|
Aline Barker thrives on challenges. When she found herself an unwed pregnant teenager, she vowed that she was not going to be a burden on society, that she would make a contribution and have a career.
While being a mother to her baby daughter, she finished high school and then went to work. Over the years, she has taken on a smorgasbord of jobs including retail, receptionist, real estate and property management. Promotions often came quickly for this dynamic woman, who in one instance went from receptionist to manager in a mere two months. But after 13 years working for shopping centres, Aline was ready for a change.
“I’m the type of person, who needs to be challenged and stimulated and my current position wasn’t enough of a challenge anymore. There wasn’t anywhere else in Calgary that I could go with my shopping centre career, and a move to Toronto was out of the question.”
At about the same time, she stumbled across a product that she simply fell in love with. As a professional woman, she knew appearance plays an important role, and that she needed to look polished while on the job. Over the years, Aline had searched in vain for lip colour that stayed where it was supposed to, one that wouldn’t smudge onto a drinking glass, or hands or clothing. “I had spent lots of money on lip colour, she tells me, “but they never delivered.”
When she tried Senegence’s LipSense product she thought, “Wow, finally someone has come up with a product that does what it says it does.” After trying the skin care products as well, she was so enthusiastic she started inquiring about the company and researching the potential of being one of the company’s representatives.
With fewer than 100 representatives currently operating in Canada, Aline saw tremendous opportunity both for herself and to help build the company, especially in Alberta and Western Canada.
Her years of selling everything from cosmetics to jewelry to health products to high end women’s clothing and real estate serve her well in this venture. Add to this a genuine love of sales and you have a recipe for success. “I love selling” she says. “I love interacting with people and helping them. I get really energized by helping them find something that will make their lives easier.”
She particularly enjoys working with other women and boosting their confidence by teaching them how easy it is to polish their appearance, to feel good about themselves, and to take time for themselves.
“Because that’s what it all boils down to. With women, if you take time for yourself and your appearance you feel better about yourself. If you feel confident about the way you look, you’ll be better at everything. You’ll be a better wife, mom; you’ll be a better employee. It affects everything. And if it’s as simple as putting on a lip colour, how great is that?”
One of the most important things she has learned is to listen to what people are trying to say. “Sometimes we get so busy and wrapped up in the direction we want to go in that we don’t pay attention to the person sitting across the table from us. We need to remember that it’s not always about us”
Aline emphasizes how important it is to listen to a client’s needs and to really develop a relationship and rapport with each one. “For some people it’s just about the sales. But I’m not interested in having thousands of clients. I want a group of clients who love the product, who I can provide with the best customer service and who know they can trust me. I feel I have integrity, values and ethics and when people do business with me they can trust me.”
Her position as manager of special leasing with a shopping mall has also groomed her for the many demands of running her own small business. Responsible for renting out mall carts and kiosks primarily to small independent businesses looking to launch a retail concept, she developed an intimate knowledge of some of the challenges inherent with that path.
Because much of her job involved working with people just starting out, her duties extended beyond simply acting as a leasing agent; she was also called upon to be a resource in helping them grow their business and had an opportunity to learn what was required.
When asked what accomplishments she is proudest of, Aline lists her marriage, her daughter, and her career – specifically getting from where she started to where she is now. Clearly she’s in no danger of breaking her vow to make a contribution to society.
By Marie Sedivy
|
| |
|
