This is the second episode of our new series that will introduce listeners to people in key leadership positions at the Postal Service. In this installment, we speak with Shibani Gambhir, Vice President of Sales Intelligence and Support. In this engaging discussion, Shibani explains how the sales intelligence team equips their sales force for success and shares insights gained from her own career growth within the industry.
This week on Mailin' It, we’re joined by Vice President of Sales Intelligence and Support, Shibani Gambhir, as part of our new Postal Executive Series. From her early years in operations and logistics to her current role in sales intelligence, Shibani offers a look at her need to find new challenges and how she’s successfully navigated them to get where she is today. Join us as we delve into the crucial role of sales intelligence, the progression of Shibani’s career path, and how the Postal Service is transforming technologically to meet evolving needs.
KARLA KIRBY:
HELLO AND WELCOME TO MAILIN’ IT, THE OFFICIAL PODCAST OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE. I'M KARLA KIRBY.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
AND I'M JONATHAN CASTILLO. THIS EPISODE, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR SERIES THAT INTRODUCES THE MAILIN’ IT AUDIENCE TO PEOPLE IN KEY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AT THE POSTAL SERVICE. TODAY WE'RE SPEAKING WITH SHIBANI GAMBIER, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES INTELLIGENCE AND SUPPORT. A BIG PART OF SHIBANI'S JOB IS HELPING THE POSTAL SERVICE GROW ITS BUSINESS WITH SOME OF OUR BIGGEST CUSTOMERS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, OF COURSE, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA GET TO KNOW HER AS A PERSON, SOMEONE WHO CAME TO THE POSTAL SERVICE MID-CAREER AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THIS LARGE ORGANIZATION. I'M BETTING THAT SHE HAS SOME INTERESTING STORIES TO TELL ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES ALONG THE WAY. SHABANI, WELCOME TO MAILIN’ IT.
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
THANK YOU. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.
KARLA KIRBY:
SO, SHABANI, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, ALTHOUGH I'M GOING TO SAY IT ANYWAY, THAT SALES IS A HUGE PART OF THE POSTAL SERVICES DELIVERING FOR AMERICA TRANSFORMATION PLAN. WE'RE COMING OUT WITH NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO GIVE OUR SALES TEAM MORE TO WORK WITH, AND THE POSTMASTER GENERAL HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT SALES IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK SITUATION AND IT INVOLVES EVERY POSTAL EMPLOYEE. SO, SHABANI, HOW DOES SALES INTELLIGENCE AND YOUR ROLE PLAY INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
SO, SALES INTELLIGENCE IS ALL ABOUT PROVIDING INFORMATION TO OUR SALES REPRESENTATIVES TO HELP THEM MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS. WE PROVIDE THEM WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TOOLS TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES, TRAINING DASHBOARDS, ALL SORTS OF DATA TO REALLY HELP THEM HAVE INFORMED CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS. REALLY WE'RE LOOKING FOR BETTER INSIGHTS FROM OUR SALES TEAM AS WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS WANT, WHAT THEY WANT FROM THE POSTAL SERVICE, WHAT SERVICES, WHAT FEATURES, WHAT THEY LIKE, AND WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE. AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION COMES BACK TO MY DEPARTMENT IN SALES INTELLIGENCE, SO WE CAN REALLY TAILOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS NEED.
KARLA KIRBY:
SO, SHABANI FOR OUR LISTENERS, CAN YOU UNPACK SALES INTELLIGENCE? LIKE WHAT IS THAT, HOW DOES THAT TRANSFER TO OUR SALES TEAM? HOW DO THEY USE THIS INFORMATION TO FORWARD THE DELIVERING FOR AMERICA PLAN?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, SO SALES INTELLIGENCE IS A RATHER NEW DEPARTMENT, AND THE SALES INTELLIGENCE, THE INTENT OF THE DEPARTMENT IS TO REALLY BE THE INFORMATION DATA CENTER FOR THE SALES TEAM. SO, MY DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING ALL THE LEADS. SO ALL THE LEADS THAT A SALES REP IS, IS WORKING, IS COMING FROM OUR SALES INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT. LEADS ARE FUEL FOR THE ENGINE, WHICH IS THE SALES DEPARTMENT. AND SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT FOR A SALES REP. THEY HAVE TO HAVE GOOD QUALITY LEADS THAT ARE HIGH VALUE OPPORTUNITY LEADS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT MY TEAM PROVIDES. ALSO, WE PROVIDE SALES COLLATERAL. SO AS THE LEAD IS PRESENTED TO THE SALES REP, THE TALKING POINTS, THE VALUE PROPOSITIONS, ALL THE MARKETING MATERIAL AROUND WHAT THAT CUSTOMER NEEDS, IT HAS TO BE PRESENTED AS WELL. SO THE SALES REP IS EQUIPPED WITH THAT SALES AND MARKETING COLLATERAL WHICH IS GENERATED FROM THE SALES INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT.
