1. What did your sales journey look like and how did it all start?

 My sales journey looked very turbulent and interesting. It all started at a London-based company Alfa Energy. I worked there as an Energy Consultant. After that, I worked at Klika as a Business Developer Associate, and today I am the Regional Business Development Manager at an International consulting company - Labrys.

2. Who is Alma Stanić?

 An energetic and empathetic person, very passionate about the job I do because I believe that a good salesperson can only be someone who sincerely loves the job. I am a salesperson, mother, wife and coworker in one superspace called tershouse!

3. What makes a good salesperson?

Good work ethic, being persistent, being ready to live a life with a lot of stress and of course, he/she must be very communicative and extroverted - this is something I think every successful salesperson must-have.

4. The best sales trick you know?

Timely follow-up. I find that a lot of people in sales forget to do a good follow-up or try to initiate communication with their clients by sending just one email or trying to get in touch with a potential client. Many, if they get a rejection, decide not to apply anymore and move on to some new goals. I still believe that it is a constant effort and that no matter that a door may seem closed in the first moments, with a certain amount of time and commitment, that door can be opened. A very important trick - do not forget to follow up, especially if in the initial moments the client is not interested in communication!

5. What sales lessons can you use in everyday life?

Sales is quite a challenging job and what we can definitely take advantage of is that no matter how difficult certain moments may be, it will end sooner or later. So both in sales and in a life today full of challenges and difficult moments, salespeople learn to deal with challenging situations.

6. How did the transition from one industry to another happened, given that you were first in the world of energy and then switched to IT?

The transition happened by listening to market trends. My first experience in sales was related to the energy industry (managing contracts related to gas, electricity, etc.). Then it started to become very important to be versed in the IT industry, what these processes look like, what is scrum and what are the agile methodologies are applicable not only in the IT industry but also in everyday work. The coronavirus made this decision easier and then I realized that IT is the future because the whole business through all its segments is largely maintained with the help of certain systems.

7. What are the boundaries you would never cross when it comes to sales? Is there an ethical boundary that you personally would never cross?

Professionalism primarily. This is especially challenging when it comes to women. In BiH in particular, these borders are often undefined. However, I believe that every salesperson must be a professional. For a woman in sales, this is more challenging because we are in a world dominated by men and you have to fight harder and harder for your place ‘under the sun’. Also, in sales, it is important not to promise something that you will not be able to deliver, and thus avoid losing the trust of the client.

8. How does working in a coworking space such as a tershouse suit sales? What do you think, as a salesperson, are the advantages of coworking space over working from home or other offices?

I really enjoy working in the coworking space and that was one of the key things I was looking for when I moved to another company based in Istanbul. It is very important to me that I am surrounded by people. Originally, I was in the pro area where it was very quiet and I didn't quite find myself there, after which I moved to the club area where people can hear murmurs, moderate communication, jokes and I feel alive there. So, at tershouse I feel like my company is here and the people around are just like my friends at the end of the day. It was very important to me that I was surrounded by nice people, and in tershouse I found everything I was looking for.

9. How would you explain what you are currently doing and what kind of company it is?

The company I work for now is a prestigious international consulting firm called Labrys.

Labrys deals with digital marketing transformation and the implementation of technical solutions by large global companies. My directors are located in Istanbul, what I really have to say is that although they are far away from me and are located in another country through constant communication and engagement, they help us achieve the best possible placement of Labrys services in the CEE area. They are very involved in all my endeavors and help me every step of the way and I am overjoyed to be part of the team.

10. What are your long-term plans when it comes to your career?

These are always difficult questions. I don't know, but I'm sure I see myself surrounded by people because I work very well with people, I like to communicate, problem-solving and I enjoy achieving unattainable goals. So probably some combination of sales and management.

11. You worked for foreign and domestic companies - What is the difference between working for a foreign and a domestic company?

The difference is in the mentality and treatment of workers. There are many domestic companies that operate according to the standards of foreign and prestigious companies, which have adopted practices and treatment of workers in the same way as large global companies. Klika (when it comes to domestic companies) is the best example of that - it is a company that works and looks like many prestigious companies worldwide. Workers' rights, team spirit, commitment and valuation of workers are very important. In Klika, I had no recollection of working in a "domestic company", although Klika is a 100% domestic company.

On the other hand, some domestic companies continue to operate on the less positive side of the BiH mentality, and I hope that this will change because I believe that this is the only way to make a breakthrough in both local and regional markets. To sum up, it doesn't matter if the company is local or global, the postulates according to which it operates are important.