Throughout the year, we feature employees sharing their unique stories about their time at Ritchie Bros. In this edition, Gareth Miles, Sales Team Lead, discusses his quick development into a leadership role at Ritchie Bros. Financial Services.
Fortuitous timing and a change in team structure at the start of 2021 resulted in my taking on a team lead role with a group of 18 account managers at Ritchie Bros Financial Services (RBFS). Considering I’d only started my sales career 18 months prior when I joined the company, I was proud of how quickly I’d progressed in such a short time and was honored to be chosen to lead such an amazing group of account managers.
I also felt grateful that my manager had recognized my potential early on and encouraged and supported me in stepping out of my comfort zone to prepare for this new role. My experience is a perfect representation of what it’s like working at RBFS. It’s a place where potential is recognized, people are provided the opportunity to thrive, and inspiration is never lacking. If you’re looking to try your hand at sales like I did, there is no better company to do it with in my opinion!
Changing careers at 30
In 2018, after 10 years traveling around the globe flying planes, I decided to make a career change. I moved to Canada from my home country of New Zealand eager to find the right opportunity as I began my new journey.
I stumbled across an RBFS hiring campaign and the job ticked all the boxes in terms of what I was looking for—high growth potential, a fast-paced environment, and the ability to have a positive impact on customers’ lives. I applied and was contacted for an interview soon after. During the entire hiring process, what stood out to me about RBFS was the emphasis on who you are and where you would like to go as opposed to the usual “what have you done?”. This was a refreshing and welcome change from a prospective employer.
The culture and mindset at RBFS are amazing
The people and the culture are what drives this company. That was obvious from the start.
One thing about the culture that stands out is the sense of a winning mentality. The company was (and still is) on a hot streak and it feels awesome to be a part of it! RBFS is high energy, and the people are competitive but also team-focused, which leads to amazing results and a strong sense of camaraderie. You truly feel like you are part of something bigger with a team that has your back and you have theirs.
Further, I noticed early on that not only is hard work recognized at RBFS, but it is handsomely rewarded too. It’s also important for me to see how long the runway stretches at a company and how much room there is for personal growth. And the runway here is long and clear. It’s really up to the individual how much they would like to push themselves and grow because RBFS will support them in any way they can.
Building a rewarding sales career
During my time at RBFS thus far, I have seen the development of numerous colleagues who were new in their sales careers like I was when I started here. I have watched (and, where I could, played a part in helping) them grow into their roles as successful account managers, which is so rewarding. There is a great deal of satisfaction that comes with seeing people around you succeed, and to know that as a leader you may have played a small part in their success.
My advice for those considering pursuing a similar path is to ask yourself, “What drives me?” If you thrive in a competitive environment, are motivated by receiving rewards from high performance, and have a passion for providing a service that will have a positive impact on customers, sales may be a good fit for you.
To be a good salesperson, it also helps to be tenacious, self-reliant, and have some sort of consistent structure in your day-to-day activities. The ability to build and maintain strong relationships is essential as well. In my opinion, these are the skills and abilities that will help lay the foundation for a rewarding and successful sales career.
I’m really excited for my own future with RBFS as I continue to form meaningful relationships with the people around me. I have formed friendships here I will maintain forever and I feel quite lucky to have a job I genuinely enjoy that also allows me to collaborate and connect with my colleagues and customers to have a meaningful impact.
If you’re interested in being a part of this awesome team with endless opportunities to grow, check out open roles at RBFS.