Skills learned in China translate well to new job

Fluent Chinese speaker Fraser Newman moved from China to Rotorua in September, taking up a position with McLeods Booksellers.

Since being made manager in February, he has overseen the store's move from Tutanekai St to Pukuatua St and has worked hard developing and marketing the historic, family-owned business. To sell books you really need to be interested in everything.

Briefly outline your current position/s and career to date.

I am currently manager of McLeods Booksellers Ltd on Pukuatua St. Before this I lived in China and managed a private English training school in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. During my last year of university before going to China I was external relations director for AIESEC Waikato Inc, a non-profit to develop leadership in young people.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first full time job out of university was managing the training school in China. I learnt to keep things simple, plan ahead and, most important of all, to speak Chinese and communicate cross-culturally.

What do you see as the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge in your sector in the year ahead?

There is more competition in the book market now than ever before. This is in itself a challenge but it is also an opportunity. There is no longer any 'easy' way to make money. Popular books can now be bought online, freight free with no GST from overseas. On the other hand this opens up a market for specialist areas such as Maori books, local histories and children's books.

What three skills or qualities are essential in your role?

To sell books you really need to be interested in everything. In a short space of time you have to switch between hunting, fashion and fantasy. I guess that means you need to understand people, like dealing with them and have a passion for what you do.

How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I enjoy weekends with my wife and son. We are new to Rotorua so there is always something fresh to do and amazing places to see. It really is a great city.

If you could do any other job for a day, what would it be and why?

A City Guardian. Those guys do such a great job and I would like to do something a bit more active that is good for the community.

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

I'm starting up a Chinese marketing company. We will be providing full service social media, translation and marketing help in Chinese for Rotorua businesses that want to reach out to the Chinese community here and abroad.

What achievement to date are you most proud of and why?

Learning to speak Chinese. It has really opened up a whole new world to me.

What one piece of advice do you wish somebody had given you when you were starting out?

Keep it ambitious but simple (or do accounting).

If you could choose anybody to be your business mentor, who would it be and why?

Owen Glenn. I think he is a great example of what New Zealanders can achieve with creativity, hard work and a bit of ambition. I also admire him for being conscious of community issues.