Continuing our Inspiring Leaders series, we spoke to Lucy Rix, one of our talented Sales Managers at Chubb Fire & Security, to find out how she discovered what she’s really good at – sales – and how she has carved a successful career. 

Here, Lucy talks about the importance of truly understanding customers’ needs and pain points, how having a family has helped shape her sales career and reveals a secret passion for adult colouring books! 

Early life 

I have lived in Croydon and haven’t ventured far from there. When my sister and I were young, our parents separated. My dad remarried and had two sons, while my mom remarried and had a son and daughter, making for a large family dynamic. 

There was a significant age difference between my youngest brother and me. When I was 16 years old, I would take him out, and some people would give me a disapproving look, assuming that I was a teenage mother. I wished I could tell them he was my brother, not my child. 

Despite my mum and dad’s split, my childhood was very consistent. I was very fortunate that my mum and dad worked things out so that my dad would pick us up from school every other weekend and drop us back on Sunday. There was consistency, which I think is why I like routine now. It’s been ingrained in me from a young age. The flip side to that was there were always arguments about money. 

I did pretty well at school. My reports always said, “could do better, would be better if she didn’t chat so much” – unsurprisingly! But there was never anything I massively wanted to do. I didn’t have a clear career vision. But family rows about money made me want to get out of education and be independent and earn my own money. 

Leaving education 

From the minute I could leave school, I did. I even had a job while at school – when I was 14 years old, I worked in the local Londis, which a family friend ran. After leaving school, I started working in a sports shop, selling trainers – not very glamorous – which seems a very long time ago! 

From there, I got fed up; I didn’t particularly enjoy retail, and a friend of my dad’s was the receptionist at a leisure centre, so I went and worked there. After about 18 months, the GM said, “I think you’d be better off in sales.” So, I got promoted into sales, and that was it. I discovered what I’m good at! Sales is what I’m meant to do. 

Sales career 

I stayed there for a little while selling in a public leisure centre, and then I applied for a sales manager role at a private health club and got that. But after a while, I felt I needed to broaden my horizons from a sales perspective; it was always very face-to-face very chit-chatty, and quite repetitive with the memberships – it always spiked after Christmas, when people wanted to lose weight, but the bit in between was pretty boring. 

I went to work for TNT in their call centre, making calls for the field sales guys, which I was good at, but I missed the disconnect of not dealing face-to-face with people. Leaving TNT, I went to work for the Yellow Pages, which I absolutely loved, and I think that’s when my appreciation of a flexible role came into play. For example, if I was going to sell a builder a half-page ad, I’d need to be there at 6:30 am, or I’d be doing a deal on a car bonnet because they’d be out on site. I loved the freedom it gave me and earned some good money, and I started to get a taste for the nicer things in life! 

When I became pregnant with my eldest child, my military husband was stationed in Baghdad, causing him to be away for eight weeks and home for four. During my maternity leave, many visitors wanted to meet the new baby. However, as my maternity leave drew to a close, my husband suggested I didn’t need to return to work, so I left my job at the Yellow Pages. 

As I’ve always been very independent, I didn’t feel right not working. The balance of my husband being away and not being with his son started to pick apart around the edges. So, he returned from Bagdad, and I started looking for another job. 

This is when I went to work for ADT as a Commercial Seller. Interestingly, the guy who interviewed me said to who would be my manager, “She’s not going to be any good” –  and then, in a couple of months, I was one of the Top 10 sellers in the country, and I felt like I’d set the world alight! 

I wholeheartedly believe that if you understand the customers’ needs and pain points, you only need to understand the basics of what you’re selling. So, I wasn’t worried I might not be the most technically savvy. I don’t need to understand the ins and outs of the entire product portfolio; what I need to understand is what the customer is looking for, and we can deliver that.  

To be a good salesperson, you have to be a good chameleon. I’ve done deals where I’ve been in a boardroom, and it’s been very hoity toity, but by the same token, I’ve been in a garage forecourt where it’s been extremely laid back. You have to really understand your demographic and just understand people and mirror their language. 

It seems that every time I have a baby, it carves my career.  

I got promoted to Sales Manager at ADT knowing I was 12 weeks pregnant. I was sitting chatting with the HR Manager, whom I got on really well, who was congratulating me on my promotion, and I said, “I’ve got something to tell you; I’m 12 weeks pregnant” and she said, “You’ll never guess what, I’m 13 weeks pregnant.” I was so worried about breaking the news, but she advised me to get my feet under the table, and I’ll be fine. So, I embraced the new role, went on maternity and had my daughter. I was keen to get back to work after 9 months, but at that time, ADT had gone through a buy-out with lots of changes, and there wasn’t a role for me, so I got laid off. 

So, I started looking around for a new job, and I couldn’t find any roles I really liked – and I was determined not to take something for the sake of it; I didn’t want to have job hopping on my CV.  

A recruitment agency presented me with a job opportunity at a legal tech company in Waterloo. At first, I wasn’t interested because it didn’t seem like my kind of thing, and I didn’t want to work in London again because of my young kids. However, I decided to go for the interview and was persuaded by the recruiters who promised me flexibility with the opportunity to choose a patch. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a terrible decision, and within two days of starting the job, I realised it wasn’t for me. 

