Discovering Professional Stories
Laura has over 11 years of experience in the technology, AI, IoT, and CPG industries, excelling in competitive analysis, sales, and strategy. Throughout her career, she has led major projects and built a broad client portfolio in the CPG and retail sectors at an international level.
Tell us about your story with Ailet. When did you start working here? What is your role and responsibilities?
It's my first year here, and time flies. I am a business development manager, and my responsibility, especially here in Latin America, Ailet's newest market, is to bring in new clients in both Mexico and the region, including Central America and some South American countries. The important thing is to reach these CPG/FMCG and retail companies, aiming to help them carry out their daily tasks more easily at points of sale.
What are the common challenges you can see from the different industries you address?
I have been surprised by some companies that are quite large and important in Mexico and Latin America that still have manual processes, where they use paper and pencil to carry out day-to-day tasks. For example, the audit at the point of sale. It is surprising that these companies, which manage thousands of stores and thousands of employees, still follow these manual processes. I think our challenge is to help these clients join the technological era, especially with the use of artificial intelligence.
What types of skills do you think are fundamental to handle different types of situations in day-to-day commercial duties?
Asking the right questions is crucial. When prospecting, it is necessary to know instead of assuming. Assuming leads to mistakes. Additionally, asking the necessary questions helps understand how these tasks are carried out. Finally, knowing how to listen and having a lot of patience is essential, especially because these are long processes.
How has working for Ailet from Mexico impacted your work-life balance and overall job satisfaction?
It is balanced. I have already worked in multicultural companies, which requires the flexibility to adjust to different hours and time zones. But as I said, in this case, I have no problem with that, and finally, my job is very commercial. We need to be more creative, especially to meet objectives, which ultimately means closing contracts with the companies we are targeting. For this reason, I am also satisfied.
How do you find communicating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds beneficial?
As I said, I have worked in other companies with a multicultural workforce. The truth is, I like that a lot, and that's also why I sought another opportunity in the same type of company because I knew I could interact with other cultures, with different ways of thinking, and with various processes. Even though we are all speaking Spanish here, Spanish is not the same for everyone. That is also interesting, seeing that we are all working in completely different geographical locations and yet we are connected. I like that a lot.
How would you describe your experience with the company culture, and do you feel comfortable and supported in your role?
Honestly, the approach I had been working with was not very process-oriented, whereas at Ailet, the processes are very clear. It has been challenging, but it's a good thing because everything is well-defined. Additionally, I see everyone's willingness to cooperate, and in the end, we are always people talking to people. What opportunities for professional growth and development have you encountered at Ailet, and how have you taken advantage of them? Well, I hope there is a position where I can move to another level, whether horizontally or vertically. Since it is a global company, there will be opportunities to enter new markets and, with that, new opportunities. Also, being a technology company, we will continue to advance.
How do you stay motivated and engaged in your role, especially during busy or demanding periods?
For a while, we did not have a regional manager, which made us take steps forward without waiting for someone to guide us. That helped me a lot since I could solve certain things myself and make decisions without waiting. Regarding competitiveness, my position makes me look for new ways to do things, make things happen, and achieve objectives. In a technology company, we have two parts: 1. How we develop the commercial area and 2. The management of the operational part. In sales, one can take the challenge personally, and that is a greater motivation, as it makes us anticipate whether the client will say yes. That generates expectations that the contract will be closed.
Lastly, in your own words, what makes Ailet a great place to work, and why would you recommend it to potential candidates?
The main thing for me is that it is a company with great cultural diversity, where many things are shared, and there is the flexibility to work from anywhere. Additionally, having these daily challenges is part of the process. In general, I have been able to connect with people and find quality in them.