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
AND THEN ALSO DASHBOARDS. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CUSTOMER IS PERFORMING WHAT ARE THEY USING, WHAT ARE THEY NOT USING? AND THOSE DASHBOARDS ARE ALSO PART OF SALES INTELLIGENCE, AND THOSE ARE PROVIDED TO THE SALES TEAM AS WELL. TO REALLY BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DEEP CONVERSATION WITH THE CUSTOMER ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO BETTER, WHAT WE CAN, WHERE WE CAN WIN MORE VOLUME AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO REALLY IT'S ALL THE NECESSARY TOOLS, DATA, PROSPECTS, COLLATERAL THAT WE ARE EQUIPPING THE SALES REP, AND WE WANNA TAKE THAT BURDEN OR THAT RESPONSIBILITY OFF OF THE SALES REP TO LIKE FIND THEIR LEADS AND TO MAKE THEIR OWN COLLATERAL AND CENTRALIZE IT THROUGH ONE DEPARTMENT AND THEN PRESENT THAT TO THEM.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
SHIBAN, YOU MENTIONED ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THE SALES INTELLIGENCE TEAM IS, IS PUTTING TOGETHER THE COLLATERAL, THE DASHBOARDS, RIGHT? IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, SUCCESS IS TWO MAJOR, MAJOR THINGS. ONE VOLUME. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING, ALL THE TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING RESULT IN A UTILIZATION OF OUR NETWORK. AND SO THAT COMES WITH VOLUME. SO VOLUME IS A HUGE MEASURE OF SUCCESS. AND THEN ALSO NEW CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? WE ALWAYS WANT NEW CUSTOMERS OR CUSTOMERS NOT USING US TO SHIP THEIR PACKAGES. WE WANT THAT, WE WANT THAT BUSINESS. AND A ANOTHER MEASURE OF IT IS HOW MANY NEW CUSTOMERS HAVE WE HAVE WE WON AND CONVERTED TO USE OUR NEW PRODUCT GROUND ADVANTAGE
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
VOLUME AND NEW CUSTOMERS, THAT SUCCESS. LOVE IT. I HAD A QUESTION. THE DASHBOARDS THAT YOU MENTIONED, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD SAY THAT YOU'VE LED SINCE YOU'VE TAKEN OVER THE SALES INTELLIGENCE TEAM PUSHING FOR MORE DASHBOARDS, MORE INFORMATION IN THAT WAY?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS A TON OF DATA AND MANY TIMES IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO SORT OF PRESENT ALL OF THESE BILLIONS OF RECORDS INTO LIKE SORT OF A COHESIVE, DIGESTIBLE MANNER. AND DASHBOARDS, WHEN I CAME IN HERE WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT I, I STARTED LEADING THE EFFORT ON BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THE SALES TEAM HAD THE DATA IN FRONT OF THEM TO BE ABLE TO REALLY VISUALIZE AND SEE THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE MORE DETAILED CONVERSATIONS. AND SO THOSE DASHBOARDS ARE, WERE KEY TO MAKING, YOU KNOW, EQUIPPING THE SALES TEAM WITH THIS INFORMATION.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
I LOVE HOW YOU PUT IT BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO LOOK AT JUST A BUNCH OF SPREADSHEETS, EXCEL FILES, RIGHT? YOU SEE ALL THE NUMBERS, BUT YOU PUT IT SO SUCCINCTLY, JUST BEING ABLE TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND HAVE IT BE DIGESTIBLE.
