Brands Behind the Scenes: Sales at Bestseller

Last month, we visited Bestseller UK’s head office and showroom in Shoreditch as part of Brand's Behind the Scenes, Season 2. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel now.

We spoke to Amy, a key account manager for Only, one of Bestseller’s brands. She told us about her role, and why Bestseller loves working with the Fashion Retail Academy!

How did you get into sales?

I studied marketing and fashion at university. I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to go down, but I wanted something creative with a business mindset.

I got a job in buying after I graduated, and I worked at that business for 5 years! I moved all around the company in different roles and categories. I really enjoyed it. The best part of buying is the lifecycle: working with designers and suppliers, then seeing the products come into stores and analysing the sales.

In 2019, I wanted a new challenge so I started looking for new roles. I found a sales job on LinkedIn at Bestseller. If I’m honest, I didn’t think sales was for me. I thought it was aggressive, dominant men walking around screaming on the phones! But I could not have been more wrong.

I really enjoyed my interview, and I knew from the moment I arrived that it was the place for me!

What do you love about Bestseller?

I love working for Bestseller. Describing my job in three words, it’s fun, fast-paced and family-orientated. We all work together towards the same goals. It’s a really great environment to work in.

Working for an international fashion company is eye-opening. I remember in my first week at Bestseller, I went to Denmark and saw the scale of the business. I was sitting in a showroom with 10 people, all from different countries. You get a real sense for the different global markets, and it’s great to learn from your peers in those meetings.

What was it like moving from buying to a sales role?

I moved into sales was because it matched well with my previous experience. I go out to Denmark and view the products, and that's very similar to a buying role. I’m involved in product development and looking at inspiration for forward-order collections. All of our sales reports are also very similar to merchandising!

How would you describe your role?

Every day is different. I work on so many tasks each day - I could be selling a new collection, looking at trends and forecasting collections, analysing figures and reviewing sales, planning strategies. It’s fun and creative!

What is the best part about working in sales?

The best part is meeting people. I get to meet loads of people across the business, in the UK and in Denmark. I also get to meet clients face to face.

… and the hardest part?

The hardest part about sales is the pace. It’s always changing, and you’re juggling a lot of tasks at once. You have to have good time management to make sure you meet all your deadlines. I make sure to prioritise carefully, and I make a lot of lists!

Any secret tips for working in sales?

You should be passionate about what you’re selling. If you believe in your products, that comes across to your clients. Sales doesn’t have to be aggressive!

I think Bestseller has great products, and a lot of our clients are our friends. It’s not the typical customer relationship. We work together with them to achieve the best results.

You can watch the full interview with Amy and a tour of the Bestseller showroom on YouTube! Keep an eye out for the rest of Brands Behind the Scenes Season 2, or catch up with Season 1 now.