When I was asked on last Dec that I would be assigned field marketing section manager in Japan from January, I was surprised that my major responsibility and task would be changed drastically from sales to marketing after 7 years dispatch to the US as global sales, since my only experience was sales even though the section name was sales and marketing.
This is great challenge and big effort for me to try establishing a new team and new KGI/KPI/CSF for field marketing which our entire organization have never challenged. To be honest, I’m still on the way to climb the high mountain that no one try ever, and it is not easy at all to complete them.
Breaking the wall, barrier, or something we never think to break it, it is really challenging to do it sometimes.
And I found out that my marketing knowledge was not enough and still I need to learn a lot. I thought that I am good at doing it, but my focus was quite limited for investigation and research based on sales activities for existing customers, market and applications.
In January, so I bought and read book which was written about BtoB digital marketing.
I have already read “The model” which is written about the clear assignment of the sales and marketing and inside sales and filed sales. Also. I read the book about inside sales and the book about KPI management.
Of course, as you can imagine, the actual real organization and task, company culture are not the same as the book, and it is necessary to modify a lot depending on the situation and theme.
Also the marketing department implemented the course of Growth X’s service which we can learn the marketing including digital marketing from zero knowledge on App. It is also big help for me and my team to learn marketing in nowadays, even the course is quite long course. Every team member will know the progress of everyone’s course even manager or general manager. This is quite challenging system for management side, too.
BTW, one upper management person passed away a few months ago due to illness unfortunately. May he rest in peace. That was sad news for everyone.
One of his vision was to separate the functions, roles, and responsibilities of sales and marketing. (And also establishes the digital marketing too.)
I had the impression that he was always calm and business first.
However, after his illness became apparent to employees, I was struck by his inner passion as I watched him face his work while continuing treatment for his illness.
I was not able to discuss a lot with him about his vision. I regret that. I may still be far from the speed, quality, and finish he wanted, but I will continue to try somehow.
Of course, health is the most important apparently. Living a healthy life, having goals and objectives outside of work, and taking care of one's family enriches one's life.
On the other hand, sometimes, the term "work-life balance" is used, but work and life cannot be clearly separated.
Work can enrich life, and life without work can be very boring.
When you face the completely new things on your job, actually you need to learn and teach and make it own skill in parallel. So to be honest, it is really difficult for me to finish the work in the fixed working time recently. It is not so healthy and I’m so sorry for my family but once I can accommodate skill and team for those new tasks, then it would be possible to make own way to do it.
By the way, I know that if I post this kind of topic in English, not so many people will not read, but it’s ok for this time. I just wanted to write down my thoughts as of now.
