'Creating new opportunities'
In today’s Spotlight, I spoke to Senior Business Development Manager, Nassos. As someone who started as an economist and then transitioned into language services, we find out more about this transition, the key to his success and how the LanguageLine culture resonates with his everyday work. The following are excerpts from our interview.
What does your role look like and how did you find yourself switching industries?
I've been in LanguageLine since October 2019; my role is to gain and develop new business and create new opportunities within existing client organisations. I have a book of existing clients to manage whilst creating new opportunities across various sectors to convert them into clients. My background is far removed from language services. I am an economist, but I was constantly dealing with different nationalities and markets. I came into the language sector because I thought I could apply the business development skills acquired in this space.
What is the key to your success?
The main ingredient that has helped me be successful is communication and, more specifically, being able to communicate in the most relevant manner. I'm always trying to improve myself and focus on answering the initial question as best as possible. These questions can often be somewhat vague and not straightforward. But I can say that I always get the information I need to provide the best response and ultimately offer the best solution for the client. If anything, my role has changed because it has become more focused, especially when it comes to my goals and objectives. The company has always been ambitious, so I need to set ambitious targets for myself. One thing that comes from that is a requirement for a higher level of engagement – which suits my approach.
Favourite LanguageLine memory?
In terms of memories working here, I have many. The thing is, if I were to start listing them, then we would need much more time! One of the earliest ones, barely two months into my job, was gaining a significant new client in the financial services sector. It was a Dutch FinTech company, and although this wasn't expected, it marked a great start to my time here.
In your opinion, how open is the culture in the office?
The culture of openness and inclusivity at LanguageLine is something that I value and haven't been able to find in companies I've worked for. Therefore, I value this exceptionally highly. There is also a range of different strengths and talents amongst my colleagues that I benefit from when working with the same value proposition. These are applied to a client, project, specific sector, or a combination. When you mesh all these things together, it really makes this a great place to work.