meet the experts – Tony Tran

‘I like being challenged; it makes the job more fun.’

Meet Tony Tran, the guy initially pursuing a career in the catering industry. He liked that but didn’t love it, so he was intrigued when a friend told him about this Nijmegen-based IT company looking for a warehouse employee. Maybe Tony did not know the first thing about IT, but he was eager and willing to learn. So, he applied.

‘I had a job interview with Gérald Dulac, the general manager. We had a great conversation, but at the end, he told me that he thought I was probably more of a sales guy. Would that be interesting? It sure would, but I told him the truth: I did not know anything about selling stuff. So what if he would just put me in the warehouse for now? I’ll get to know the company and the market and would slowly grow into the sales position. Long story short: Gérald did not concur. So, I started as a junior sales executive. That was eight years ago.’

Quite a gutsy move, Tony.

‘It kind of was, right? There I was, a young guy with no IT experience or affinity. I was down 10-0, I had to build a client base from scratch. And I won’t lie:  it was quite difficult at first. I was asked to focus on the Benelux, Dutch-speaking companies. So, I searched the internet, looking for potential clients, making a list, and then I just started cold calling. Very frustrating because I wanted to get results quickly – which didn’t happen. But I’m tenacious, and with the help of my seniors, I started to understand the kind of products we sell and the kind of solutions we offer. Then, I slowly tried to reach and trigger interest from those potential customers. And I quickly found out I had a knack for it, and I actually fell in love with the process of having nothing and working hard on winning a client over.’

But, says Tony, those wins don’t mean anything if they’re just one-time wins. Sure, you make the company some money, which may look nice in the books, but what you really want is more than that one shot. ‘I immediately realized the importance of good relationships in this business. It’s essential. It’s especially nice when working with start-ups. They don’t have the same financial stability as other companies, and you serve them as you would any large client, and one day they may become your biggest client. That is so incredibly rewarding! Relationships make the difference. That’s why even if we are sometimes a bit more expensive than our competition, they often still prefer buying from us rather than the other guys. Ultimately, most people prefer to buy from other people than from a webshop.  Clients do need a product, but at the end of the day, they still choose whom they buy it from because of that relationship. Because they know that when the shit hits the fan, we’ll be there, we don’t shy away from problems. Our clients know we always handle them with respect; we solve the problems. That’s what matters.’ 

I suppose that means you really must know what you’re talking about.

‘Absolutely. Technology changes so quickly that new products hit the market all the time so you must be knowledgeable and stay up-to-date. You can’t just learn the products once and be done with it. New generations always have slightly different features. So, you want to know: is that component an option in this situation? Does it fit in? What will change regarding power consumption, performance, capacity, specification, etc.? You always have to be up-to-date with the products you sell. But that challenge makes the job more fun. I like being challenged. Maybe it’s got something to do with my background. My parents fled from Vietnam. They have experienced hardships that most people will never experience in their lifetime. The word “challenge” is too mild to describe what they’ve been through. When I think of the choices and sacrifices they made to seek a better life, to offer my siblings and me that better life, I am humbled and feel extremely fortunate for the opportunities I’ve been offered. Thinking of where they come from has always motivated me; I want to make them proud.’