Meet Michelle

Head of Digital Sales

What do you do at Tele2? 

I am responsible for our Digital Sales team within the B2B area. It’s a fairly new function that we launched in the beginning of 2020 that has grown substantially over the past year. Our mission is to work with our enterprise customers in a more digitalized way. This means not only digitalizing our customer interactions but also building a more data-driven sales process internally. We want to provide our Account Managers with the right digital tools and information to have insight-driven conversations. With this concept we are responding to changes in B2B buying behavior: our customers have increasingly high expectations for digital touchpoints with their business partners. Our new way of working supports us in being more present and relevant earlier in our customer's buying journey.

What got you interested in working at Tele2? 

I joined Tele2 as an Executive Trainee working with the CFO and the Finance department. The good reputation of the Management Trainee program as well as Tele2's strong value-driven culture and people were certainly the two main factors that made me choose Tele2 as an employer.

What drew you to a career in sales?

Working in Sales gives me a great opportunity to understand from bottom-up how customers perceive Tele2 and how we generate our revenues. That is a lifelong learning experience from which I can benefit even in my future career. And of course, working in sales is really exciting! I am no doubt a competitive person and it is the best feeling when you win a deal or close a good quarter together as a team.

What is most rewarding about a sales career?

Sales is very numbers-driven so you may think it would be about results for me. But essentially it is all about relations between people. Starting up our team from zero and growing both our customer base and our customer relationships into strong partnerships are probably the most rewarding parts. When we get feedback from a happy customer who we helped to resolve a pain point and make the reality of their day-to-day work better – that is when I am really proud of my work. 

What is the most exciting part about your job? 

As a manager, you are the one helping colleagues to reach and exceed their goals. The most fun part about my job is really seeing the individuals in the team develop and grow both personally and professionally. You can have a positive impact on someone's life and career that goes beyond his or her current role, which is a big responsibility but also the best part of my job.

Describe a typical day at work. 

There is no typical day. You are facing new challenges, new puzzles to solve every single day. At Tele2 there is always something new happening, it is always in action. That is what makes the job so exciting!

A central part of my work and something I handle on a daily basis is coaching the 10 people on my team in the best possible way so they can deliver great sales results and helping to ensure that everyone is experiencing a good and healthy working environment, no matter whether they are working remotely or onsite. I also work with sales forecasting, analyzing sales results and aligning next steps with our commercial and product teams.

Last but not least, I always try to lift the perspective from the day-to-day by thinking a bit bigger and developing our Digital Sales team further, so we stay one step ahead of the competition.

Describe the culture at Tele2. 

Even though Tele2 has grown into a big company, it has this entrepreneurial fearless spirit in its walls. We have a culture that welcomes individuals with new ideas and who dare to step up, take ownership and have a strong drive to make a positive impact. 

How would you describe the managers at Tele2? 

Your manager is your coach, like the coach on the football field, who wants to bring out the best in you and help you grow in your role. So far my managers at Tele2 have all been very supportive and given me a lot of agency and responsibility. They have also been there, not only as a professional but as a fellow human being when you go through a tougher period. I appreciate that a lot. 

What makes Tele2 stand out from other employers?

Tele2 is a workplace that does not try to put you into a box but rather helps you grow as an individual and makes sure that your professional role brings out your personal strengths. What also sets Tele2 apart from other companies of this size is that I do not perceive Tele2 as very hierarchical. Your voice is heard and listened to and everyone is open to dialogue independent of his or her role in the company. 

What is important for you as an employee? 

It is important to me that I feel appreciated for my work, that I can be open and that my input and ideas are valued. 

What expectations do you set for your colleagues?

Mutual respect and collaboration are two things that matter a lot to me in interactions with my colleagues. We are a team that strives together to achieve a common goal, not only when everything goes perfectly well but also when you are facing a problem. We do not play the blame game but instead work together to resolve it. I think that is really important for well-functioning teams.

What is it like working in Kista? 

The office in Kista is an open and social space that invites cross-team collaboration. During the past year, there has of course been a lot of remote work due to the pandemic. While it worked out really well, I miss the chats with my colleagues by the coffee machine and our joint lunch breaks. 

What has been your best experience at Tele2 so far? 

About a year and a half ago, I had the opportunity to moderate our annual sales conference together with some of my colleagues. That was a fantastic experience to see people from all parts of Sweden coming together and feel the energy in the room. I hope at some point in the future we will be able to have these types of events again. 

What would you say to people who are interested in working at Tele2? 

Tele2 is a fantastic place to work for people who are is driven to take on responsibility and are looking for an opportunity to apply an entrepreneurial mindset within a large company. You will be surrounded by smart, fun and engaging colleagues who want to achieve big things together!