Ariel DeLong’s intentionality is perhaps nowhere more evident than at her home, where more than a dozen plants adorn her living area and spill out onto her balcony.

All donations from her “green-thumbed” mother and grandmother, the mix of succulents, ivies, and tropical plants offer Ariel both peace of mind and purpose away from the office. When the weather is suitable, her patio is filled with plants, some hanging, some rested on a ledge, all strategically positioned by their specific sunlight needs. When it’s colder, they’ll rest by a window indoors or sit atop a cedar chest in her living room.

“It’s really rewarding to tend to something, to see the growth, and to continuously take care of them. It’s also a great practice in having that mindfulness for the day, to focus on something, to be present,” Ariel says.

Mindfulness. Focus. Being present: All great characteristics of Intentionality, both in plants and business partnerships. What began as a potential internship has blossomed into a burgeoning sales career for Arial. In her relationships with customers, and within herself, there is a great focus, mindfulness, and exponential growth as she continues along her Datamax journey.

Intentional About Her Career.

There’s definite mindfulness to Ariel’s career path. How she landed at Datamax — and then returned to Datamax — was anything but a fluke.

She was finishing her degree at The University of North Texas in the Spring of 2019 when she attended an internship fair on campus. After peeking around and visiting various booths, she was feeling frustrated. Nothing was piquing her interest, no conversations stuck out — until she met Jessica Edens and Clay Mills.
“One of the last booths I visited with was Datamax; both Jessica (equipment trainer at the time) and Clay (VP of Sales) were personable and their booth, and everything they said, definitely caught my attention,” Ariel said.

She went back home and researched Datamax. She visited the website and read the collateral handed to her that day. Ariel emailed and soon after interviewed with Clay, earning much more than just an internship.

“Clay said, ‘I don’t want to hire you as an intern. I want to hire you full-time as a Partnership Review Specialist. It’s a new role for us, but I think it is perfect for you.”

Ariel embraced her new role until moving to Colorado later that summer. She fully realized the impression she’d made on her Datamax team when Clay connected with a VP of Sales at a Colorado Springs Dealer and gave her a glowing recommendation. The role she accepted in Colorado Springs was similar to the one at Datamax, and as she slowly dipped her toes into sales, the more she began to envision a future in it for herself.

As fate swung again, Ariel decided to move back to Texas. She didn’t hesitate when she called Clay and said "I’m coming back.”

“He immediately responded, ‘please tell me you’re coming back to Texas to work with Datamax;’ and I expressed how much I’d love to be back on his team. When I asked what role he was thinking of for me, his response was: 'Well, there’s one thing and one thing only, and that’s sales.'”

Intentional About Presentation.

Ask Ariel about Intentionality, and she’ll offer ways she presents herself to customers. There’s a distinct focus on how she approaches these interactions. Whether it’s a first encounter or a longtime customer, she adds a personal touch that may be missing with other potential technology providers.

“They might say that they have two kids, or they just took a trip to Maui. I make note of that and keep that in my CRM (because if I don’t I won’t remember), so I’ll reference it on the next visit. It’s about developing that strong level of rapport, a touch that they can’t get with other people.”

The more she connects with new customers, the stronger her confidence builds. One motivating factor? A natural propensity to help others.

“I just really like helping others — that was a big part of my passion for sales from the beginning. Whether it’s offering people an approach to account representation that they haven’t experienced before, or getting them out of bad situations where they never heard from their rep, I’ve definitely felt that empowerment in myself over time. And as their personal rep, at Datamax, we can offer a wide breadth of solutions, great flexibility in billing, the list goes on: It makes it much easier for me to help people, and that’s extremely rewarding.”

Intentional About Partnerships.

What does intentionality really mean to Ariel? She says it comes down to being present. It’s easy to go into autopilot, to just go through the motions of your day. But that doesn’t build partnerships.

“Customers can feel when you are genuinely trying to engage,” she says. “It’s not easy to produce results when you’re not fully engaged, fully focused on what they are attempting to convey to you.”

In a previous interview, Ariel outlined her “partnership” strategy in three steps, which are worth sharing here.

• Curiosity: “It’s really important to be curious about their business, about their position. If I’m talking to a decision-maker, I want to find out more about their history with the company and professionally. That really gets them talking. The more you let them talk, the more they open up. It’s also important to get to know more about their industry, Ariel says. It benefits the relationship, but it also helps her learn things that could be helpful down the road.
• Patience: “It’s important to be respectful of their timeline. A lot of times, people feel rushed by sales reps. For me, it’s about understanding that it takes time for these decisions to be made, for them to really evaluate their options.
• Open ears: “Having good listening skills is so important to me. And asking questions: The more you ask, the more you get to know about them, and their business.”

Partnerships aren’t part-time. To grow, they must be nurtured, consistently and with great focus. Strategically positioned for just the right amount of sunlight. Managed with a distinct, personal touch with mindfulness for the forecast ahead.

Whether tending to a succulent or a new sales opportunity, Ariel’s actions are never coincidental or arbitrary. They’re continuous. They’re well-conceived.

They’re unequivocally intentional.