Jacqueline Wolmarans, key account manager at Maizey Plastics, shares her experience in a male-dominated industry, the importance of training, and how she overcame challenges along the way.
What changes and challenges have you experienced in your career?
I have had various levels of challenges in my career. I started to work at Maizey Plastics Cape Town in 2004 as an external sales representative. With the company being as big as it is with multiple branches countrywide and many products to sell, I have had to go through training and proving myself to everyone that I am capable of performing while showing growth.
Having ADHD, particularly during those years when it was not well understood, I came across as under-qualified. A handful of people thought I would not make it and exit the company within a couple of months, which is quite the norm with big companies, as they only want what’s best for the company.
With that being a challenge, I more than proved myself to everyone and performed so well that I got promoted to key account manager. I was asked to assist in the Port Elizabeth and George branches, specifically on the digital media product range, of which I had a lot of interest.
The product specialist at the time, Tilla Jordaan, assigned me to do product presentations to staff and customers in the Cape Town and George areas. I was the only commercial sales rep in Cape Town and over and above showing growth in the area, I did the same in the George and Port Elizabeth areas.
Maizey looked after me well, and I learnt a lot about products and application through Maizey’s exceptional training programmes. Out of all the companies I worked for in the industry, I found Maizey Plastics to be the most influential, positive, and ‘think out of the box’ company. They find solutions for customers and that is what makes them stand out from the rest.
The changes in my career was when I left the industry to do real estate in 2020, a day before national lock down took place due to Covid 19. I gave myself five years to become qualified and earn my NQF4 certification. Within the first month of practicing real estate, I managed to get 19 listings, all from cold calling.
Who has been the biggest influence or mentor in my career?
Hands down that will be Tilla Jordaan, the digital media product specialist. I learnt a lot from her, and she took me under her wing to mould me into the passionate hard-working woman I am today. We connected mentally as well as spiritually. Her plan was to have me take over from her when she retires. At the time I was a young woman in my 30s and it felt like a big honour to have someone of her stature have so much faith in me.
What advice would you give to women in the industry?
Don’t ever give up on your dreams and hopes. Think out the box and always speak out about your ideas, even though you think they may be silly. This industry is predominantly a male-dominated industry as it is a technical. Women have to work extra hard to prove themselves, of which we are more than capable. The companies run by women in this industry are highly successful, which proves that we are capable to stand out in the crowd.
Learn as much as you can about application and product specifications. Show your customers that you’re not just a salesperson, you are a problem solver. Customers will have respect for you if you show that you look out for their interests.
How do you define success today and has the definition changed over the years?
Success is having knowledge and drive. Knowledge is power. Pick up every stone that gets thrown at you and build a castle. Never giving up when you are put in a bad position. Stand up and dust yourself off and carry on. Be yourself.
The definition has not changed much over the years. The only change I noticed is that the industry no longer uses a high-end product specification to gain business, they use any product that is priced at a competitive level for them to compete with opposition. It has become a price war amongst customers, suppliers, and distributors
The best thing ever to happen to me in the industry was to have the honour of returning to Maizey Plastics after a 17 year gap. I have always had a love for the company, its people and culture. They are the market leaders and even though there are competitors fighting hard to gain market share, customers still choose to support Maizey plastics, as they have long standing relationships with the company, which I find amazing.
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