Isabel Darbyshire believes her Mancunian background will be “massively helpful” to her new role as trade sales manager for the north of England at Sani/Ikos Group.
Joining from Enterprise, the tourism management graduate is tasked with deepening agency partnerships across the region and supporting the delivery of the brand’s 13-property portfolio across Greece and Spain.
She will specifically work to ensure Northern agents, who represent a significant portion of Sani/Ikos’ sales, are fully equipped to sell all of its high-end all-inclusive and "Infinite Lifestyle" concepts.
Speaking exclusively to TTG Luxury, Darbyshire – who also has roots in Lancashire – said her local knowledge is key to navigating the territory and identifying growth opportunities.
"I definitely think being Mancunian is a massive help," she said. “I know the hotspots and the places to scout – the Cheshire area, Hale, Altrincham."
Having already worked at Manchester Airport for Enterprise, Darbyshire says she is “really excited” to return to her home ground. "I’m back and I’m ready to stay here for a good long mile," she said.
Darbyshire will begin her journey at Sani/Ikos with a three-week induction on the road, shadowing colleagues on their visits to the agencies in the Midlands and the south.
Darbyshire says she is "open-minded" and wants to learn from the agents
Following this, Darbyshire has a "jam-packed" May, with eight dedicated account visits across the North of England already in the calendar. She will also be embarking on a number of site tours, including the newest member of the Sani/Ikos brand, Ikos Kissamos.
She added that her current priority is to build strong relationships with the trade: “I really want to let the agents know how valued they are to the product because they’re part of the customer experience and we know that 100%.”
To support this, she is currently focused on developing her understanding of the Sani/Ikos brand. "I want my product knowledge to be down to a T," she said. Her relationships with the agents is key to this education.
“As someone who is new to the industry, I'm not going to come in, all guns blazing,” she said. “I want to use the agents for knowledge about the product as much as they want to use me. I just really want to be a team with them.”
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