Today we’d like to introduce you to Viktoria Rosenow.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Hannover, Germany where I was able to pursue my favorite hobby as a kid, raising dogs. I always loved to read, travel, and interact with people, and because of that cars have also been a keen interest of mine. My friends knew that my dream would be a career that allowed me to travel and meet people.
Attending Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany, I studied business management and enjoyed it tremendously. I decided to get a Master’s Degree in International Management after that, and graduated in 2006. After that, I thought I was going to go on to work in either management consulting or marketing, and never even thought about a career in sales.
But then, something amazing happened.
I saw an advertisement for an International Management Program at a leading car rental provider and decided to apply, just for fun. Renting cars and being abroad in the USA for a few years sounded like a great challenge. They called me very quickly after I submitted my application, and so my unexpected career in the car rental industry began. I knew very little about renting cars and didn’t expect I’d be in the industry very long.
How wrong I was!
After finishing my trainee program in Texas, I returned to Germany as an Assistant Store Manager. After a few years, I relocated back to Texas, worked on my Executive Coaching Certificate, and started working at Gulf States Toyota, in their Toyota Rent-a-Car division. Serving as a Branch Manager for a year-and-a-half, I started to be promoted to bigger and bigger stores. Eventually, I became the Market Manager for North Houston and led 4 stores, including a brand-new location.
In 2014, I decided that I wanted to fully focus on Corporate Sales, realizing this was something I deeply enjoyed. As such, I found a position as District Sales Manager with Sixt Rent-a-Car in Berlin, Germany. When I applied at Sixt, I was incredibly impressed by the legendary history of the company, the unique products and services offered to its customers, and Sixt’s global presence and innovative spirit.
Sixt has a mobility solution to suit every need like no other car rental company, and their company culture makes you feel like you are a part of a large family.
I was responsible for most of East Germany and coached 25 Branch Managers in their sales and marketing activities. A year later, I was offered the chance to relocate to Fort Lauderdale, FL and to introduce the program to the US Branch Managers. In June of 2017, I took over as General Manager of Miami Airport—our flagship as well as our largest location in the US, and also the second largest location in the entire 118-country Sixt universe. While I have loved every position I have had, this position is incredibly special.
I’m so very proud to be the General Manager of our flagship store in Miami. Miami is a hub for South American as well as European tourists, and we are the face of Sixt when people first come to the US. That’s why it is so important that everything goes perfectly, and that customers have a world-class experience as they are here on vacation. We want people to have an unforgettable time here.
It’s amazing to see how much our location has grown over the last 6 years from when it first opened. I am also extremely proud of our new, state-of-the-art facility with 11 counters, an innovative line system, as well as our incredibly cool interior design. You can’t miss us when you get off the Miami Mover—bright orange everywhere!
Here at Miami Airport, we have about 75 people working, people from different cultural backgrounds, and that’s what makes working here so great.
We are all one big family—we call ourselves the Dream Team. No matter how crazy or busy a day gets, the people you work with are what makes you look forward to going to work every day. We support and motivate one another. Every day is different than the next.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course, life is never a smooth road when you are honest with yourself. But what matters most is your attitude in dealing with the things that are thrown at you.
I moved several times in my career due to new opportunities, and had to start over again in a new city, new position, or serving with a new company. It’s often a little difficult at the beginning. When you take over a sales territory or branch, it’s a lot of work getting things off the ground, and sometimes there are days when you want to just pull out your hair.
But when you are determined to make things happen, to put in the effort and believe in your success, you will begin to see the results. This makes any challenge worthwhile.
It can also be challenging to create brand awareness, especially if you’re with a relatively young company or one that is new to a market. You have to work extremely hard to make customers aware of who you are and educate folks. Every day, I tell the story of our brand, what we offer, and—in the case of Sixt—draw attention to the great selection of premium and luxury cars that we feature in our fleet.
But it’s all worth it, absolutely. Challenge makes you better and stronger.
Sixt Rent A Car – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Sixt is a beloved brand around the world, but we’re new here in America. I’ve watched us grow in Miami so fast it’s hard to believe, and I think it’s due to the fact that we love what we do, and we’re offering something completely different in the marketplace. We specialize in affordable luxury, you can rent an amazing luxury vehicle from us at incredibly competitive rates.
On top of that, we offer world-class customer service to everyone. We care deeply about every detail our customers take, from the music they hear and the refreshments we offer when they come to rent from us to the custom rental experience on the road, to making sure that the entire journey from start to finish affords our customers a special and enjoyable experience, that’s what motivates us.
People often compare us to Apple or Virgin, we’re a brand that cares about the details, focuses on customers, and offers something better and more appealing than our competitors.
We’re extremely proud of this, and would love to have you stop by our Miami Airport branch so I can personally show you around—you won’t understand how amazing Sixt is until you have the opportunity to experience us for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1850 SE 17th Street, Unit 207
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 - Website: http://about.sixt.com/
- Phone: + 323-379-5180
- Email: matthew.faraci.extern@sixt.com
- Other: http://sixt.blog.com/
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