20 Under 40 - 2005 Profile: Lisa S. Berrian

PRESSTIME

By Presstime Magazine

First Published: December 2005

The Telegraph, Macon, Ga. | Retail Advertising Manager

Lisa S. Berrian sees her role at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., not just as the leader of a team of sales reps, but also as an in-the-trenches member of that team. In fact, it's not unusual to find the retail advertising manager on sales calls with her reps or even selling an ad or two.

"There's a difference between a sales rep giving out a business card and saying [to the customer] you can call my manager, versus having your manager standing there with you," she says.

Berrian, 39, says she uses sales calls as an opportunity to coach her staff as well as to learn from them. After each sales call, Berrian and her reps discuss what went right and what they could have done differently—even when they make a sale.

This commitment to staff development has helped Berrian build a cohesive sales team. In just six months, she took an underperforming department that had been prone to heavy turnover and led it to the in-house honor of Team of the Month, says Judy Sherling, general manager at The Telegraph.

"As a leader, she wants to teach by example, offering assistance and training to give the staff confidence so they can grow into the best sales professionals they can be," Sherling says.

Berrian also wants to grow into the best professional she can be, and aspires to be a publisher. She admits she isn't shy about asking her supervisor, the publisher and others at The Telegraph to mentor her. She says she similarly encourages her sales reps to let her know if they are interested in advancing to a managerial level.

"If you don't ask for it, or if you don't let people know what you are trying to accomplish, how will you advance and get the development you need?" she asks.