Name: Sarah English
From: Glasson, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
What’s your role/job title? Irish Sales Agent for Kingsland Equestrian.
What is the company or organisation that you work for? Kingsland Equestrian, Norway.
What attracted you to this company? Top quality stylish products with an emphasis on environmental awareness and responsibility to our planet. It’s the way forward and we all need to be doing our part.
What do you most admire about this company? The people who work in the company, the KL commitment of recycled/organic products and of course, their beautiful clothing ranges which are loved and worn by riders of all different disciplines throughout the world.
What’s your experience in the equestrian industry? I have been involved in horses all my life having competed at pony level in showjumping and then went onto horses, where I competed in dressage, showjumping and eventing at different times.
Many years of hunting in there too! I have had a good few show horses in my time, many of who went to the USA and were very successful.
I spent five years in USA working with horses and teaching, so I had the contacts there. I was also involved with my mother Dorothy in the running of our stud farm and standing two registered stallions. I have now been involved in the equestrian retail industry for over 20 years representing many companies as an independent agent, and still do. So, you could say that I am a seasoned sales representative.
How did you secure your current role? Kingsland Equestrian came looking for me, guess head hunted in a way! I then travelled to their head office in Norway, met the whole team and saw the collections. Both were impressive and Norway is a beautiful country.
What does your job involve? Day-to-day dealings with my customers and building a partnership between myself and them in all their requirements. Certain times of the year showing and helping to choose the new collections for the following seasons.
Does it vary? Yes, it varies a lot. Each shop has different requirements or requests, for their customers, and these must be addressed as soon as is possible, be it a delivery, an office-based question, a return, social media campaign or just a general collection question that may arise. The phone is on 24 hours a day as a request can come in at any time.
What do you most enjoy about your job? My customers are my friends and their satisfaction are of the upmost importance. I am a people person and like to give my best. My motto is, “If I look after my customers, they will look after the rest in this partnership”.
What is the most challenging part of your job? A lot of driving in the winter months, dark wet nights and the sometimes very long traffic delays.
What advice would you give someone hoping to enter this profession? Be hardworking, patient, honest, a good listener, be prepared to spend a lot of time on the road and by yourself, listening to the radio!
Keep the AA paid up to date, fuel in the tank, and battery power in your phone!
Sarah English was in conversation with Emer Bermingham