a complete rookie. I have grown up as a professional here.

What differences do you think there are between working as a salesperson for Montana Colors and doing it for another type of company? 

I can't answer for sure because I haven't had this role elsewhere, but what I can say is that for me being a salesperson wasn't a vocation. However, I found that I liked it, because I feel represented by the values of the brand, and I feel confident about what we sell. 

I think Montana has a very strong philosophy that has taken it to where it is today, and that makes me proud. You could say that I'm a fan rather than a salesperson and that I couldn't be in sales without being proud of what I represent. I don't think of it in any other way.

How’s your relationship with the rest of the sales team in the Iberian territory? 

Incredible. We are an odd family, but we get along perfectly. We should give credit to our HR colleagues for having managed to form this team.

We are in contact all the time, it’s a basic support network for our day-to-day, it keeps us grounded.

And with the international ones? 

My relationship with them isn’t so direct, but it flows when necessary. Our ways of working are really different so that makes connection difficult.

Can you tell us any funny stories that happened to you at work? 

The truth is that by dealing with so many people on a daily basis, you come across all sorts. And it's so much fun, why deny it? 

Once I went into an office and came across a taxidermy animal as a support for a table lamp. I just wanted to run away. 

On another occasion I had to visit a tattoo studio that distributed our products, which turned out to be the back of a sex-shop. The icing on the cake is that I couldn't even meet the client because he’d been sent to jail that same week.

Could you tell us about a significant moment that you’ve experienced since you started at Montana Colors? 

It is difficult to highlight just one, but perhaps participating in certain negotiations that have allowed us to start working with big chains. Opening new lines of work is exciting.

Or being able to experience the 25^th anniversary of Montana in a historic celebration.

Let's talk about gender equality. How do you see these issues within your work environment and specifically working for a company like Montana? 

Sales work has always been dominated by mostly male profiles, but it is a trend that’s changing, and you can see that on a day-to-day basis. 

I think I'm lucky, because I can count on one hand the times I've felt uncomfortable because I’m a woman working in sales. Usually, the atmosphere I find is respectful and perhaps even more cordial than when a man comes to visit. 

I work on my own and I feel that I might lack perspective but based on what I’ve experienced all these years I think I can say that Montana, internally, is a good example to follow in terms of equality.

Any recommendations if we visit the northeast of the peninsula? 

The recommendation is that you come, period. The rest takes care of itself. 

If you want a city, Bilbao. If you prefer beaches and mountains, head to Asturias. And if you don't know what you want, but you want it all, Galicia.

Here we have good food and even better people. If you need a guide, let me know!

You can check out other MTN Crew interviews in our "We are Montana Colors" series.