by Jacob Torres, Director of Regional Sales
My career and my lifestyle have officially merged. I am proud to say that after several years of hard work, determination and sacrifice, I’ve found success in balancing work and career in a way that is practically seamless. In other words, my lifestyle is my career and represents the morals, habits, structure and commitment I worked to achieve. It wasn’t easy. But it was exciting and I’d like to share some of my story with you.
Like many success stories, mine is filled with achievements, failures, and scattered with some circumstances that I’d rather not experience again. Nonetheless, these notables are what brought me to where I am today and, for that, I am thankful. I’ve lost a job due to a company closure. I’ve been awarded unexpected promotions. I’ve grown from experiences of extreme difficulty and loss. All the while just keeping my focus ahead and priorities in line. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back on this part of my career path is what brought me to the payroll industry and a career that has simply become part of my life.
I had no idea that I would find myself in sales one day. I’m good at sales and enjoy every aspect of it. In my opinion, the most successful sales people are those who love the process. The ups, the downs, the follow-throughs, discoveries and problem solving. Sales is exciting, rewarding and, at times, frustrating. But even during the frustrations there is learning and gains to be had. I believe that great sales people know how to harness the challenges and maintain the internal drive to push through them.
The payroll industry requires B2B strategies and communications. It requires a consultative approach and the knowledge to know which questions to ask and which solutions to present. When I learned how to master these skills I started to feel motivated every day! I was excited to talk with clients, meet new contacts, work with business owners to develop solutions. It was all I thought about. I made sure to surround myself with really smart, experienced payroll professionals who were willing to teach me. Not to say that I have an answer to every problem that comes my way, but I do know who to ask when I need assistance. I think this is incredibly important for any sales person new to a career.
If you’re in sales and you haven’t already done so, surround yourself with the brightest, smartest resources because those are the colleagues who will help your career get to the next level.
It was at this point that my career became my lifestyle. Not to say that I work every minute of every day because I do believe in the work-life balance. But because I love what I do, my job doesn’t feel like work. When duty calls outside of traditional working hours, I am happy to focus my attention on the client or situation at hand. It has become my nature so much so that I cannot even imagine not working when I’m needed. Others might say I have a great work ethic. I say that it’s just who I am.
There have been people throughout my career who were willing to help me. While I may not ever be able to repay the generosity and grace that they extended to me, I make a point of telling them that I pay their actions forward every chance I get.
If you’re interested in meeting with Jacob, you may contact him by calling 909-946-2032 or via email at [email protected].
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*Southland Data Processing, Inc. (“SDP”) is not a law firm. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in reaching a conclusion in a particular area of law. Applicability of the legal principles discussed may differ substantially in individual situations. Receipt of this or any other SDP materials does not create an attorney-client relationship. SDP is not responsible for any inadvertent errors that may occur in the publishing process.