Charlotte Joynes
Tactical Sales Representative
A change of pace
"I’ve worked for Imperial Tobacco for over four years now. I initially joined as a temp, but soon became a Customer Services Administrator in the International Department. Here, I helped to export our products to many places in Western Europe. Now I’m a Tactical Sales Representative, working out and about in the field. It’s a real change of pace.
I joined Imperial Tobacco because I wanted a career working for a good company with lots of opportunities. In my hometown of Nottingham, Imperial Tobacco is renowned for looking after their staff, so much so that people rarely leave. So this was a massive opportunity for me. By joining the company I was able to progress and gain more experience in this area."
A busy new role
"I’m really excited about my new role. Sales is something I haven't really done before, but have always been interested in. I am an outgoing person and I love meeting new people and building up new relationships which will be key in my new role. With roughly 15 calls a day, it’s hard work – but very rewarding.
I’m involved in everything from retail activity to distributive development and tactical merchandising. My work sees me visiting “lower volume” outlets – but don’t let the name fool you; expectations are high and it’s a demanding job. Sales is my key focus, but I’m also managing a range of brands, and implementing and suggesting better ways to make products more visible."
Flexibility is everything
"As a Tactical Sales Rep, you’re part of a flexible team that needs to be nimble and willing to go the extra mile – sometimes literally. Up to 30% of your time involves evening and weekend work. So you not only need to be able, but willing too.
Put simply, the Tactical Sales role is an entry level to the UK sales force. With the intense training programme you get, you'll find plenty of opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills you need in a field sales role. If you’re ambitious and you want to venture further into different areas of the business, Imperial Tobacco gives you support and training to get you there."