Patience is a virtue – Meet Alix, our UK Sales Manager

patience is a virtue

Indeed, patience is a virtue and adopting a methodical approach to the workload is a winning combination for this industry expert.  Having planned weddings for more than 8 years, Alix Matania-Allerton is all too familiar with the key challenges for teams in the weddings hospitality sector.

WHAT IS YOUR TITLE/POSITION?

UK Sales Manager.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH WEDDINGDATES?

It will be 6 years in February 2023.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE CARRIED OVER TO YOUR CURRENT ROLE FROM YOUR PREVIOUS JOBS?

Before joining WeddingDates I spent 8 years as a wedding planner in a variety of different venues. From exclusive use country houses and 4* hotels, to riverside warehouses and marquees that seat 800 guests (plus a whole host of other venues in between)

During my time as a wedding/event planner I learnt 2 key skills which I use in my role today – patience and a methodical approach.

As a successful wedding planner I was constantly dealing with numerous events which meant spinning many plates – being methodical in my approach to each task was how I ensured nothing was missed.

Any event planner will know how much goes into each individual event and how it is never just the physical elements that need your attention, but also the emotions of your clients. A lot of patience is required when dealing with weddings as they are such an emotional purchase.

In my role at WeddingDates I enjoy using a methodical approach to researching/planning my sales strategy (I am a big fan of a spreadsheet!)
A certain level of patience is required in a sales role. It is important to be aware of your clients timeline and not just push your own agenda of how quickly you want a deal to close.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT WITHIN THIS ROLE TO DATE? (WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?)

For a number of years I was the only remote employee on the sales team at WeddingDates. Before I went on maternity leave in August 2021, I created an in depth sales training/onboarding manual. It was a labour of love getting all the knowledge out of my head and down into a clear format. Starting a new job is always a bit overwhelming but especially when it is a remote role and the rest of your team are in a different country. I knew that there would be challenges for the new team members and I wanted to make it as easy a transition as possible. The document I created is used to onboard new staff members to the business and welcome them to the WeddingDates team.

Whilst on mat leave I kept up to date with how things were going and it was an absolute joy to return to work as part of a UK sales team and not just on my own anymore!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB AND WHY?

Before Covid and my Maternity Leave, I loved travelling and visiting venues, but recently I have been exploring how to use video content as a way to reach clients and share my expertise. 

I am really enjoying honing this new skill. It is challenging my creativity and whilst there have been some frustrations along the way, video always seems to be well received so I am looking forward to expanding this skill further as part of my role.

WHAT IS THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART OF YOUR JOB AND WHY?

With the team being spread across the UK and Ireland, we are not able to get together in person as much as we would like. We work hard to get together virtually and collaborate on projects but nothing beats being with your team in person!

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

I always wanted to be a dancer – I spent years studying performing arts but a knee injury made me rethink and I found my way into events/hospitality.

IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM FOR THIS JOB?

I would love for the sales team to grow more and for WeddingDates to expand into other countries.

WHAT IS THE COOLEST THING YOU’VE SEEN AT A WEDDING?

This might seem a bit boastful as it was actually at my own wedding but I can’t take any credit for it…..our videographers gave us a couple of GoPro cameras with the instruction to choose 2 guests to use them.

What came back was an absolutely incredible video from the point of view of our guests – there was stuff that we never would have seen/known about otherwise and I think we have actually watched that one back more over the years than the ‘official video’.

WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST/WORST THING YOU’VE SEEN OR HEARD OF AT A WEDDING?

I once ran a wedding that used an owl as the ring bearer which was pretty odd!

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WAYS TO SPEND A WEEKEND?

I love to be outside in warm weather as well as discovering vegan food places in new cities.

HAVE YOU ANY PARTICULAR HOBBIES/INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF WORK?

With 2 young kids I have very little time for hobbies right now but I am keen to learn a new skill and plan on taking a carpentry course in the near future.

HAVE YOU ANY GUILTY PLEASURES?

Nothing fancy but at the moment with the cold weather I love getting into bed early with a hot water bottle and bar of chocolate and bingeing something on Netflix. (clearly a tired mum of 2!)

IF MONEY WAS NO OBJECT, WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU WOULD BUY?

I would buy an RV and pack up the kids so we can travel and experience the world!

Photo by Farzn Dehbashi on Unsplash