When Alex R. was in college, he didn’t picture a career in sales or foreign exchange. But that changed after this International Studies and Business major met a couple of Monex employees at his university career fair. He’s worked the last two years at Monex as an FX Sales Representative, and says his international economics and the FX aspects of his classes turned out to be good preparation for his current position.
One thing college didn’t prepare him for, however, was the challenge of explaining exactly what he does for a living. Most people don’t understand what it means to be in FX sales, and his friends even joke that he’s a bank teller. Alex takes it in stride, however, and has a succinct way to get the point across. “Unless they’re also in financial services, most people don’t understand what I do,” says Alex. “I just tell them I do business-to-business payment settlement for mid-sized companies and leave it there.”
The fact that people don’t understand what he does is actually an advantage in his job. Alex has discovered that people in the United States often aren’t well-versed on foreign exchange. Most people in the U.S. think of banks first when they think about financial transactions — whereas in Europe, people commonly go to a broker to exchange currency.
That gives Alex the opportunity to educate prospects about a different way to make foreign payments and settlements. He explains how foreign exchange currency rates work, and how to get the best exchange rates for the customers’ business. He also points out the value proposition of online systems, hedging products, and transparency. By that point, most people understand the benefit and are ready to work with Monex. “I help people,” says Alex. “I show them how they can save money in their business. That makes me happy.”
Success Comes from Technology and People
While sales can be a challenging profession, Alex feels the technology and apps that Monex offers make FX trading more accessible and less mysterious to the average person. People are more empowered and there’s more transparency. He points out that Monex offers a large suite of technology solutions and API integration for back-end currency clearing. These technology solutions make his job easier because clients often use the apps to perform tasks that he used to take care of for them. In fact, Alex doesn’t know how any financial or trading company can survive if it hasn’t gone through a digital transformation.
But as important as technology is Monex, Alex says it’s the people that make the company what it is. “The senior people at Monex, our economists, traders, senior salespeople, mentors, they taught me everything,” says Alex. “I’ve had the flexibility and trust from the company and was empowered to do my job. I was set up with all the tools I needed for success.”
Work and Life Beyond the Pandemic
Though Alex had never sold anything before working at Monex, he enjoys sales. He says this is in large part because he believes in what he’s selling and helping people make life easier. Another part of his job he appreciates is that TEMPUS encourages a solid work-life balance with its employees. While employees are expected to be available during standard FX trading hours of 8:30am to 6:00pm, no one expects sales staff to work crazy hours.
An added bonus of working in sales is the opportunity to stretch his communication skills. Alex has always enjoyed talking to people, a strength that helps him get to know clients, listen to them, and find solutions. Those skills have been vital during the pandemic, along with an extra helping of patience. He’s learned that patience and understanding helped both him and his clients cope. “After lockdown, everyone was in shock,” says Alex. “I didn’t try to sell anything, I just called and asked them how their family is, how their kids are. Basically, I make sure they feel heard.”
Though it’s been a challenge to work through a global pandemic, it drove home the importance of taking care of his own mental health. He discovered that even just getting out of the house for some fresh air can be an act of self-care. Another key to coping has been the flexible work model at Monex. The company already offered work from home before the pandemic shutdowns. Now that the office is open again, Monex encourages a hybrid work week with three days in the office and two at home, with the option to stay home until the current mask mandates in Washington, D.C. are over.
While Alex values his time in the office and the chance to see coworkers, he also enjoys the flexibility and focus of working in his own home. Overall, though, he says success in FX sales isn’t about location, but effort. “Consistency is important in this job,” says Alex. “Better outcomes are born out of repetition and consistency. Putting in the work will keep you happy, sane, and making money in this job.”
