- Auto parts sales
Invisible work
now finally take shape
First Sales Section, Sales Department, Auto Parts Division
Kagawa University Faculty of Economics Department of Management Systems
Joined in 2016
- Please tell us about your current work
- I am in charge of sales of auto parts for major customers.
In a nutshell, sales does not mean selling the finished product, but the role of communication inside and outside the company as the entire company, including development and purchasing, conducts order activities for a single product. There is an aspect of bridging that requires a broad view of manufacturing.
I am currently in charge of a new project, and this is the first time I have experienced the entire process from receiving an order to final price negotiations.
- Please tell us what you valued when looking for a job and why you decided to work for Kurashiki Kako.
- To be honest, work-life balance was the main axis.
I didn't want to live a life devoted to work, but I wanted to make sure that both my work and private life were fully fulfilled. After actually working, the scale of the automobile industry has led to a sense of fulfillment. In Kurashiki Kako Kako, there are regular holidays, and it is easy to take paid leave. The other day, I went to Mie by car.
- Please tell us about the most “heartbreaking job” you have ever had.
- I was shocked when I saw a product I was involved in for the first time on a new car introduction page in an automobile magazine. Seeing the product in action, I felt that I had accomplished my task for the first time. Since sales involves a lot of invisible work, I was overwhelmed with emotion when I could see my past activities in a tangible form.
That said, this case was a series of hardships. It is not easy to strike a balance between a price that satisfies our customers and our target price. While maintaining close communication with my boss and people in other departments, I engaged in cost reduction activities within the company after receiving an order, and repeated price negotiations with customers over and over again. However, thanks to those hardships, I feel that I was able to deepen my connections with people both inside and outside the company, and that I was able to grow exponentially as a salesperson.
Sales is a wide-ranging job, so one of the attractions is that you can always be stimulated and grow.
- Please give a message to job hunting students!