Welcome back to our ‘A Day in the Life’ series, where we chat to HILS team members to see what they get up to in a typical day and the impact their efforts have on clients across our services.
This month we are looking at our Communications & Marketing team, which covers Hertfordshire, West Sussex, and Hampshire. The team is split into two parts, our online and digital side, and the outreach side. This month we are meeting Rachel, who carries out all of the outreach field work across the whole of West Sussex. Rachels role is extremely varied, and has the main aim of helping to spread the word about HILS and the services we offer, and to increase client sign ups.
Meet Rachel…….
Starting the day right
A day in the life of a field marketer is dynamic, fast-paced, and varied.
The day often begins with checking my schedule for the day and catching up on any last-minute emails or messages from the team or my stakeholders. I tend to plan my week the week before, as my days can often include events, talk and tasters, talks on teams or collaboration with the comms team. Often, I need to check ahead that I have enough promotional materials, taster equipment and meals ordered and/or cooked to ensure everything is set for the day’s activities.
Today is an attendance at a community event, so once I have caught up on any last-minute emails, packed my car, I am off to start my day.
Setting up at the event location
By mid-morning, I am usually on-site at the designated location, this could be anywhere within West Sussex! I spend time setting up my stall with my branded display, literature, tasters if required, and make sure everything is in the right place for maximum visibility and client engagement.
Say cheese! A picture will be popped onto our socials to advertise where we are and to engage with other providers who are also at the event.
Engaging with clients and stakeholders
Once set up, the real work begins. My main role is to engage with potential clients, actively talk about the service, answer questions, and highlight the key benefits of the service. My main aim is to spark up interest and persuade prospect clients or stakeholders about the value of our service. As the audience varies throughout the day, it’s important that I adapt my conversation to handle different types of personalities and professions.
Networking and building relationships
Once the event slows down, I often network with other service providers to establish new relationships or nurture existing ones. These events help me to stay informed on the current market and trends.
Packing up
Events usually end early afternoon and so after packing up equipment and materials, I will head back home.
Follow up
Once home I will email my new contacts with information, the aim is to set up a talk and taster with their teams or service users. I then update my contact lists with the new contact details.
Email catch up
Now is the time to catch up on emails which have been received throughout the day. This could be finalising dates for talks and tasters, checking numbers for future events, and action any literature or talk/taster requests. I also have to provide a lot of information to our commissioners about the work I carry out, so I will make sure that any outstanding reports are completed for them too.
Planning for the day ahead
During the last hours of my day, I will work on any campaign work for the comms team and make sure I am all set for the next day ahead.
The next day is usually very different from the current day, and so this time will involve making sure preparations are all set for a talk and taster the next day or planning my route for a literature drop where I visit a target area and get our information into GP surgeries, hospitals, sheltered homes, libraries and community centres. I know how important it is to make the connections into the relevant teams with a view to making sure they know enough about our service to refer clients or recommend us, which can be easier said than done!
It’s all go as a field marketer! Each day brings new challenges, new faces, and new learnings, making it a constantly evolving role that directly impacts our brand’s growth and success in the marketplace.
Are you interested in joining the HILS family? Check out our current vacancies, where you can see our vacancies across Hertfordshire, Hampshire and West Sussex. We’d love to hear from you.
