Terra Littman of Captivate -- A 1stFive Profile

Terra Littman National Director of Sales at Captivate had her doubts when applying for the director position as she had never had a job in sales but it was her poise during the interview that likely landed her the job quotI was intimidated by the titlequot Terra admits quotI thought it would be a great position and a great company but I didn39t know if I would be ready for that kind of a sales rolequotTerra graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Tourism Management in 2010 and as a selfdescribed people personamp160she had aspirations of working in event planning in the hospitality industry After graduation Terra moved back to her hometown of Highland Park Illinois and worked as a publicity intern in Chicago for restaurant and nightclub development companyamp160Rockit Ranch Productions While primarily involved in event management she additionally had the opportunity to learn about marketing advertising and promotions After the internship Terra accepted a position as a reservation sales agent for the Hard Rock Hotel She and her colleague managed all the reservations for the entire hotel located in the heart of downtown Chicago The job was hectic but it helped her to develop essential problem solving skills that have stayed with her throughout her careerBefore long Terra found herself interviewing at Captivate where she had to present and sell the company39s services to a prospective client Terra felt that she didn39t have quottraditionalquot sales experience but she was excited and determined to win them over On why they may have offered her the position over someone with more experience Terra says that she thinks quotthey thought that I would be able to adapt to whatever setting I39m in and be confident even without knowing a tonquotIn Terra39s first year on the job Captivate went through many internal changes and the outofhome marketplace continued to grow becoming increasingly digital The company was founded in 1997 as a network of small elevator screens displaying the daily time and temperature In 2004 Captivate was acquired by Gannett which integrated content into the platform Terra joined the team in 2012 and by 2013 Captivate had been partially acquired once more by growth equity firmamp160Generation PartnersquotWhen I first started I was doing national salesquot she recalls quotThey looked at me and said 39You39re the youngest person doing this You don39t have a lot of experience39quot The new management ultimately created a new role Regional Sales Director amp160with Terra in mind focusing on allowing sales representatives to handle smaller accounts and learn what sales is all about After a full year selling regionally Terra had thrived quotThey said that they wanted to make the position larger so they hired about 10 more people placed all over the US to take on what I had done and succeeded inquot she says Terra hit her regional sales goal two years in a row and was moved back into the role of National Sales Director where she now sells digital outofhome ad space in Wisconsin Minneapolis Kentucky Indianaamp160and Tennessee as well as Chicago Terra is pictured below second from right at the Captivate Sales Conference in TorontoCaptivate now utilizes regional managers a position that Terra piloted where team members can climb the ladder and steadily be introduced to a sales market quotIt39s been exciting to seeamp160Captivate is such a unique product and there has been a lot of growthquot says Terra who has grown just as much as the company39s offerings Captivate acquired the Wall Street Journal39s Office Media Network in 2014 increasing its screens from 10000 to 12000 in North AmericaTerra notes that Captivate39s content is one of their selling points Clients have the ability to segment and target buildings directing their messaging to the right people quotEveryone in the building is an employer but a consumer as well so they39re making a lot of personal decisions at workquot Terra explains quotThat39s how we can connect with and reach people A lot of times if you have to book a flight you39ll do it during the workdayquotTerra39s favorite part about working in sales is the myriad of opportunities quotAlmost everything is a sales job I like interacting with different people and companies amp8230 I39m a people pleaser It39s a good personality to have in sales I would thinkquot she jokesShe has observed that having a digital component within the OOH space is a rising trend that isn39t going away any time soon While Captivate isn39t a digital property they39ve prioritized the ability to measure and track the value of their product quotCaptivate is Nielsen measured We39re always able to show how many ads we39ve delivered and we use a panel to keep up with our audience and figure out what they like and dislikequot she says quotWe can put together case studies and serve our clients needsquotLooking ahead Terra plans to set benchmarks toward her success quotI want to have a goal in mind for salesamp8230 a monetary value that I39m setting for myself not just that my company sets for mequot She is interested in managing a team expanding her sales marketsamp160and exploring more of the mobile landscapeWhen Terra isn39t at work she often visits her hometown in the suburbs of Chicago where her younger sister and parents live Terra cites her dad as her No 1 mentor He runs the family business a lighting and home furniture store alongside his brothers a dynamic thatamp160has always provided Terra with a strong sense of balance and leadership quotI saw how he conducts his business and how he treats people with respectquot she says quotHe39s been very successful growing the business online and on the commercial sidequot Terra left is pictured below with her familyWhile her work can be stressful at times Terra carries this grounded work ethic with her quotI try to look at the glass as half fullquot she says quotIt39s good for your mind and sets yourself aside from your dayquot Terra also practices yoga and takes walks around her neighborhood to unwindHaving the flexibility and creativity to rise to the occasion is a highly soughtafter characteristic in the workplace Terra has not only continued to meet her sales goals but she39s been able to become a star team player acclimating to a challenging sales role with grace and determination and with the track record to prove it quotI39m excited to see where it goes and how it evolvesquot she says of the OOH industry quotIt39s a great place to be I like what I sell and I believe in itquotThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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Terra Littman of Captivate -- A 1stFive Profile

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