She can't come to the phone. Eileen Corrigan is dealing with a client. As a sales executive at Maxwell Motors in Blackrock, Co Dublin, her job is to sell BMW cars. She is the only women on the team of six. On average they sell 500 cars each year. Corrigan's interest in cars makes her job enjoyable and pleasant each day. It's a challenge, she says.
One hour later and she's still tied up. She can't answer the phone. She remains at her desk, focused on the customer, ignoring the telephonic interruption. The customer is number one, she points out later. Being intensely engaged like this, she explains, "is a common occurrence".
At the moment it's possible that she's close to making a sale, clinching the deal, about to shake hands and seal the deal. They won't spit before they shake but there is a "certain buzz", she says which is difficult to explain but which does make her job exciting.
Buying a car is not a purchase that people rush into, she explains. "Buying a car is like looking for a house. It's very personal and it takes time. You would invest a lot of time in a customer." The range spans the compact model to the Z3 to the four-door to the coupe to the executive series and the luxurious seven series.
Her day starts at 8 a.m, working six days a week. The early start allows people to drop cars off for a service and pick up a courtesy car on their way to work. The showrooms remain open until six in the evening. Time is flexible, she says. "You put in your own hours. You have to put the effort in to get the rewards. But you're selling a lovely product. And I'm in a fantastic location and we have an excellent clientele. We do a lot of repeat business."
Having finished her second-level studies at Santa Maria College in Louisburgh, Co Mayo, she qualified as a legal secretary first but then she decided to move to Dublin and work in sales. She worked in Fannin's healthcare suppliers on Aungier Street by day and began studying by night for a four-year sales and marketing degree at DIT. She completed this and graduated from the Marketing Institute of Ireland, Sandyford, Dublin.
It was around this time that she saw the add for Maxwell's. The company was looking for a suitably qualified woman to join their sales team. "It was an opportunity not to be missed; there were no ladies on the team," she says. Corrigan has been in Maxwell's for the past five years. She also looks after all their advertising and public relations.
In the job, "you have to have a lot of willpower and self-esteem. It's very demanding," she explains. There are all types of people to deal with and "every day is a challenge. You have to be focused. The customer is the number one priority." The support from the sales manager and the team is vital. "Everyone is under a lot of pressure," she adds.
Looking back to her school days, she lists a number of events that she was involved in, such as organising the final graduation dance and being captain of the basketball team, which point to strengths that she needs in her current job. Organisational skills are vital and she adds, you have to like dealing with people. "I would be a very outgoing person. I like to be out meeting people."