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
THANK YOU. YEAH. SO DOES OUR SALES TEAM. THEY LOVE IT TOO.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
I CAN IMAGINE. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY SMART WAY OF DOING THINGS FOR THE SALES TEAM. IS THAT WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO YOUR, YOU KNOW, CURRENT ROLE HERE AT THE POSTAL SERVICE?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT CUSTOMERS, I TAKE THIS BACK TO WHAT, WHAT I DID IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE AS A CONSULTANT. AND I WAS REALLY CHARGED WITH QUICKLY LEARNING COMPANY'S SUPPLY CHAIN, REALLY HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO SHAVE OFF COSTS, WHETHER IT WAS A, A TRANSPORTATION FORECASTING, INVENTORY MANAGEMENT. AND I AM ABLE TO APPLY THOSE SKILLS HERE AT THE POSTAL SERVICE THROUGH SALES INTELLIGENCE WITH REALLY UNDERSTANDING QUICKLY WHAT A CUSTOMER'S NEEDS ARE, WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE, AND PROVIDING THEM WITH THOSE SOLUTIONS THROUGH OUR SALES REP WITH DATA, WITH YOU KNOW, INFORMATION ABOUT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT THEY COULD LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, TO HELP THOSE BUSINESS MEET THEIR, THOSE BUSINESSES MEET THEIR NEEDS.
KARLA KIRBY:
SO YOU JOINED THE POSTAL SERVICE BEFORE SALES INTELLIGENCE WAS EVEN A THING, AND I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT JOBS HERE OVER THE YEARS. I'M CURIOUS THOUGH, HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YOU KNOW, I BECAME INTERESTED BACK IN, IN MY EARLY COLLEGE DAYS. I JUST KNEW I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE HERE. AND SO LOGISTICS WAS A HUGE INTEREST OF MINE. IT WAS WHAT I MAJORED IN, IN COLLEGE. AND MY MOTHER ACTUALLY WORKED WITH SOMEBODY HERE AT THE POSTAL SERVICE, AND I TRIED GETTING A POSTAL INTERNSHIP. AND UNFORTUNATELY AT THAT TIME THEY WERE NOT HIRING ANYBODY. AND SO WHAT I DID WAS I TOOK A JOB IN SUPPLY CHAIN CONSULTING, AND THAT REALLY HELPED ME FOUNDATIONALLY REALLY UNDERSTAND A TON ABOUT BUSINESSES AND YOU KNOW, HOW THEY OPERATE, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SUPPLY CHAIN SECTOR. AND REALLY, I FOCUSED IN ON THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE OF SUPPLY CHAIN, SO LOTS OF FURNITURE COMPANIES. I, YOU KNOW, WORKED THE MIDWEST BELT FROM MICHIGAN, YOU KNOW, TO IOWA, TO MINNESOTA. I WAS ALL OVER WORKING IN VARIOUS COMPANIES, HELPING THEM REDUCE THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN SPEND. EVENTUALLY I FOUND OUT THROUGH A COLLEGE FRIEND THAT THE POSTAL SERVICE WAS HIRING, AND SO I BECAME A TRANSPORTATION SPECIALIST. AND THAT'S HOW I STARTED MY JOURNEY HERE IN 2003.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU'VE ENDED UP FINDING YOUR WAY OVER TO THE POSTAL SERVICE IN THAT WAY, AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF, SORT OF HOW YOUR CAREER HAS BEEN, RIGHT? LIKE NOT NECESSARILY THAT STRAIGHT PATH TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, RIGHT?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I AM A PERSON WHO LOVES TRYING NEW THINGS AND REALLY EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT ROLES. AND SO WITHIN THE POSTAL SERVICE, AND I WOULD SAY EVEN OUTSIDE THE POSTAL SERVICE, I DID DIFFERENT THINGS. I WORKED AT DIFFERENT COMPANIES. I UNDERSTOOD SUPPLY CHAINS FOR DIFFERENT COMPANIES. AND WITHIN THE POSTAL SERVICE, I DABBLED IN MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS HERE. AND THAT REALLY HELPED ME ROUND OUT MY EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORGANIZATION JUST 'CAUSE I WAS WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS AND I DID NOT WANT A STRAIGHT PATH HERE IN THE POSTAL SERVICE. AND YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT I WAS ABLE TO SORT OF SATISFY MY CURIOSITY. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION HERE THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT YOU CAN REALLY DO ANYTHING. YOU CAN BE A YOU KNOW, SOMEONEWORKING IN OPERATIONS AND THEN DECIDE YOU WANNA GO TO LAW SCHOOL, POSTAL SERVICE WILL SUPPORT YOU THERE, AND THEN YOU CAN BE A LAWYER HERE AT THE POSTAL SERVICE. AND I JUST THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE HERE, AND THAT'S WHY I LOVE WORKING IN WORKING IN THIS ORGANIZATION. SO, YOU KNOW, AS I STARTED MY FIRST FEW YEARS WERE REALLY IN OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS, AND THEN I, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THAT'S HOW I GOT INTO MARKETING AND SALES.
