How did I arrive at KEYSYS? This is quite the question when one has started her job in the middle of a Pandemic. It all goes back to one not-so-peaceful day in Yosemite National Park when I was packing up to go visit my grandparents in Florida. If packing is not stressful enough, try packing the car in the middle of a snowstorm, then driving 6 hours in the worst part of the storm, getting stuck on the side of the road for an hour, finally making it to the airport, and then having to change the flight last minute to an entirely different location, Sweet Home Alabama. And soon after arriving in Alabama and jumping into the arms of my loving parents, I learned that my hotel had to shut down due to COVID. So one snowstorm, a bit of panic, and a vacation turned into a staycation later, I was back in Birmingham, Alabama for good. And so, my job search began, which, unbeknownst to me, was the start of my KEYSYS journey.

I had known about KEYSYS and had heard about some work they had done for my old high school, but I didn’t fully know who KEYSYS was. After thoroughly researching, aka stalking, this company, I was so impressed with what I found.

Person after person spoke about KEYSYS’ transparency, honesty, passion, and authentic care for the communities KEYSYS served.

To have such values posted on a website is one thing, but to hear a company’s clientele speak so genuinely about a company that authentically lived out their core values was a completely different thing. To say the least, I was hooked.

Several interviews later, I had the great excitement of joining the KEYSYS family and starting my journey as a Client Representative. Even though I started in the middle of this pandemic and had to meet most of the team virtually, I felt welcomed and valued as a new member of the family.

Three months into the journey, my head is swimming with new knowledge, skills, and business wisdom. The entire KEYSYS team has been nothing but kind and helpful in getting me up to speed. Every software developer I work with has been so patient and kind in explaining the different systems, software tools, and services we use and create.

If I have a technical question, I know I can quickly hop on Zoom with someone and he or she will explain my software doubts away. In particular, working with the sales team has been of exceptional value. Instead of having one mentor, I have 4 well-versed sales leaders teaching me, guiding me, and helping me to succeed.

Several valuable lessons I have learned so far center on the importance of properly qualifying a new deal. Through watching live deals and talking with my mentors, I learned that understanding the intricate criteria for a new project is important to both the customer and KEYSYS.

From watching my team, I have learned the significance of asking questions and listening to understand.

Asking clarifying questions is important to clients because:

• It optimizes the client’s time
• It identifies defining problems the client is trying to solve
• It creates measurements for success
• It assists teams with securing executive buy-in
• It reduces the risk of unknown obstacles arising in the future

Asking clarifying questions is important to KEYSYS because:

• It ensures that all of our activities valuably impact both parties’ revenue
• It exposes challenges and opportunities within the opportunity
• It provides clarity for the next steps
• It enables us to understand the client’s perspective and offer valuable insights
• It eliminates surprises

My ultimate goal is to connect a company in need to the company that can help them solve the issue, KEYSYS. Understanding these principles is structuring more valuable calls and meetings for both me and the client, and in turn, allows me to better serve, respect, and care for the community around me.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to work at KEYSYS. I cannot express enough how blessed I feel to have such mentors and team members pouring into my life and pushing me towards greater opportunities in serving the community at large.