Continuing our SDP Employee Spotlight series, this month we (virtually!) sat down with Regional Sales Director Christian Gibbs to learn more about his role at Southland Data Processing and how he helps businesses identify opportunities to streamline payroll & HR functions in their organizations.
1. How long have you been with Southland Data Processing, and what do you do here?
I’ve been with Southland Data Processing for a year and ten months now. I started out as a Junior Sales Rep learning the ropes in February 2019 and was promoted to a Regional Sales Director earlier this year.
Essentially, what I do is help businesses transfer over to SDP from their current payroll service. My job is to provide them with a price quote, gather employee information, and really make sure that their transition is as smooth as possible.
2. How did you first learn about Southland Data Processing?
I heard about SDP through a friend-of-a-friend who had worked here. Everyone already kind of knew me and when they were hiring for the Sales department it seemed like a great fit! The team was more than happy to train me and get me ready to start selling.
3. What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me can vary, but I do try to keep some level of consistency throughout my week. First thing in the morning, I reconnect with any clients or prospects I’ve been working with via email. Then, I try to schedule a call block or two to get in touch with new businesses.
We’re very active with our local Chambers of Commerce like Upland, San Dimas, and Claremont, so sometimes I’ll participate in Chamber events. And then I also spend time reaching out to other local businesses who could use help with compliance or law changes.
At the end of the day, I take some time to recap and enter everything into our CRM. That way, I can schedule reminders for the next day or later in the week to make sure I’m covering all of my bases.
4. What is one of your proudest moments you’ve had while working at SDP?
My promotion to Regional Sales Director was a really awesome experience. I also had a very inspirational one-on-one with our CEO Renita Bess that greatly impacted me. She shared a lot of her personal story which showed me that we really are all a team here.
Lastly, we recently built out our own internal CRM and voted on a name for it. I was really proud that my name for the system, CRIS (Client Relationship Information System), was selected. It’s also a double-win for me because it’s my nickname!
5. If you could switch jobs with anyone else at SDP, whose job would you choose, and why?
That’s such a tough question! Every person on the SDP team has such a critical role in our operations. However, I think I would stay with a Sales position, just maybe switching with our VP of Sales Michael Reis!
6. What are three words you would use to describe Southland Data Processing?
I would have to say proactive, responsible, and compassionate.
We’re proactive in letting businesses know about laws and other payroll and HR information that has changed. Beyond that, we have specific processes and procedures in place to protect our client data.
Finally, we like to be active in the community, and even have a Give Back Program for our nonprofit partners where we give back about 10% of our annual revenue to those organizations.
7. What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my free time, I really enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I like going to concerts, traveling, and am a big movie buff, so I’ve definitely had to adapt due to COVID! Now it’s a lot more of intimate or virtual get-togethers with close friends and family.
8. What are your top 5 Clifton Strengths and what do they say about you?
My top 5 strengths are competition, analytical, strategic, achiever, and deliberative. I’m very competitive with myself as well as other people. I love to get people fired up to push themselves above and beyond.
Also, I look for patterns and possible outcomes to find the most efficient way to meet my objectives. And being an achiever, I view each day as a fresh opportunity to start out at zero and work my way up to 100%.
9. What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was Virtual Selling by Jeb Blount. Our Sales Team actually has a book club, and this was our latest selection! We started reading it at the start of the pandemic when common sales practices were just completely flipped upside down.
In the book, Jeb takes a dive into how to respond and adapt to changes, beyond just “selling”. It led us to really take a hard look at our mission of helping businesses and taking that beyond the traditional sales process. I’d strongly recommend it!
10. What is a motto or personal mantra you have?
I like to tell myself, “what you do with one thing, you do with all things.” That’s basically saying that what you do with one little thing in your life translates to how you look at all things in life.
Whether you’re studying for a quiz or a midterm or preparing for a demo with a large company or a small company–it’s the same mentality each and every time.
SDP Employee Spotlights: Celebrating Our Team
We hope you enjoyed this month’s employee spotlight! Here at Southland Data Processing, we’re in the people business, and we know that our success is due to our amazing team. What did you think? Is there another employee you’d like to learn more about? Let us know in the comments below!