KARLA KIRBY:
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE DEFINITELY HAD A, A DIVERSE NUMBER OF EXPERIENCES HERE AT THE POSTAL SERVICE, AND YOU ARE RIGHT. YOU CAN DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING HERE. WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE GAMUT, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE TO DATE, ARE THERE ANY PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD SAY REALLY PUT YOU ON THE MAP AND GOT YOU NOTICED BY LEADERSHIP OR OTHER VPS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE PROJECT IN PARTICULAR, AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD GET WHAT WE CALL LOVE NOTES FROM OUR VICE PRESIDENT IN OPERATIONS AT THE TIME. AND THESE WERE SORT OF ONE-LINER NOTES. AND I HAD A, A, A GREAT ONE-LINER NOTE ONE DAY WHERE THE VP ASKED ME TO CENTRALIZE THE AIR SHIPPING, THE, OUR AIR ASSIGNMENT SYSTEM. AND IT WAS JUST ONE SENTENCE. AND IT PUT ME ON A, ON A PATH OF REALLY UNDERSTANDING DEEP, DEEP POSTAL INFRASTRUCTURE EVERYTHING FROM THE ENGINEERING SIDE TO THE IT SIDE TO REALLY DETAILED SYSTEMS WORK AND CONFIGURATIONS THAT I NEVER THOUGHT I'D, I'D KNOW ABOUT. THAT PROJECT ACTUALLY TOOK A YEAR TO IMPLEMENT, AND IT REQUIRED ME AND MY TEAM TO EXPLAIN THIS PROJECT TO EVERY SINGLE VICE PRESIDENT WITHIN ENGINEERING WITHIN THE IT DEPARTMENT, OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AS WELL. AND THAT PROJECT REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND BROADLY ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE LOGISTICS SYSTEM SIDE.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN AWFULLY BIG PROJECT AND ONE THAT OBVIOUSLY WORKED OUT REALLY WELL FOR EVERYONE IN THE END, RIGHT? BUT LIKE ANY OTHER JOB, IT'S NOT ALWAYS SMOOTH SAILING. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU FELT THINGS WEREN'T GOING YOUR WAY HERE AND HOW YOU GOT THROUGH IT?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, I MEAN THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE I HAD A SUPERVISOR WHO ACTUALLY LEFT THE POSTAL SERVICE AND I HAD TO FIND MY OWN PATH FORWARD, AND I GOT THROUGH IT BECAUSE I WAS PROACTIVE AND I YOU KNOW, NAVIGATED THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION. I HAD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE I WORKED IN ALL THESE VARIOUS CROSS-FUNCTIONAL PROJECTS. AND ACTUALLY I KNEW SOMEBODY WHO MOVED FROM OPERATIONS WHERE I WORKED WITH THEM INTO SALES, AND THEN THEY SAID THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, SO I JUMPED AT IT. AND THAT IS HOW I STARTED MY, YOU KNOW, YEARS LONG PROGRESSION HERE IN SALES.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE KEYS TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER HERE AT THE POSTAL SERVICE AND YOU KNOW, REALLY ANYWHERE RIGHT, IS TO HAVE A STRONG SUPPORT NETWORK. AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEAN ON YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK.
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, YOU KNOW, REALLY IT'S, IT'S, I WOULD SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE MENTORS AND TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL ADVOCATE FOR YOU. AND I ALWAYS STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING ADVOCATES, PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE AT THE TABLE, SIT AT THE TABLE AND ADVOCATE FOR YOU BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND HAVING STRONG MENTORS, HAVING STRONG ADVOCATES IS KEY IN THIS ORGANIZATION. THIS IS A VERY BIG ORGANIZATION, BUT WITH THE RIGHT MENTORS AND PEOPLE BY YOUR SIDE, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I THINK ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION. AND JUST IN, IN GENERAL, IN YOUR CAREER.
