In April, we asked readers to tell us who they thought scored 10 out of 10 so we could celebrate our industry’s top achievers who consistently out-perform their colleagues. The criteria were that the person had to be between 25 and 35-years-old, and work either in a media agency or a media owner sales team. Meet Lesley-Ann Fortuin.
Tell us about your job
I’m a Senior Account Executive within the Algoa FM local direct sales team. The objective of my job is to find, keep and grow the right customers for our business.
We offer our clients a myriad of needs-matched solutions from on air and digital to on the ground integrated campaigns. The sky’s the limit!
In sales we’re fortunate that we can assess information to identify and create opportunities for our clients and ourselves that directly contribute to brand development and the bottom line.
I also offer input on our product development. Being in front of clients everyday gives us an edge in gathering market information and adapting our offerings accordingly as trends change.
Why are you passionate about what you do?
I love the fact that no two days are ever the same, even after 14 years. The game keeps changing, the pressures keep changing and the only constant is change itself.
What I enjoy even more is that we make a difference in our clients’ lives by giving them a voice and presence that they might not have had before.
I get bored very easily so I’m definitely in the right industry. There are few things more rewarding than a client sincerely thanking you for your service having had a positive impact on their business.
I also appreciate the fact that I have an incredibly supportive boss who guides me and allows me the freedom to develop my skills. My teammates are incredible – without their commitment, hard work and excellence, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.
What makes you suited to your role?
Life hasn’t always been easy for me – I’ve had to adapt to many different situations to survive and I believe that gives me an edge. I don’t mind change and I’m not scared of hard work and learning new things. If I don’t get it first time, I’m not embarrassed to keep asking until I do. My perseverance and glass half-full attitude (most days!) has brought me far on my journey. I assume yes when going in for the close.
What have been some career highlights and lowlights?
Making the Nelson Mandela Bay Top 40 under 40 has definitely been one of the biggest highlights for me professionally. Also, achieving AE of the year in my very first year of full-time selling.
Losing a client is always a lowlight, no matter what the reason may be.
What major opportunities do you see in your field of work?
Algoa FM is a very dynamic media company that embraces the changing media landscape and realigns strategies accordingly on every platform.
I definitely see the collaboration of our traditional products with the digital and social media space as a huge growth opportunity in terms of reach, engagement and revenue, which I’m very excited about.
What are some of the challenges?
Budget constraints. Clients fearing to try new things and bad information. Plus, the shortage of locally-run businesses opening up in our marketplace.
What do you see in the future of media agencies/media owners?
Market trends changing faster and faster will make remaining relevant more challenging. Strategies will need to be re-evaluated more often to stay in the game. I feel we’ll be put under more and more pressure from our clients for ROI, faster results and turnaround times. Consumers want instant gratification.
Your views on social media and its usefulness
Embrace it. I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon! It’s a powerful industry tool whether it’s part of a synergised marketing campaign, market intelligence tool, news story or just in terms of trying to understand how consumers feel, engage andexperience, our clients and their competitors brands.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt during your career?
Keep your eyes and ears open, there are opportunities all around us when we see and hear things differently.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Definitely still working in or with the media. I would love to be in some sort of management role.
To vote for Lesley-Ann Fortuin send an email to lauren@wagthedog.co.za with your choice.
This story was first published in the July 2016 issue of The Media magazine.
