The Business Travel People Awards: winner's interview
Clarity’s Amy Edmonds was named Sales/business Development Manager of the Year at The Business Travel People Awards 2018
How did it feel to win the Sales/business Development Manager of the Year award? One word: unbelievable. Being able to share this award with my incredible team has been an absolute joy. We work hard to bring in new business, especially when sales can often be displayed in a negative, cut throat way. We truly stand by our strong work ethic, challenging the status quo and a consultative approach to responsible selling.
Why did you decided to enter the awards or how did you come to be nominated? Our Head of Sales, Ewan Kassir, alongside our Head of Marketing, Alexandra Kington, nominated me without my knowledge. I found out while I was on holiday in Miami; the nominees had been officially announced and I woke up with lots of congratulatory messages from colleagues, past and present.
Tell us about your role. My responsibly lies wholly within the new business sales function for Clarity, mainly focusing on engaging with companies within the consumer goods sector. As the first person customers are likely to meet from Clarity, it’s important for me to create a good impression from the start. I recently won an internal award based on my ‘passion’ for finding customers the right solution to suit their needs. My work has involved winning a large amount of new business, pioneering new practices within the sales function, and generally inspiring others around me to embrace change and to innovate new ways of selling. What do you enjoy about your role? The people. I am such a 'people person'! I like to think of myself as approachable, so no question is stupid in my book. I think clients enjoy working with me, and there isn’t a better feeling than watching somebody’s travel programme really excel after partnering with myself and Clarity.
What do you think of The Business Travel People Awards? The Awards do an excellent job of recognising those who work so hard behind the scenes, yet rarely get the professional accolades they deserve. Business travel excels due to the people. The technology on its own is getting more advanced each year, but without those personal relationships and knowledge the proposition would fall flat. The awards ceremony was a fantastic day and a great chance to catch up with people. What impact will winning an award have on your career? At present, it can only elevate me into having more involvement with our strategy of strengthening our multinational proposition, which will ultimately see me working on a global platform – something I really enjoy.
What do you think are the business travel industry’s biggest challenges right now? As a TMC, I see our value as being fast-paced and adaptable enough to ensure that we are at the forefront of travel for the benefit of our customers. That said, I do think there is a danger of companies leaning too far into the realm of artificial intelligence and forgetting the most important element of business travel, the people.
The Business Travel People Awards recognise outstanding individuals and teams across all aspects of the supplier element of corporate travel. Nominations for the 2019 awards will open in January The Awards recognise those who work so hard behind the scenes, yet rarely get the professional accolades they deserve”