KARLA KIRBY:
SO I THINK IN ADDITION TO HAVING A SUPPORT SYSTEM, SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE ALL BRING IS OUR VARIOUS EXPERIENCES FROM EITHER JOBS ACROSS DIFFERENT OFFICES INTO OUR NEXT ROLE TO HELP US SUCCEED. SO THOSE, THOSE SUCCESSES, THOSE FAILURES. SO HOW HAVE YOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MENTIONED SUPPLY CHAIN, YOU MENTIONED OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. HOW HAS ALL OF THAT EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU IN SALES?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S HELPED ME BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO REALLY LEARN VERY QUICKLY ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING RELATED TO A COMPANY. AND I THINK HAVING THAT FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND BEING ABLE TO QUICKLY ADJUST HAVING THOSE WORK EXPERIENCE TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS WEEK YOU'RE GOING TO BE CONSULTING AT THIS COMPANY, AND IN A MONTH YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT COMPANY AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE LEARNING THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN, YOU KNOW, EVEN HERE IN THE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? YOU CAN WORK A YEAR HERE, AND THEN YOU SAY, OKAY, I'VE, I HAVE SOME GOOD KNOWLEDGE HERE. I WANTED TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND APPLY IT SOMEWHERE ELSE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE ORGANIZATION. THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT, YOU'RE FLEXIBLE, RIGHT? AND YOU CAN LEARN AND ADJUST VERY QUICKLY TO A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING HERE RIGHT NOW. THE PACE OF CHANGE IN THIS ORGANIZATION IS SOMETHING I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS EVER EXPERIENCED.
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
AND HAVING THAT ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE AND LEARN A NEW STYLE AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP COME IN AND PROVIDE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE, AND YOU FIGURING OUT HOW TO ADJUST THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THE ORGANIZATION, I THINK IS SUPER, SUPER CRITICAL. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POSITION THAT I'M IN, RIGHT? EVERY DAY I HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT DATA, I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT STRATEGIES, I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT CUSTOMERS AND NEGOTIATIONS, RIGHT? AND DO MARKET RESEARCH. ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS, IS SORT OF DISPARATE, BUT YOU GOTTA BRING THAT ALL TOGETHER TO MAKE SOME PRETTY CRITICAL DECISIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
KARLA KIRBY:
GIVEN, AGAIN, YOUR MULTIPLE ROLES THAT YOU'VE HAD ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
YEAH, MY PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT WAS MENTORING A AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE PROPOSAL SERVICE FOR DECADES, ACTUALLY. AND SHE WAS IN A TOUGH SPOT. SHE FELT SHE WASN'T BEING LISTENED TO. SHE FELT SHE WASN'T BEING WELL UTILIZED. AND I MADE IT MY GOAL TO TURN THAT EMPLOYEE AROUND BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE SHE HAD A BETTER SITUATION. AND I KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS SORT OF AT THE END OF HER CAREER AND I WANTED HER, WITH ALL THE DEDICATION AND ALL THE WORK THAT SHE HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY, I WANTED HER TO END HER CAREER ON A, ON A HIGH NOTE AND, AND TO LEAVE THE POSTAL SERVICE FEELING GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT SHE DID. AND SO I, I WORKED ON THAT. IT TOOK ABOUT 18 MONTHS, TURNED THAT EMPLOYEE AROUND. THAT EMPLOYEE ACTUALLY ENDED UP GETTING PROMOTED TO ANOTHER PART OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND IT WAS JUST SOME, AND THEN WHEN SHE RETIRED, SHE RETIRED ON A VERY HIGH NOTE. AND IT WAS JUST ONE OF MY MOST PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS, JUST TURNING THAT EMPLOYEE'S YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE MINDSET OF THAT EMPLOYEE AROUND.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
I THINK THAT'S HONESTLY, THAT, THAT'S AMAZING, RIGHT? I THINK IT REALLY TIES INTO EVEN YOUR OWN CAREER HERE. AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU REALLY LIKE TO TRY NEW THINGS. LET ME ASK YOU, HOW DO YOU SEE THE POSTAL SERVICE AND REALLY KIND OF YOUR ROLE HERE CHANGING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME TO THE POSTAL SERVICE, I CAME HERE BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT THAT THE LOGISTICS INFRASTRUCTURE JUST, YOU JUST COULDN'T COMPARE IT TO ANYTHING ELSE. AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY CAREER PATH WAS IN LOGISTICS. BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS ORGANIZATION OFFERED ME OPPORTUNITIES AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE. AND YOU KNOW, WHAT I DO HERE IN SALES IS I LOOK AT IT AS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING, RIGHT? I HAVE TO GET INTELLIGENCE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ORGANIZATION. I GOTTA WORK WITH MY OPERATIONS TEAM, I GOTTA WORK WITH MY LEGAL TEAM. I GOTTA WORK WITH ALL SORTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GIVING US INFORMATION, AND I AM PACKAGING THAT UP AND PROVIDING A DIFFERENT SORT OF VIEW OF THAT. AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS KEEPING ME GOING.
