5 Years at Dell Technologies: Yuya's Journey from Inside Sales Rep to a Sales Trainer

Yuya K. | Sales Trainer, Global Sales Learning & Development | Tokyo, Japan

Originally Published: June 20, 2023

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your current role?

I joined Dell Technologies as a new graduate in 2017 as an Inside Sales Representative (ISR). I had a variety of experiences as an ISR, including inbound, acquisition, retention, and setting up a new team. Then I moved to GSL&D in 2022 in an open position within Dell, working as a sales trainer on sales training and enablement projects.

Looking back on your five years as an inside sales rep, what has been your biggest challenge? How do you think you have grown?

Although I’m blessed to be in excellent work environments, I had opportunities to change teams and roles every year. As an ISR, my mission was the same - to propose the best solutions to customers and achieve targets, but the KPIs were different, so I had to adjust to these changes.

During my third year, I experienced the most personal and professional growth. As I began to deal with retention clients, the projects I had to manage became more complex, and there were times where I couldn't turn my work around as quickly as I would have liked. This affected sales, and I struggled to achieve my desired results. Then my former manager taught me the importance of dealing with customers as a team instead as individuals. Since then, I've focused on strengthening cooperation with account team members such as Account Executives (AE), Technical Sales Representatives (TSR), and Large Opportunity Representatives (LOR). Additionally, I actively asked my manager and coaches for feedback. I also realized that I struggled to think hypothetically, so I focused my sales activities on carefully planning my outlook to cultivate this skill.

What made you decide to become a sales coach?

In my fourth year at Dell, COVID began to spread worldwide. I have gone from working in an office with colleagues around me to working from home and spending time alone. Since then, I had a lot of time to think about my career. At the time, I did not have a clear career path or concrete plans to continue to work as salesperson, so I first thought about what I wanted to do and what motivated me. As a result, I realized that I had always enjoyed communicating with people since I was a student. I then began listening to various people in the company, applying for open positions, and interviewing for relevant roles. As I continued to do this, I came across my current job and seized the opportunity.

How do you like your current role? What kind of experience do you bring to it? The work style is quite different from a sales job and is sometimes tough, but it is FUN! As a sales trainer, I provide training on general business negotiation frameworks and how to use internal sales tools. My five years of sales experience has helped me provide more practical training. However, of course, there are many challenges too. I am constantly brushing up my content and training methods to see how I can better communicate with trainees. I also try to personally connect with trainees as they are all different from each other and have different learning styles. People are essential capital for a company, so I find contributing to organizational development and working with department heads and various leaders in this role rewarding.

What is your current goal or future ambition?

In the short term, my main priority is to further improve the quality of my training as a trainer. I would also like to organize content and contribute to the creation of an efficient system for on-demand and real-time training. In the long term, I would like to improve my English skills and broaden my experience globally by expanding the regions where I oversee training.

What do you think of the culture at Dell? Who will enjoy working here?

I love that Dell is a customer-first company. And because of that, it changes rapidly. In the six years I've been here, the team structure has changed dramatically, the focus product has changed, and Dell is always willing to adopt new things and new ways of doing things. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a startup company. If you enjoy change and flexibility, it is a great company to join!

What advice do you have for future employees starting their first career?

There are countless companies in the world, and even more jobs abound. In such an environment, it is essential to have a clear idea of what you want to do. On the other hand, it is also great to find out what you want to do through various experiences while consulting with others and getting help. I enjoy the work I have found in this way and find it extremely rewarding. The most important thing is to take action on your own.

To learn more about life at Dell, please visit our stories.