2020 has been a year of big changes in terms of the way we all work – but for some employees more than others! Dan Lawrenson is one of those team members who not only had to get to grips with a new way of working due to Covid, but also a whole new role. There aren’t many people who could move from finance into end user sales in a healthcare-focused business, in the middle of a global pandemic, without getting flustered. In fact, we feel a little flustered just typing that sentence! But Dan has long proved himself to be cool-headed, logical and most of all dedicated to doing a great job, and he has taken all the upheaval in his stride. We’re delighted to announce that he is a deserving winner of our Employee of the Month Award for October!
Hi Dan! Congratulations – how does it feel to win Employee of the Month?
I’m delighted to win! It’s a great compliment to receive an accolade like this from your colleagues at any time but for me, it’s especially nice to get it when I’ve recently started a new role with the company. I’ve been learning a lot and getting to grips with new skills, so it’s a great feeling to know I’m doing a good job.
Tell us a bit about your career so far – how long have you been with Belroc, and what did you do before this?
I started with Belroc in June 2012, right after leaving high school. Obviously there is a big difference between high school and business! I started off in the warehouse, shipping and production and gradually started into short times in most departments and ended up doing bookkeeping and administrative Finance tasks. I took an Advanced Business Management course in 2014 which I found this way I could learn at the same time as implementing course knowledge. In 2017 I was appointed Finance Director and then this year I switched lanes a little bit, taking on a sales role in End User Business Development.
What’s your typical day like?
My normal day starts around 7am and usually finishes up around 4.30 or 5pm. I’m still transitioning from my finance role but I would say that 90% of my day now is taken up with sales activities, including the weekly sales ‘power hour’. I’ve been able to hand off a lot of my finance duties to our new part time CFO, Bill, and Michelle of course is doing a great job there too. I’m very much enjoying the client contact my new role has brought to my professional life, and I spend a good portion of my day talking to customers about their needs.
What’s your favorite thing about your role?
My favourite thing about working at Belroc has always been the opportunity to work as one part of the overall ‘machine’ wot move the company forward, and that hasn’t changed. The difference is that now, I get to do that by bringing new customers on board and that’s something I’m really enjoying. I also relish the problem-solving aspect of my role – finding solutions to meet the customer’s needs.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Emails! I’m not very good at email and I’m getting a lot more of them than I used to before!
What would you say are essential attributes for somebody working in your role?
I would say you need good interpersonal skills, because sales is a very communication-focused role, and you need a problem-solving mentality to be able to analyze the challenges the customer has, and develop solutions. Other than that, you need to be organized – it’s a challenge to keep on top of all the enquiries!
Tell us a little bit about your home life. How do you relax?
I live on the west side of Kingston with my wife, Erin, and we’re expecting our first baby in the spring, so I’m really excited about that. To relax, I like to cook – my favourite thing is the barbecue but in bad weather you can still find me in the kitchen, experimenting.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
I learned to play the tuba in high school!