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
SO I AM SUPER EXCITED FOR WHAT'S TO COME. I CAN SEE THE TRANSFORMATION RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES. AND I AM EXCITED TO EQUIP EVERY ONE OF OUR SALESPEOPLE TO BE ON THIS JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO IS REALLY TIED TO THE DELIVERING FOR AMERICA PROGRAM AND THAT IS ALL ABOUT TRANSFORMATION. SO WE'RE SUPER, I'M SUPER EXCITED TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON. THOSE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS REALLY HELP US WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? AND REALLY PROVIDING WHAT THEY NEED IN SORT OF A EVER CHANGING TECHNOLOGY WORLD HERE. AND THEN ALSO, RIGHT, ALL THE INVESTMENTS IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, IN OUR EQUIPMENT. WE'RE STREAMLINING HOW THE POSTAL SERVICE OPERATES. THAT ENABLES US FROM A SALES PERSPECTIVE TO HAVE A VERY SIMPLE CONVERSATION WITH OUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT HOW PACKAGES AND MAIL FLOW THROUGH OUR NETWORK. I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE GROUND ADVANTAGE PRODUCT. THAT PRODUCT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS AND REALLY GIVE US A VERY STRONG POSITION IN THE MARKET TO COMPETE HEAD TO HEAD WITH OUR COMPETITORS. AND IT'S OUR JOB TO EXECUTE ON THIS DFA PLAN. AND SO I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BEING PART OF THE JOURNEY TO TURN THIS ORGANIZATION AROUND AND A CHANCE TO BE PART OF HISTORY.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'VE GONE OVER ALL THAT INFORMATION, ALL THE, ALL THE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT THE SALES INTELLIGENCE TEAM IS PUTTING TOGETHER, HELPING US TO GET NEW CUSTOMERS, HELPING US TO GET MORE VOLUME. WHAT KEEPS SHIBANI GAMBIER AWAKE AT NIGHT?
SHIBANI GAMBHIR:
WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT IS THE PACE OF CHANGE AND KEEPING UP WITH THE PACE OF CHANGE. THERE IS A, A TON OF WORK TO DO WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. AND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING EVERYONE GOING, KEEPING EVERYONE MOTIVATED, RAPID PACE OF CHANGE IS REALLY WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
FAIR ENOUGH.
KARLA KIRBY:
AND VOLUME. AND
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
VOLUME.
KARLA KIRBY:
WELL, SHABANI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. YOU PROVIDED SOME GREAT INSIGHTS AND AS USUAL, I'VE LEARNED SOMETHING, SALES INTELLIGENCE.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
ABSOLUTELY. IT WAS INCREDIBLE SPEAKING WITH YOU, SHIVANI. I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE TABLE FOR SALES INTELLIGENCE, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE ORGANIZATION. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY INSPIRATIONAL TO HEAR YOUR STORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
SPEAKER 4:
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
KARLA KIRBY:
TIME NOW FOR THIS EPISODE'S, DID YOU KNOW? SEGMENT. THAT'S WHEN JONATHAN AND I TALK ABOUT INTERESTING POSTAL SERVICE FACTS THAT MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T KNOW. MIND IF I GO FIRST THIS TIME?
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
NOT AT ALL.
