Deepanshu Garg, Sales Manager, Gilat India
I began my journey with Gilat as a Sales Manager in 2008. I was sold on the company’s massive technological capabilities and relatively small size. I saw growing the company as a fantastic opportunity and challenge.
Sales are the lifeblood of any company. Although I’ve hit my annual quota for 11 years running, earned my place in the Gilat 120 club two years in a row, and sold record levels of VSAT units, I know that winning bids and building trusted relationships with customers is ultimately the best way to bring the benefits of boundless connectivity to the world.
In my role in Sales, Revenue & Collections, my mission is keeping our customers happy. What drives me? The adrenaline of hunting new deals, the camaraderie of working shoulder to shoulder with systems integrators to win governmental bids, and the craft of drafting business plans that bring the business vision to life. I’ve always had a thirst for learning. By becoming an expert on the VSAT technology, ecosystem, and regulations, I can add real value to our customers beyond selling solutions.
Only after becoming an employee did I understand what makes Gilat special. We are a people-friendly culture that actively encourages each of us to contribute to our business growth through our ideas and initiatives. In my area of sales, there is another secret. Gilat’s amazing flexibility in accommodating our clients’ needs. Since I’ve worked here, not one customer has gone elsewhere. It’s a fact of which I am extremely proud.
Selling new boxes (VSAT units) every year takes a lot of stamina and ingenuity. It requires an ability to approach the market every year with new energy, ideas and solutions for your customers. Stop learning about what your customer need at your own peril. I invest a lot of effort getting to know my customers inside out, which is why they consider me as trusted partner who adds real value to their business. Experience has taught me there is no substitute for complete and continuous concentration on what you are doing. Snooze and you lose the next big opportunity.
It’s not enough to book a high number of VSATs every year. Billing clients is critical. In addition to constant follow up, you need to be prepared to give customers a ‘gentle’ push with roll outs. This is why I’m in constant contact with our commercial desk responsible for fulfilling roll outs. This effort is what leads to consistent results – faster on-time deliveries and more POs to the company.
In sales, as in life, there are no shortcuts to sustained success. Luck favours those with discipline and a commitment to hard work. When things don’t go your way (and that is bound to happen), then you need to grit your teeth and adapt a “Never Say Die” approach. I believe actions build trust. People count on me and my capabilities because the deals and POs I’ve brought have always resulted in successful deliveries.
Sometimes it pays to step out of the day to day and innovate how we work. Innovation lets us create effective processes, products, and ideas, and acts as a catalyst that can make the business grow. The resultant of continuous innovation is WINNING TOGTHER! Having beaten competition many times due to the efficient response to customers, you also learn that speed and momentum are so important for our customers. Price can be beaten by value and responsiveness!
My other passion is Cricket (a very popular sport in the Asian subcontinent). There are many parallels with my life in sales and business. My position – Wicket Keeping – is the most aggressive position on the field. My job is not only keeping the wickets (day-to-day sales), it involves keeping a close eye on the whole field (building the winning strategy and beating the competition). And as a batsman, my role changes to scoring runs quickly to help the team achieve victory. (Achieving our qtrly/yearly targets). You also learn a vital lesson: winning depends on a combination of mental and physical fitness and great teamwork. Those are things we do really well at Gilat.
