Here at Activo, we’re proud to work with some of the best in IT, Networking, and Telecommunications. Come with us to get to know our team members better, gathering insight into their career paths and what they love about Activo.
Get to Know Joanna Shank, Senior National Account Executive
Joanna Shank is a long-term member of the Activo team, and has been a part of our family for over nine years. She’s been involved in the sales of IT, networking, and telecommunications for over 20 years, and is a highly respected and well-known name in the industry whom we’re lucky to have with us.
As a senior national account executive in sales, Joanna is responsible for helping customers across Canada make the best business decisions for their technology needs. She provides the answers our customers need, offering a personal approach to sales with her guidance, connections, and deep knowledge base.
We spoke with Joanna to gather more insight into her career, her passions, and to better understand what she loves about working at Activo.
What makes your work in sales at Activo different?
At Activo, I get to help customers all over Canada make the best business decisions. I help them not only with their buildings, but with their footprint across Canada.
Activo is an integrator with a broad spectrum of services there’s no limits to what we offer. We design and build multiple solutions in multiple types of technology, from infrastructure, to wireless, audio and visual, and more. Thanks to that, I have the flexibility to provide full, end-to-end, or standalone services to my customers.
Some companies offer a limited number of services and tell you once you’re in sales you’re only selling one product. At Activo, I get to have a creative and collaborative approach with customers and help them build a design that works best for them with all of our solutions.
Why do you love working in sales?
I have a different approach to sales. Sales comes straight from my heart – I don’t feel like I’m accountable for just selling ‘stuff’.
I love that I get to have a more consultative, relationship-based approach to my career and position. I get to work very closely with my customers, and I get to be passionate about them and their businesses. I enjoy that at the end of the day, I’ve helped them solve problems, and make them feel good about the job they did that day.
If I didn’t feel like I was adding value or helping my customer, I wouldn’t do this.
What benefit is there in this relationship-based sales approach for your customers?
I’m close with so many of my customers and understand them deeply, which allows me to be a thought leader for them. Knowing their company, I get to introduce them to highlights and new items in the market that may be of interest to them, connect them to other people in the industry, and try to add value into the relationship any chance that I get.
What is the best advice you can offer someone looking to join the Activo team?
My best advice would be to be prepared to have a flexible and creative approach to customers. We don’t play by a standard playbook, you have the ability to do unique things with the support of a stable and accessible senior management team.
We’re in this to help people, and that’s the major priority here at Activo. This is a place where you can grow and foster and feel comfortable adding your own value.
What is your favourite part of coming to work?
I love being able to look around and see people, and be able to share with them how much we appreciate them, and see all the great work they’re doing. We’re a large company, but we still have a family-feel as we interact with each other and our customers on a daily basis.
What skill do you think everyone should learn?
I think interpersonal skills are so important. It’s vital to learn how to work closely with your ecosystem partners, so that you can bring the best to your customers.
For more information about Activo, our team, and what makes us different, check out our about page. To get in touch with our team and find out how we can help, contact us today.