KARLA KIRBY:
GREAT FOR MY, DID YOU KNOW, I WANNA TALK ABOUT AN EARLY AVIATOR NAMED GLENN H. CURTIS. BACK IN MAY OF 1910, HE TOOK OFF FROM ALBANY, NEW YORK IN HIS HUDSON FLYER AIRPLANE ON A QUEST. HE WAS LOOKING TO WIN A $10,000 PRIZE FOR BEING THE FIRST PILOT TO FLY 152 MILES ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER FROM THE STATE CAPITOL TO THE GOVERNOR'S ISLAND IN NEW YORK CITY. WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD,
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
I'VE SEEN PICTURES OF WHAT PLANES LOOKED LIKE BACK THEN. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE AN ADVENTURE.
KARLA KIRBY:
NO DOUBT. TO WIN THE COMPETITION, PILOTS WERE ALLOWED TWO LANDINGS ALONG THE WAY, WHICH CURTIS MADE BEFORE THE FINAL THREE HOUR LAG. AFTER CIRCLING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, HE CAME TO REST ON THE GOVERNOR'S ISLAND JUST AS PLANNED.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
THAT'S REALLY COOL. SO WHAT'S THE CONNECTION TO THE POSTAL SERVICE?
KARLA KIRBY:
WELL, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT CURTIS CARRIED WITH HIM A LETTER FROM THE MAYOR OF ALBANY TO THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, THE VERY FIRST PIECE OF MAIL CARRIED BY AIRPLANE.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
VERY NICE. AS IT TURNS OUT, MY DID YOU KNOW, IS ALSO ABOUT AVIATION HISTORY AND THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE,
KARLA KIRBY:
LET'S HEAR IT.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
ABOUT 25 YEARS AFTER CURTIS'S FLIGHT DOWN THE HUDSON VALLEY, A SEAPLANE NAMED THE CHINA CLIPPER TOOK OFF FROM ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA ON COMMISSION TO DELIVER THE FIRST AIR MAIL CARGO ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN. SIX DAYS AFTER LEAVING CALIFORNIA, THE CLIPPER TOUCHED DOWN IN MANILA BAY, ITS FINAL DESTINATION WITH IT CAME 111,000 PIECES OF MAIL WEIGHING ALMOST 2000 POUNDS. AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE LARGEST MAIL SHIPMENT EVER TO TAKE ONBOARD AN AIRPLANE. THE SAME TRIP BY THE FASTEST STEAMSHIP OF THE TIME WOULD'VE TAKEN MORE THAN TWO WEEKS.
KARLA KIRBY:
SO THE CHINA CLIPPER DIDN'T ACTUALLY FLY TO CHINA.
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
NO, IT DIDN'T. CHINA CLIPPER WAS A BIT OF A MISNOMER, BUT THERE'S ONE THING YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING. THE CLIPPERS NAVIGATION OFFICER FOR THAT FLIGHT WAS FREDERICK NUNAN. HE WOULD LATER BECOME FAMOUS FOR BEING WITH AMELIA EARHART WHEN HER PLANE DISAPPEARED OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC AS THEY ATTEMPTED TO FLY AROUND THE WORLD IN 1937.
KARLA KIRBY:
THAT IS INTERESTING. AND THAT WRAPS UP THIS SEGMENT OF, DID YOU KNOW? SO JONATHAN, ANOTHER GREAT PODCAST. FIRST, LET ME SAY, WASN'T QUITE SURE WHAT SALES INTELLIGENCE WAS, BUT DEFINITELY MORE AWARE NOW,
JONATHAN CASTILLO:
100%. I THINK JUST ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THEY PROVIDE TO THE SALES ORGANIZATION. YOU KNOW, SHE MENTIONED THE, THE DASHBOARDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY GOT GOING ON TO HELP SUPPORT THAT EFFORT AND GET MORE CUSTOMERS, LIKE SHE SAID, NEW CUSTOMERS, MORE VOLUME. AND REALLY, FOR ME,
KARLA KIRBY:
ABSOLUTELY. TWO, TWO OF OUR TAKEAWAY WORDS FOR TODAY, VOLUNTEERING FOR, OF COURSE, OPPORTUNITIES AND VOLUME. THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EPISODE OF MAILIN’ IT. DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO MAILIN’ IT WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCAST. TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MISS THE NEXT EPISODE AND FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT US POSTAL SERVICE X AT USPS, AND ON FACEBOOK.