THE CHALLENGER
StorIT’s Channel Account Manager, Anita Thomson says she got the first taste of the channel business as an accounts assistant with a vendor, admitting that her heart wasn’t in this job. Noticing her acumen for sales, one of the sales manager at the company, requested her help in an urgent situation as he was out of station. “That was the first leap into my sales career and I have not looked back ever since,” she says.
“As a product manager when I started handling the channel business, I was interested by the business acumen that the job required and the detailing with which it had to be handled. Seeing that I was managing my partners well, my MD suggested I handle the channel. I was looking forward to this change. And it is an interesting aspect of any distribution business,” she adds.
Coming across as a decisive person, she says that she has faced gender biases at times, as almost all her counterparts are men. “But being dynamic, I bond in such a way that it becomes easy and comfortable for interactions to happen.” The biggest strength that she brings to her work is her positive attitude. “I am always filled with hope and I never give up,” she adds. Meeting new partners and the challenge to bring them on board continues to motivate and keep her going each day.
Believing that the key to success is sheer hard work and faith in oneself, Thomson advises young aspirants, “To always have a positive attitude and be prepared for change— it is the essence of life. You need to adjust to the changing environment and this will make you successful.”
