Hitchhiker Spotlight: Lisa Lundegard

How long have you been on the Hitchhikers team?

Since May 2020. I've been focused on implementing AFTs in the UK over the last month or so.

What projects have you worked on since joining the Hitchhikers team?

Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG), Rovva/Regus, Moto Hospitality, British Heart Foundation, Allied Irish Bank (AIB)

What is your proudest accomplishment since joining the Hitchhikers team?

Getting a slow moving customer from the Kickoff Call through to integration! The client took several weeks to send me their data, so getting them to the integration stage is a proud milestone. Hoping to get them live very soon!

How has becoming an administrator/Hitchhiker affected your career?

Going through the Hitchhikers training has helped me immensely in understanding the ins and outs of the Yext platform on a much deeper level as well as strengthened my technical skills. For example, I've learned a lot about HTML and CSS over the past two months, and have been able to leverage this new knowledge immediately in implementing the AFTs. The experience has pushed me to challenge and strengthen not just my technical knowledge, but also my confidence as a Sales Engineer. Having the insight now into how the product is put together has helped tremendously in explaining the value and the 'art of the possible' to prospects.

What is one thing people might not know about being an administrator?

Being an Admin requires you to manage your time effectively and stay organised because you're not only working to implement various parts of the product, like Answers, but also responsible for keeping up with any changes. The platform is constantly evolving, so Admins have to learn the needed skills and processes very quickly as a result. It's a very rewarding role if you're eager to learn and curious to dig into how things work behind the scenes!

What is the toughest challenge you have had to overcome on a project?

No project is the same! Clients are often at different stages of their understanding, confidence, and implementation of the product, especially Answers. As a result, you've got to be quick on your feet and ready to pivot when needed. This can be hard to manage, especially when you have varying roles (Marketing, IT, Digital Transformation, etc) involved in the process. I have found working closely with the Customer Success Managers on existing accounts to be incredibly valuable to help manage expectations and relationships through the AFT period and beyond. The CSMs often have valuable insight into how to position the product and what data should be at the forefront to convey the power of the platform, especially Answers! This is key because getting the data back from the client is often the biggest challenge, especially if they don't understand the value, or the 'why'.