Job Responsibilities
My current position requires me to coach the sales associates to
be the best they can be. In the incentive/performance culture of
ING DIRECT it is imperative that each sales associate get the
attention that they need. Sales coaching takes on different
forms depending on the needs of the particular associate. A
sales coach will remotely monitor calls for compliance, pull the
associate into a listening room to listen to their own calls and
the call of other associations, and conduct side by sides with
the associate while they are on the phone. Since the Sales Coach
is more experienced than the associate the coach will frequently
take calls while the associate listens in. There is a small
amount of administrative work for the assistant sales coach. It
is usually our boss (coach) that does most of the performance
reviews, timesheets, and other administrative duties. An
assistant coach does track the progress of the associates on
their team. There is usually an average of 10 associates in
which we are responsible.
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Job Requirements
To be promoted to an assistant coach you would have had to be a
sales associate on the floor for at least 1 year. You would have
had to be a top performer consistantly. A new career path has
just been established for the company and now the sales
associates must go from the general sales and service position to
the next level of asset sales then to assistant sales coach.
They must also complete certain personal development courses to
be eligible for promotion. These things are being developed
right now and are still being resolved in the career pathing of
the individual.
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Uppers
There is a lot of freedom in being an asst sales coach. It is not a project
driven job but a task driven job with really no deadlines. The excitement of
seeing someone improve due to your coaching is very exciting. Also because being
a sales associate is an entry level job you get to do career mentoring with the
associate which is very exciting.
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Downers
The worst part is when you spend so much time with someone and
they don't improve. Some associates get jaded from being on the
phones day in and day out. This is why career development is so
important in a call center environment. My job also requires me
to get on the phones if call volume is high. This can be
frustrating because I have to step away from my plans for the day
and into a new role. This leaves little time for coaching.
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Lifestyle
Work hours are pretty flexible. Most people work 9-6 with an hour lunch. ING
DIRECT is an hour lunch kind of culture. You will rarely find people working
9-5:30. Asst coaches are required to work 1 weekend (usually two 4-6 hours
shifts) every month and a half. You may also find yourself working 12-9pm once
every 3 months or so for one week. The call center is open from 7am to 9pm
daily. There is no business travel required at this level. There is a sales
conference each year where prizes are awarded, a nice dinner, and dancing. There
is also an overnight company retreat where there are team building excercises,
fun and games. Dress code is business casual.
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Compensation
Base salary for my position is 35k plus monthly incentive.
Incentive ranges from 700 to 1100 per month depending on your
teams performance. Vacation acrual is 16 hours per month plus
bank holidays. 401k is a 4% match (i think--maybe 5%). There is
a year end bonus which is based on the acheivement of 5 goals
which you choose at the beginning of the year. The percentage is
based off your base salary. Last year I received $7500 bonus.
There is a free gym in the wilmington building.
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Advice to Jobseekers
This company is a growing company and there is some room for
advancement. If you come in at an entry level position you have
to work really hard on the phones, being in the top rankings, and
have a great attitute. You can start on the phones and move to
other departments that support the sales center or even move on
to finance, marketing, etc. You have to like change because the
company is so new and it is growing and changing everyday. You
have to be flexible. There are always openings to be a sales
associate.
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