Within his years of service to TGP, Rajah Ahmed has made a positive significant impact over the sales floor in the Leeds office, he consistently strives for excellence and creates a climate of continuous improvement, his passion for excellence and engagement with customers have made him the top salesperson within SME. So let's find out a little more about him...
What is your best advice to progress within Sales in the organisation?
When I started within the company over 12 years ago, I knew that I wanted to make a lasting impact and ensure I created my own openings and opportunities.
This was achieved by taking on additional responsibility through my own initiative and making sure I am surpassing my targets and objectives consistently while doing this. I think it’s all about adding value to your role and what you bring to the table. I believe progression goes hand in hand with the ability to showcase your application of knowledge and expertise you’ve gained over the years.
What is your favourite thing about working at TGP?
Every day is a new challenge; I’m always excited to see what I can get out of the day and try to ensure that I keep a high level of energy and output. I really like trying to make a positive impact and help to work alongside my team and the department, it feels good to be able to make a difference which is notable and hard to ignore.
What are you involved with now?
Having done every aspect of the sales cycle and a short stint in management, I’m currently focusing on my original passion at TGP - larger consuming customers within SME. They need much more attention and discussion with regards to their contract and requirements, and more of a consultative approach, so I thrive on being able to maximise the potential within this portfolio and thankfully have had the opportunity and freedom to build on this over the years, which has paid off substantially.
What are some of your best achievements at TGP?
That’s a tough one, because I personally think increasing my value and expertise to the organisation year on year is an achievement in itself, which keeps me relevant, but I think it would be more of a collective of milestones over the years, but notably, there’s been a few large value contracts around 300k along the way and then there was surpassing over 3.5 million pounds in value for the year. But a time that stood out to me, was when I recognised and awarded the best salesperson within SME and within the TGP Sales staff as a whole-which was quite a few years ago. I was still a rookie, but I felt that I’d finally made an impact that I worked so hard for at the time and we had a fantastic awards ceremony at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant at Stamford Bridge, which was a lovely experience.
What makes a top salesperson?
I think it’s down to your mentality and strength of character. You can have all the training in the world, but you really need to be a quick thinker and must genuinely want and be willing to grind for the success and rewards that can be achieved through sales. Work rate is also very important, but it’s the quality of what you do that can be the difference between a good contract or an exceptional contract, it’s all down to maximising the opportunity and not cutting it short for yourself.
Tell us something we don’t know about you?
I was really into Art as a kid; my mum was always drawing and painting, so I guess I got it from her. I was entered into and won a few competitions for my junior school and appeared in the local paper for my drawings.
You used to be a boxer and won several competitions; would you like to talk about the top highlights and this experience?
I started when I was six and was eventually boxing at heavyweight and won titles for various regions, all by the time I’d started high school, which was rare for a kid my age at the time. Most of my opponents were much older and taller than me but I idolised Mike Tyson, studied and tried to replicate his style so much that my trainer Keith would call me ‘Mini Mike’. My main highlight was I finished undefeated in over 60 bouts and fought at national level in the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABA’s -now known as England Boxing). I wish I could have carried on and turned professional but had to quit due to surgery.
What is the best memory you have about it?
My best memory was winning the North East title and having my parents and brothers cheering me on in the crowd, I remember I threw up before the fight because of nerves. I also qualified for the ABA British Championships but unfortunately didn’t have the chance to take part.
Who is your favourite Superhero and why?
I would have to say Superman, but specifically Christopher Reeves’ version. I like the fact that he was very selfless and with all his power and strength, showed a lot of vulnerability as Clark Kent. I loved his ability to fly around the world so quickly, his laser eyes and the fact that he was unbreakable. Reeves was also very smart, well-built, polite and handsome and I don’t think anyone else could do the role the same justice. I loved watching the movies growing up and they gave me a lot of energy and motivation.