Joining Chubb 

I applied for a position at Chubb’s Croydon branch and had an interview with John Logie, but then there was no response. I became anxious that I didn’t get the job, but after six weeks, I received an offer and happily accepted it. I resigned from my previous tech company in Waterloo and have been with Chubb for over five years. The rest is history. 

I joined as an Area Sales Manager, responsible for both a commercial team and a service team. Chubb promotes employees who work hard, exhibit positive behaviours, and motivate their teams. I started my tenure during a time when Chubb was undergoing significant changes. The company separated its fire safety and security offerings into two distinct streams. Additionally, during this time, I had welcomed a new baby into my family. 

During my maternity leave, there were some significant organisational changes. My manager reached out to me and assured me that although there would likely be changes to my previous role, I would still have a position to return to. This all occurred during the Covid pandemic, and ultimately, my old role was dissolved, and new positions for Business Development Managers and Key Account Managers were established.  

I was appointed head of Business Development for Fire. I am now responsible for the Service Sales team, where I have a larger area and team. This role is my favourite, and I find it thoroughly enjoyable. 

What makes a great sales leader? 

In my opinion, building personal relationships is crucial. Although not everyone is willing to share personal information, I have found that taking the time to get to know my team members personally has resulted in better professional relationships.  

It’s important to understand what motivates and affects each individual. For example, if someone is struggling with a family issue but doesn’t feel comfortable discussing it with you, finding a way to motivate them may be difficult.  

My team comprises diverse individuals with talents, tenures, and personal situations. Without acknowledging and understanding these differences, leading and inspiring them effectively would be challenging. I don’t have the same conversation with every single member of my team. I have individual conversations with them in different formats – some are short, sharp and sweet, and some I really have to nurture them to get the best results. But I think a lot of my team would also say that we’re friends. 

What can be challenging is when you have to have a difficult conversation with someone you get on really well with on a personal level – you have to get over that.  

How do you prepare yourself for difficult conversations? 

My team understands my business expectations. They anticipate and communicate any issues.  

I believe my team is aware that I take their work personally. I make every effort to ensure that their deals are successful. If any issues arise, such as stalled progress or missing commission, I make it a priority to assist my team and offer support. In turn, I expect my team to be equally committed and dedicated. 

Our sales team operates on a monthly sales target system, which differs from the conventional annual bonus program. Failure to meet the monthly target results in no payment. Consequently, those who perform well are financially rewarded, and our team is highly competitive, continuously striving to maintain the top position in sales. 

What gets you out of bed every day? 

I am grateful to the people I work with who motivate me to give my best. Chubb has supported my need for flexibility, enabling me to balance my personal life with my job. Thanks to this, I can put in 120% effort into my work, and my team and Chubb make it all possible. Achieving the top spot in the league table is crucial to me, and I strive to drive my team to achieve this goal every year. 

Quick fire round 

What one word would your team use to describe you?  

Fair – It’s important to be fair to all team members to maintain a harmonious environment. Treating one person differently than another can result in a loss of respect and commitment from the team. Consistency is key in ensuring everyone is treated equally. 

What do you do in your personal time? 

On weekends, I don’t usually have any free time. One of my passions is cooking for others and hosting gatherings. However, I admit that my lifestyle can be dull and uneventful.  

I have a guilty pleasure that I’m almost ashamed to admit – I thoroughly enjoy adult colouring books. I even keep my coloured pens and pencils hidden away, as they are off-limits to my children.  

At the start of the year, my siblings and I made a pact to participate in the Couch to 5K program. Although I have run sporadically in the past, I’ve developed a real passion for it now. I enjoy meeting my exercise goals and closing my rings on my Apple watch. 

What one word would your friends use to describe you? 

Loyal.  

What attributes do you dislike in others? 

Rudeness – I cannot bear rudeness. Email etiquette is important to me. I can’t stand it when someone addresses me “Lucy,” with no “Hello” or “Hi” it seems very rude to me.   

What is your favourite food? 

A roast dinner all day long! You get that homely feeling. A lot of love goes into making a roast dinner. 

What is your happy place? 

Being with my children and my husband – anywhere! 

What is the one destination you would like to travel to? 

I’m desperate to go to Bali, in a little hut, away from everything. Somewhere that’s not massively commercialised, where I can just be present in the moment. 

Black or red? 

Black – I live in black. Red, I find aggressive. My car is black; all my clothes are black. 

Favourite book? 

I don’t generally get the time to read, but I read two books in five days in Dubai! I like murder mysteries and something with a “Who did it?”.  

I also like real-life stuff. A couple of months ago, I read the Levi Bellfield book about the English serial killer. I was really disappointed with the ending because it was so interesting how they managed to catch him, but in the end, it just fell off a cliff – it was a real anticlimax. 

Films-wise, I’ve got a lot. Don’t laugh, but one favourite is the Disney ‘The Fox and the Hound’ – it’s such a lovely story. 

Is there anyone that inspires you? 

My nan. She is completely and utterly selfless. She’s had many health problems, and even when she feels rubbish, she is there and present in the moment. She is just amazing. 

If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be? 

David Beckham – he was my childhood crush.  

Prince Harry – I would love to find out the real nitty gritty.  

Helen Mirren – she’s a brilliant actress, and I’d love to understand how she manages to portray such a wide range of characters so very well. 

What would you feed them? 

Steak and chips – a real chateaubriand, peppercorn sauce, nice green veg – boom done!