» MAKING AN IMPACT

Eylem Aydin Oruc, Unstructured Data Solutions Sales Director ‚ MERAT, Dell Technologies discusses how she continues to relish the challenges and the learnings that have come with the various job roles in sales

Eylem Aydin Oruc

Unstructured Data Solutions Sales Director‚ MERAT, Dell Technologies

What made you choose technology as your professional path? How has this journey been so far in terms of achieving professional success and personal happiness?

Growing up, I was a very social kid and enjoyed interacting with others. Today, I continue to enjoy engaging with people from different backgrounds and work on finding solutions to pressing needs. I saw sales as a path where I could create an impact on others. Variety in the day-to-day activities was another reason why a sales role appealed to me as I would find it incredibly difficult to do a job which requires sitting at your desk all day. Besides, a sales job helps with your social skills like negotiation, communication, listening, social networking, analytical thinking, relationship management, and problem solving. The journey in sales has been amazing. Over the last 22 years, I learnt a lot, met lots of great people, took part in lots of transformational projects and also improved my social skills such as learning to listen and understand others more.

Does gender matter in channel sales in terms of expectations and recognitions? What are some of the common attributes as key differences between women and men in such roles?

The truth is gender doesn’t matter in sales‚ especially in the case of the tech industry. It all depends on your selling skills like communication, active listening, solution knowledge, negotiation, presentation rather than your gender. There are certain characteristics that are described as feminine and masculine. Some of the characteristics found in men are competitiveness, goal orientation, focusing, inventiveness while feminine characteristics are social skills, social interaction, conversational style of communication, acceptance of differences, being multi skilled and working well in groups. It goes without saying, however, irrespective of who you are communicating with, it is all about strengthening your relationships between people, creating team spirit and equality.

Has hybrid work mode been rewarding or taxing? Describe your experience from last year onwards in adopting to the new normal at work? Especially as face-to-face meetings have been difficult to do, how does that impact your work?

Hybrid work hands down has been a rewarding outcome. At the beginning it was difficult to understand and adapt but the moment I realized I could use this shift to have a better quality of time with my team, customers and even with family, I really started enjoying it. Thanks to technological advances, now it is entirely possible for most employees to be just as productive at home as they would in the office before the pandemic. In the beginning it felt different, but in due time businesses and employees have come to accept and appreciate the flexibility and productivity that comes with the hybrid work model.

Describe some of the achievements or milestones you achieved in sales in this role as well as over the career briefly

In sales, our success is measured in numbers and growth. I moved into this role 3.5 years ago and managed to grow the business significantly during this period. In my previous role, when I was managing the enterprise business at EMC, my team and I, we got to work on some amazing, transformational projects. It has been a wonderful and exciting journey and I feel privileged to play a part in introducing these breakthrough innovations to the region.

On the road ahead in your professional journey, what are the ambitions that motivate you?

I feel motivated when I am surround myself with ambitious people. And I do continuously set goals for myself both in my professional and personal life. These goals are specific, measurable and time based, when I complete these I do reward myself and move to setting new goals. Another point is being able to make a positive impact in a team member’s or peer’s lives. I feel motivated when I see the positive impact and know that I could contribute to their growth and success.