Alex Woodbee is Sales Manager for our brands in Surrey and Hampshire, responsible for leading the sales activity for the Herald and Post series and the Woking Post & Mail.
Based in Farnham, she joined the company in 2014. She talks about her appreciation of the relationships built up with customers and the opportunities generated through our digital platforms.
What are the main responsibilities in your role?
I handle the sales side for our titles, managing advertising revenues for the papers and focusing on our multimedia packages, which are proving strong among the local market. I have got the responsibilities of forecasting revenues, organising forthcoming features which will be the basis for commercial advertising and motivating the team.
I look at special publications we can do around local events and how we can make them profitable. I also liaise with the editor and look at how we can engage with the local community.
What was the appeal of joining the company?
I have always wanted to work in the media, originally on the editorial side. I worked in sales for a magazine and enjoyed it so when the role came up at the Herald I wanted to join and continue this path. I write reviews for restaurants and do theatre reviews. I joined as the sales representative for Alton, which was perfect for me as I had a role that was part of the local area which I knew so well.
What does a typical week in your role involve?
Every day we look at how we are performing on revenues. I speak to the sales teams for Farnham and Woking to see how we can meet our plans for selling the print and digital advertising space. I look ahead and plan for the weeks ahead. I work very closely with the editor Colin Channon, keeping his team up to date on the number of adverts sold.
I help sort out accounts issues. All of my work is to ensure our print titles and digital platforms have the maximum adverts sold. I make sure we have the best relationships possible with advertising clients, whether they are established or new.
What do you enjoy about working for Tindle?
I love being involved in the community. Being able to take part in local events is great. I like finding things out about the area where I live. We may get to know a new client and find out they are doing fundraising for charity, which becomes a news story. It is interesting work and you always find out something new. I learn something new every day.
Our digital offering is growing and becoming more of our work, which is connecting us more with clients as they do more online. It makes a big difference on a personal level to be working somewhere which is part of the area. If you say you work for the Herald then people want to speak to you. This is a nice area to work as a salesperson. The papers and our brands online are trusted by people, which means we are respected by the people around us.
How do you use digital in your role?
It has been interesting to learn new things with digital. All the packages are growing and resonate with our clients who want to engage people online. Whether it is offering more around property advertising online or providing social media support, it is helpful to be able to do more for clients. There are also the analytics which help clients see statistics about how their ads have performed, which works well with our customers.
What jobs did you have before you joined Tindle?
I have worked for another magazine. I have also been a lifeguard and sold gym memberships. After working in sales, I became a dental nurse but I did not enjoy it so I went back into sales for a telecoms company, selling wireless networks.
What are your interests outside of work?
Mainly fitness. I love running, swimming, playing squash and walking. As well as socializing I like the outdoors. I love camping and being able to get out.