We are starting a new series Meet The Zauian, introducing the faces behind Zaui. Believing in the power of people-centric organizations, Zaui has always embraced a truly people-first culture. Zaui’s success would not have been possible without our diligent teams. These stories give a glimpse of the people behind our customer-centric technology.
John Voci joined the Zaui Team as a Director of Sales, bringing with him deep tourism experience. Having been in the industry for 15 years as a tour guide, manager, and tour operator, John understands the ins and outs of the software as well as the challenges tour operators face. And that’s his expertise—he genuinely cares about every client. He can step into their shoes, understand their business needs and make relevant recommendations for them.
What is the best thing about working at Zaui?
The team is dedicated and committed. I’m relatively new to Zaui but was immediately embraced, which was extremely important to me. That may be a Canadian trait, but I’m going to say it’s exceptionally strong with Zaui.
As for working as Director of Sales, I love helping tour companies solve their challenges. I was one of them before… as a tour guide, manager, and many other roles as a tour operator. So, I am especially passionate about providing them advice (and, of course, the tools) to help grow their business and manage their operations.
What helps you feel connected to your coworkers while working remotely?
Our slack meetups are really great because I don’t usually get to interact with a lot of the dev team as much. We have such a diverse team, and it’s really cool to meet everyone while we are still working far away from each other (over 4,500 km from Vancouver for me!). Also, anytime we get to joke around a bit before or after a call is always fun.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?
Although I haven’t experienced this too much yet, I think some clients can approach salespeople with some skepticism. They may assume we’re sharks just trying to sell as many people as we can without caring for what they do. But, it can be easy to turn that around when you express genuine care in what the customer does and respect that they have built a business they are proud of.
What’s one thing that surprised you about working at Zaui?
Wayne’s mustache!
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? What makes you feel alive and excited?
Anything alfresco! I love eating outside, drinking outside, watching baseball games outside, going to concerts outside.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would you choose?
It’s only one day, so how about the guy enjoying a margherita and fish tacos on the beach somewhere?
What do you do to turn things around when you’re having a bad day?
Working from home these days, I can easily get up, grab my dog, and go for a walk. Stepping away from the computer and going for a quick stroll outside will cure any immediate stress and allow me to return more clear-headed to handle the problems at hand.
What’s your most memorable facepalm moment?🤦♂️
I used to commute to work from Virginia to Washington, DC by Segway, and one day, a stranger caught me riding in the snow through the Georgetown neighbourhood on my commute. The picture got circulated on the biggest non-political blogs in DC, where I was absolutely roasted. A lot of friends had a good laugh at my expense.
What advice would you give to new Zauians in their first month?
Zaui is a software that does A LOT, and if you’ve never been a tour or activity operator before, it can seem overwhelming. But, as you learn more about the industry and how Zaui can help our customers, it’ll get so much easier.
