Working remotely from Los Angeles, USA, Lucas’ office is the open road. As an area sales manager, he spends a lot of time driving around his sales area. In the career blog, Lucas talks about his life on the go and what keeps him moving outside of work.
Lucas, you work where others go on vacation. How do you motivate yourself?
Lucas: (laughs) For one thing, I get to spend a lot of time in the beautiful California countryside. On any given day, I probably spend about three or four hours in my car driving from customer to customer. It would definitely be harder to stay motivated if I had to work in an office all day. But all joking aside, the personal connections I’ve made with customers and coworkers over the years also keep me motivated.
So what exactly do you do in your position as an Area Sales Manager?
Lucas: My main job is to grow the sales of Pepperl+Fuchs products in my area, which covers a large portion of the western United States. I also have my own sales region that includes Southern California and Arizona. So much of what I do involves setting up customer visits, troubleshooting with customers when they have problems, and supporting sales staff and representatives in my area.
Communication skills, technical knowledge, diplomatic skills
What are the main skills you need to do your job well?
Lucas: Communication, technical aptitude, diplomacy. You also need stamina, because in addition to looking after existing customers, the acquisition of new customers is also part of the job.
Have you always lived in California?
Lucas: No, I started at Pepperl+Fuchs in Twinsburg about seven years ago. I was part of the sales co-op program when I was still an engineering student at the University of Akron. This program is a special form of career entry. You already work in the company parallel to your studies and go through different areas, such as development or sales. This gives you a very good insight into the company and you get to know the products. After graduating, I worked on the Pepperl+Fuchs mobile exhibit for about nine months, traveling all over North America. Then, I got the opportunity to move to California, where I’ve been for the past five years. I started out as an account manager and then got promoted to area sales manager.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Lucas: I like staying active any way I can, especially mountain biking, rock climbing, and surfing. I surf as much as humanly possible—three times per week minimum and also sometimes before work. I also play drums in a rock band. We play shows all around Los Angeles, and we’re getting ready to release a new album soon.
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LUCAS
Area Sales Manager
Working for Pepperl+Fuchs since 2011
30 years old