Ziply Fiber delivers the fastest, most secure fiber internet service to homes and businesses throughout the Northwest. And guiding that effort is our Residential Sales team — dedicated professionals who spend every day working with members of the community to explain the value of fiber internet and why Ziply Fiber is the best option for their home. We spoke with Erin Lawrence, a Regional Sales Manager, to discover more about the team and the work they do.
The Residential Direct Sales organization is made up of five interrelated divisions: Multiple-Dwelling Unit (MDU) Account Management, Door-to-Door Account Executives, Third-Party Contract Sales, Sales Operations and Sales Enablement. This integrated structure is intended to make anything from strategy to conversation at the door seamless.
"Multiple-Dwelling Unit (apartments), Door-to-Door, and Third-Party are our profit-driving arms," Erin says. "Sales Ops and Sales Enablement are the foundation. They're ensuring the folks on the ground have the toolset, insights and support in place to perform."
So, what distinguishes our sales team? In Erin's opinion, it's a matter of how the team is put together — and how they treat the people doing the putting together.
“We're actually careful with people and business development," she says. "We put money into growing our people. If somebody wants to become a leader, we give them a roadmap on how to do it. If they wish to get better at their craft and do their job with greater excellence, we give them training and tools so they can do that."
It’s been worth it — not just in terms of high retention, but in the quality of team performance. "Our most productive performers are typically our best supported ones," she explains.
With operations spread out over multiple regions, the Residential Sales team must remain cohesive across time zones and territories. Frequent meetings between top leaders and regional managers achieve a unified approach.
“As senior leaders, it's our responsibility to remove the roadblocks," says Erin. "If there's a challenge that a sales rep is encountering in the field, we have to hear about it and correct it in a timely manner." That discipline also has room for innovation and strategy to percolate quickly — something crucial in a job where a handful of percentage points can make or break it.
Of course, the work isn't easy — particularly for the Door-to-Door Account Executives, who have to contend with the age-old dilemma of how to get someone to open the door. "Our close ratio is five times higher when someone is actually at home and talking to us," Erin explains. "We have our people going out evenings and weekends, when folks are home and in a more receptive mind set to chat." It's old-school outreach, but it works — provided the person at the door has some faith in the product.
Erin's team doesn't have to resort to sales gimmicks or tricks. The product's word of mouth works well. "People choose us because we have faster speeds, more consistent service and no data caps or contracts," she says. "Our pricing is simple and transparent. And we have America's fastest home internet."
That's what people connect with. When somebody says yes, it's not only a victory for the rep — it's helping us toward our larger purpose of getting to more people in more places with fiber internet.
The second important component of the sales machine is the Business Development group, which reports to Sales Operations. While others are going door-to-door, this group is negotiating in the background with owners and developers of properties to bring fiber connectivity to new developments and emerging neighborhoods.
When asked what customers do when Ziply Fiber moves into a new town, Erin doesn't hesitate: "The most frequent thing we hear is, 'Finally, you're here!' In every single new town or neighborhood that we enter, the people welcome us with open arms."
For Erin, all the hard work is worth it, not only because of the outcome, but because of the culture. "It's a great mix of fun, growth and performance," she says. "We feed off each other. We compete constructively. And we celebrate wins together."
And yes, new hires are wonderful, but we measure success beyond the bottom line.
"We're interested in employees' happiness and retention," Erin explains. "That's why we have team-building sessions, group objectives, sales blitzes and even group role-plays. We don't want employees to merely enjoy what they do, but to love it and be supported along the way."
If you're interested in joining the Residential Direct Sales team, or another team at Ziply Fiber, click here to view our current employment opportunities.
