SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER
Marketing communication is one of the most preferred departments by young people to work. In this issue, we talked with a person who has given 40 years to the industry in sales and marketing, which is actually the main function of a business. M. Zafer Yildirim, Sales and Marketing Manager of Ozdisan Elektronik, one of the leading organizations in the electrical and electronics sector, gave us important information about the dynamics of the industry.
Can we get to know you a little?
I was born in 1960. I graduated from the University of Anatolia Faculty of Business Administration. I also received practical training at Marmara University. I’ve been engaged in trade since 1977. I worked in electricity sector in Diyarbakir until 1981. I continued my career in the industry in Istanbul. I was already an expert in electricity, and I learned electronics industry at Karakoy market.
How did your path cross with Ozdisan?
I have worked in various companies for many years. I was active in the market with my own company in the 90s. During this process, we were working in cooperation with Ozdisan. Our negotiations with Mustafa Yurttas were continuing. One day, he asked me to join the “family”. And I accepted gladly. I have been in Ozdisan since 2000.
What has Ozdisan added to you? Can you tell us about your experiences?
I have been in this family for 18 years and we have grown up together, by making great efforts with our team. The increase in our turnover also shows this. We have trained many engineers, and they have all managed to reach successful positions now. We all work selflessly in this family. Ozdisan is a domestic company and has been a leader in its field for many years. Our goal is to achieve even better works in the future. Marketing is an area that I like to work in. In fact, I believe that I was created for this job. I hope we will continue to serve the industry under this family for many years to come.
What kind of responsibilities do you have in sales and marketing?
Sales and marketing is a very strategic field for every company. That applies to us too. With my team, we are always focusing on more efficiency and success. I also motivate all my colleagues in this direction.
Can you tell us about the staff working at the sales and marketing department?
There are three people working in our department. I can say that we are taking steps that can increase the turnover of the company. Marketing is actually a “process” that works on the field. Customer visits are an important part of our business.
Do you provide programs aimed at improving the staff? Are there any activities aimed at improving your staff?
Ozdisan has an employee profile that closely follows the current innovations. Our staff also speak foreign languages. As you know, there are developments in the field of electronics daily. We know that development is a process. That's why I think there is no end to learning. We offer several training programs such as business development and customer relationships.
“The trick of marketing is to fully understand the customer’s needs.”
Could you also tell us about your customer relations approach?
My basic principle is to communicate positively with the customer. We do not leave our customers unanswered when they have any questions. It is important that communication is uninterrupted. We pay customer visits with our engineers who are experts in their fields. We have engineer representatives who can answer all kinds of technical questions from our customers. For us, the trick of marketing is to fully understand the customer’s needs. If we understand the their needs correctly, we guarantee 50% of the success.
What are the main dynamics that enable you to increase your sales performance?
Ozdisan is a strong company. It’s the leader in the sector. We can stand behind every promise we make to our customer. This gives us competitive strength. We attach great importance to the collective working environment.
“Ozdisan is a strong company. It’s the leader in the sector. We can stand behind every promise
we make to our customer. This gives us competitive strength.”
Could you also tell us about Ozdisan's activities abroad?
At Ozdisan, we have entered into a new structuring process in the last 5 years. E-commerce is one of the major areas we are investing in. We have a team of 60 people serving for this platform. And now we are collecting the fruits of these efforts. One of the elements that support us to strengthen our connections abroad is ozdisan.com. We also experience the advantages of representing the most powerful companies in the sector abroad. We produce electronic boards for Greece. We recently received new orders from Italy. We have been cooperating with Germany for a long time. We participate in the most important international fairs in our sector and develop new relations via these platforms.
Could you share your goals for 2019?
My goal has always been to go further. In 2019 we aim to further increase our business volume. Unfortunately, in 2018 we lost many of our customers due to bankruptcy. Especially in the last four months, this situation has become even more noticeable in the sector. We’re all on the same ship. Therefore, we believe that all players in the sector should support each other. We are ready to do our best for our country and our sector.
“E-commerce is one of the major areas we are investing in.”
We have a team of 60 people serving for this platform.
And now we are collecting the fruits of these efforts.”
Which product groups are in the frame in recent years?
Actually, at Ozdisan we do not make such a distinction. Passive components used to be more dominant in the past, but in recent years we have focused more on general electronics. For example, one of my favorite customers is ISPARK. We carry out traffic light monitoring, vehicle cards and communication tracking.
