Time passes quickly. I have now been with SYZ Machine for six years. When I first applied, I did not have a detailed plan. It was close to the New Year, and I mainly wanted to find a job closer to home. A former colleague had told me that an international sales person at SYZ could reach annual sales of more than one million, which sounded impressive and worth exploring. I applied with an open mind and gradually discovered that SYZ was a company where I could build a long-term career.
When I joined, the training system and the support from experienced colleagues made a strong impression on me. There were many things I did not understand about the products, customers, and processes, but someone was always willing to help. That support allowed me to settle into the work faster and gave me a solid foundation. My understanding of international sales changed significantly at SYZ. In my previous factory role, the product range was relatively narrow and the process was simpler. I usually communicated with customers based on the company’s quotation without thinking deeply about the cost structure, margin, or the wider project.
At SYZ, the product range is broader and new products continue to be developed. Every new item requires learning its application, process, and technical details. A quotation is not just a number; it must reflect purchasing cost, market conditions, and the customer’s requirements. Different customers focus on different things: price, quality, lead time, or support with product development.
I gradually realized that sales is not only about selling a product. It is about understanding an overseas customer, coordinating internal resources, and moving a project from inquiry and quotation through production and shipment. An order is only the beginning. The real test often comes afterward, when delivery, quality, communication, and complaints all need to be managed. One product took more than a year to complete. The customer often asked about the delivery date when I was about to go to sleep, and uncertainty about the factory schedule created enormous pressure. Sometimes my first reaction was to think about how to avoid the message rather than how to solve it.
Then my mentor told me something I have never forgotten: “Sales is learning how to help customers solve problems. If you handle a complaint well, the customer may become a long-term partner.” That sentence changed my attitude. When similar problems appeared, I stopped trying to avoid them. I communicated the facts, followed the progress, and tried to understand the customer’s concern and pressure.
The customer who once caused me the most stress eventually became a long-term customer instead of leaving. Some existing customers have also introduced new customers to us. These experiences taught me that relationships are not built on one order. They are built through repeated communication, responsibility, and problem-solving. Customers continue to cooperate not only because of the product, but because of trust. I appreciate the atmosphere at SYZ. Colleagues are willing to help, and a successful project is understood to be the result of several departments working together. The company has also created more opportunities for people to connect outside work through badminton, yoga, tai chi, and other activities. Those details show that the company cares about employees as people, not only about the value they produce.
SYZ also gives sales people considerable autonomy. A quotation is not a fixed number that we simply copy; we must judge the cost, market, and customer and take responsibility for the decision. That trust can feel stressful at first because many situations have no standard answer. But it also helped me develop initiative and responsibility. I moved from waiting for instructions to analyzing problems and advancing projects independently.
I still have goals to reach. I want to understand existing customers more deeply, increase the value of those relationships, and keep developing new opportunities. International sales is a profession that requires continuous learning. Six years is only one stage, and I hope to keep improving while facing new challenges with SYZ.