Hina Takase

Selling Products Is Not the Job of a Trading Company

When I was looking for a job, I wanted to be active globally, so I narrowed down my desired industry to a trading company and went through the selection process. I visited several companies for interviews, but the one with the best atmosphere was Macnica, and I thought, ``I definitely want to work here!'' The biggest deciding factor was, of course, the people. Every Macnica employee is bright and truly warm-hearted. Every employee I passed in the office said to me, ``Welcome!'' and ``Good luck with your interview,'' as I was a job-hunting student, and I felt that I was warmly welcomed as a person. Ta.

My dream came true and I decided to join Macnica as a salesperson. In my first year with the company, I was in charge of IoT security products, but within a year, I was transferred to application products that share and centrally manage files. I was assigned to a new team, and the sales seniors I met there had a great influence on my current sales style. He is known for his motto of "customer first," and he gave me some advice: "It's important to thoroughly think about what your customers really need." Up until then, I had been working desperately in sales thinking only about getting people to buy our products, but I changed my way of thinking 180 degrees and started thinking first about what I could do to solve the customer's problems. It became.

Even if the products I was in charge of did not sell well, I listened as much as I could to customer consultations and sometimes suggested products other than the ones I handled. As we continued these activities, the number of customers who said, "I'm glad I asked Mr. Takase for advice," and "If I have a problem, I'll consult Mr. Takase first," increased. By thoroughly implementing these "customer-first" activities, we have gained the trust of our customers, and they have become able to tell us about their current situations and issues. We also have more opportunities to propose products that Selling things is not everything. I really feel the real thrill of the business of a trading company.

Communicate What You Want to Do and What You Want to Do

From the second year after joining the company, in addition to sales of application products that share and centrally manage files, when exchanging information by e-mail, attached files are automatically saved in the cloud instead of Zip files to improve security. I am in charge of product manager (PM) for new products. PM is the person responsible for the products of a specific supplier manufacturer. It is no exaggeration to say that whether or not the product sells depends on the PM, which is an important position. PMs have a wide range of tasks, such as building relationships with suppliers, formulating sales targets, selecting distributors, reporting status to internal members, creating sales scenarios, marketing, etc., but it is a truly rewarding job.

The reason why I was assigned to be a PM in the first place even though I was a junior at the company was because my boss was able to convey my enthusiasm for wanting to be a PM. When it was decided that Macnica would be handling products from a new client and they were looking for a PM, I was the first person to raise my hand. I've always been interested in PM work, and I always talked to my boss about how I'd like to try it someday. My boss appreciated my approach to work, and was willing to leave it to me if I raised my hand. Macnica is paying more attention to each employee than I expected, and I feel that the culture of delegation of authority is progressing.

Besides the delegation of authority, what I like about Macnica 's company culture is its open atmosphere. Not only our direct superiors, but also the upper management of the company listen to our opinions carefully. This good atmosphere also leads to motivation for work. Now, I try to feel free to express my thoughts, such as, ``Maybe this is a better way to do it,'' or ``I'd like to do this type of work.'' This is a company where you can talk about your dreams and have the opportunity to make them come true, so I want to continue to share my dreams with you.

Share the Sense of Accomplishment with Your Teammates

What I learned most from joining Macnica was the ability to involve people. When I was a student, when I had a problem, I was the type of person who would take it on myself and try to solve it. I learned that Macnica 's work is not so easy that I could do it alone, and that there are limits to that method, so I learned the importance of involving people around me and working as a team. The seniors who work at Macnica are generally good at getting people involved. I feel that the ability to involve people = business sense.

I realized the importance of the ability to involve people when I was able to secure a business contract with a major company over the course of a year. The sales agency that would be our business partner for this project was a company that had no previous relationship with Macnica, so we had to sign an agency contract. Technical verification was required, and there was no way I could proceed with this project alone. Therefore, I consulted my boss about contract-related matters, my SE about technical matters, and my sales representative about negotiations with the other party. Although they were all seniors, when I explained my purpose to them and said, ``I would like you to cooperate with me in order to close the deal,'' they willingly lent their help, and as a result, we were able to get a great result by closing the deal. I still clearly remember the day when I felt a strong sense of accomplishment, thinking, ``What a wonderful thing it was to be able to share the joy with everyone.''

Through this project, I was able to realize the importance of the ability to get people involved, and I think I was able to grow one step further as a PM. At the same time, when I couldn't come up with a good idea, I started to actively consult with various people.