Sales Director, Carlo, Discusses the Magic of Working at ALICE

Carlo Chancelien is the Sales Director for the Caribbean at ALICE, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Carlo has worked at ALICE for the past two years and has been an ALICE ambassador in the Latin American market.

ALICE’s People Team sat down with Carlo to chat with him about what it’s like working with the Sales team at ALICE.

What is your role here at ALICE, and what does it entail?

I am the Sales Director for Latin America and South America at ALICE. For this role, I am in contact with many hoteliers who are interested in our company and product. I connect with hoteliers and share information with them about ALICE. I have a large portfolio that includes many hotels in countries around the world, and I have to understand a lot of different markets and cultures in order to understand the needs of potential customers. 

I am based in the Dominican Republic and the way we do business here is different than the United States, and it also varies throughout the Caribbean. To do business here, you have to understand different languages and different business techniques. It’s also important to have a good understanding of the different rules for information security; so there are a lot of aspects of working in software sales throughout Latin America. 

What’s unique about the Sales Team at ALICE?

ALICE is like a restaurant. The marketing team owns the menu and the atmosphere, and the product development team is the chef in the kitchen. As for the people who talk to customers, provide menu recommendations, and ensure everyone is enjoying their time and come back time and time again? Those are the waiters, and that is what the Sales team does here at ALICE. 

We are a very dynamic team, filled with a lot of positive individuals. In order to sell to hotels it tends to be a longer sales cycle that requires extensive relationship building. 

Tell me about an experience that you had here at ALICE, that would only happen here.

ALICE is the first small company that I’ve worked in; I was used to large corporations where everything was defined and there were clear rules and separations. At ALICE, if you have an idea, you feel empowered to innovate and try new things. After signing my first sales contract, ALICE’s CEO Justin Effron sent me a personal message congratulating me; even though ALICE keeps growing, we still have that startup spirit. 

Carlo and Diana, our Customer Success Manager, at a hospitality conference

What made you want to work at ALICE?

To be honest, I didn’t know what ALICE was before I joined. I was a Regional Account Manager for Booking.com in the Caribbean, and I went to a conference in Paris where I ran into a former employer who was working for ALICE and he told me they were looking for a Caribbean salesperson and asked if I was interested. Then a couple days later, an HR team member from ALICE messaged me on LinkedIn and asked to set up a call. After we spoke, what resonated with me was ALICE’s values, they weren’t just there as something to promote, they truly have a spirit within the company.

What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on at ALICE?

I went with a former manager to different Caribbean islands, and we went to small properties and spoke to owners. Even though they were small properties, and didn’t have a huge client base, they wanted the technology to better their hotels and working experiences, and to enhance their operations. This really changed my perspective, small hotels are just as interested in trying new things as big hotels.

Carlo in Punta Cana visiting an ALICE customer hotel

What advice would you give to a future ALICE employee?

ALICE is a great place to work. People here enjoy what they do and have fun. Even though we’re not really a small startup anymore, we still have that startup feeling. The company still listens to everyone’s feedback and input, because the next employee that comes in could change the company. The best event is our company-wide Hackathon. It's fun, celebrates togetherness, and we can contribute to improving the ALICE product for our customers, no matter which department we work in.

Who has been your biggest role model at ALICE?

My number one role model at ALICE  is actually my manager, Wendy Zapach, our SVP of Sales. She is a bad*ss. It’s not just how she manages the people on her team, but how she inspires everyone to do more. Each person on her team is different and needs a different management style. She is able to change her style for each person she works with, making sure they have the tools to do his or her job and are focused and connected. She wants each person to constantly learn and be challenged, which allows us to become better sellers.

What are your favorite hobbies or activities outside of work? 

I normally play soccer in a competitive spirit, it's not like basketball or anything because the score isn’t what matters. Sometimes the best soccer games end 0-0, you spend 90 minutes having fun; and although it's competitive, it's mostly just about having fun, it's a sport that gives you balance.

Also, as a result of the pandemic I have become a bit of a mixologist. I spent four to five months without going out, I would just have a beer at home, but my wife wouldn’t drink because she likes cocktails. So I watched YouTube videos and read recipes and became quite good at mixing cocktails. I don’t like them but it's fun, and now my friends will invite me over to make cocktails.

Where is your favorite place you’ve stayed? 

At my last job, I was visiting a small hotel in Guadeloupe and I was staying somewhere else but I was so intrigued by the customer hotel that they let me stay. It was a bubble-type house and it allowed you to see straight into the sky. It was such a great experience.

What is one of your secret talents?

I do a lot of public engagements and speaking events, but people don’t realize that I’m actually an introvert. I’m kind of shy but I like to analyze people and their interactions with other people. I think it is really neat to get an idea of people just by looking at them. 

What is the last show that you binge watched?

I’ve watched a lot in the pandemic and most recently the TV series Suits. I started watching 4 years ago and finally finished watching it during the pandemic.