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North AmericanNorth American
Association of Sales Engineers
Association of Sales Engineers
North American Association of Sales Engineers
Meet The Members: Featuring Femi Coker
Now and then NAASE will be featuring one of our Association Members. This week, we did a Q&A with Mr. Femi Coker, a recent Member.
Femi Coker, Regional Technical Sales Engineer
Dangote Cement Plc
1. How did you go from a Chemical Engineering major and graduate into a technical sales engineer at a manufacturer?
Frankly, I accidentally found myself in the position. I got a lead to apply for the position of Technical Officer through my In-law. Since this was in a manufacturing company and my qualification was an Engineering major, the job function will naturally be at the plant as I didn’t get a chance to see the scope of what I was applying for.I wrote the qualifying exams and went through the interview process.It was after getting the Job that I got to know the scope.I actually wanted a real engineering practice at the cement plant but with time I started enjoying the field aspect of the plant operations.
2. Are sales engineers in high demand currently in Nigeria? Why/ why not?
I would say NO. The sales Engineering role is still misunderstand largely and taken for sales reps or execs. Some other companies don’t even believe in the role.There was a change in management in my Company and the technical sales department was completely scrapped, during which I was moved to a sales officer position. I worked in this role for a year and half before moving to Marketing then back to Technical Sales.
3. What do you enjoy most about being a SE?
The dynamic nature of technical issues that are experienced on the field. The need for continuous learning. The people part of the Engineering practice.As an Engineering major, I am Introvert. I believe most engineers have this trait. It was quite challenging initially to break the ice of having to talk to people on a first meet and not just one but tens of calls per day but this is one aspect I now enjoy a lot.
4. What do you wish the NAASE could help provide to you?
A family. A chartered body recognized globally for SEs. A channel for growth and a ladder to measure how far or fast one is growing in the field.A body of work that will differentiate ordinary SEs from Chartered.
TOP 5 TIPS FOR SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE CLOUD DATA PROTECTION
Every year, the number of people using personal clouds grows, and this trend isn’t set to stop. It was anticipated in 2012 that by 2014, the change from offline PC work to primarily on-cloud work would be complete. And it’s already taking place. We no longer send a large number of images by email, and we no longer carry documents on USB flash drives. The cloud has evolved into a place where everyone congregates and exchanges data. Furthermore, it has evolved into a repository for data that is preserved indefinitely. We’re putting more and more faith in the cloud. Even our bank documents, ID scans, and private business documents have found a new home on the cloud. But can you be certain that your data is safe, secure, and protected out there?
Actually, you won’t be able to do so for the time being. Data privacy regulation moves at a snail’s pace, unable to keep up with technological advancements. Take a look at how different countries and areas handle legal issues related to cloud data privacy. There are
few universal principles or laws that could apply to any user and any cloud service, regardless of location or geographical limits. The current information privacy legislation consists of a plethora of declarations, plans, and roadmaps, the majority of which are not legally obligatory.
To help you deal with the issue of cloud privacy and the impact on cloud security especially in vulnerable times like the COVID-19 pandemic, here are five data privacy protection tips:
1. Avoid Storing Confidential Data in the Cloud
Many tips on the internet may sound like not putting your data in the cloud. That’s true, but it will be best to rephrase it to avoid storing critical information on the cloud. So, if you have an option, keep your sensitive information out of the virtual world or employ proper alternatives.
2. Learn How Your Cloud Service Storage Works by Reading the User Agreement
If you’re unsure about which cloud storage to use or have any concerns about how that or another cloud service works, read the user agreement for the service you’re considering. It is undeniably difficult and tedious, but you must confront those massive amounts of text. The document that has usually received insufficient attention may contain critical information that you require. In most cases, hiring data engineers in maintaining effective data security is a great help as they are also knowledgeable in dealing with the user agreement in cloud service storage.
3. Take Passwords Seriously
You’ve probably heard this warning a hundred times, but the majority of people ignore it. Did you know that 90% of all passwords can be cracked in less than a minute? Indeed, an easy-to-create-and-remember password is at the root of many of the tragic stories about accounts being hacked. Furthermore, using the same email password for many sites (e.g., your Facebook account, your cloud storage account) is a trap because all of your login credentials and forgotten passwords end up in your inbox. As a result, you only need to remember your “core” word and the password’s structure. You may reinforce it even more by adding a number before the service’s name, such as your birth date. You can come up with any other method of remembering your passwords that appeals to you, just be sure you won’t forget it and it will not be easy for anyone to hack.
4. Encrypt the Data
Encryption is the finest approach to safeguard your data so far. Encryption works like this in general: You have a file you wish to move to the cloud, you use special software to establish a password for that file, you move that password-protected file to the cloud, and no one who does not know the password will ever be able to read the content of the file. The simplest and most convenient method is to compress files and encrypt them with a password. Check the “Protect with a password” option when generating the archive, enter in the password, and then move it to the cloud. If you wish to share it with someone, simply tell them the password.
5. Make Use of a Cloud Service That is Encrypted
Some cloud services, in addition to storage and backup, offer local encryption and decryption of your files. It means that the service will encrypt your files on your computer and save them in the cloud securely. As a result, there’s a better possibility that no one will have access to your files this time, including service providers and server administrators or the so-called “zero-knowledge” privacy. Software marketers like Spideroak and Wuala are two such services. Spideroak offers a free 2GB storage space with full backup, sync, share, access, and storage features. If you need more space, you’ll have to switch to the Plus Plan for $10 per month. Wuala offers 5GB of storage for both free and premium accounts, with prices varying based on how much capacity you require.
Consider how valuable your information is to you and to what extent it is fair to secure it while deciding on the best strategy to protect it. As a result, the first step is to determine the level of privacy you require, as well as the level of protection you require. Even a two-step verification requiring SMS with a code delivered to your cell phone may appear tedious if you don’t use the internet for work, however, most people who use email for delivering business data welcome this option. Although not everyone is willing to pay for data storage, if you use cloud storage for corporate data, you’ll find the cost of safe and secure data storage to be fair. So find a fine balance between the required level of security and the time, effort, and money spent on it.
Special thanks to SOPHIA YOUNG CONTENT STUDIO and Nightfall
For more information related to this article you can visit:
https://nightfall.ai/
Top 5 Advantages of Outsourcing B2B Sales Teams
Whether they’re small or big companies, businesses of all sizes experience a common issue when expanding and covering different territories: having enough salespeople. This issue may curb your business’ potential and affect your growth. A precipitated expansion can be a threat to your business. Putting aside your sales team’s essential role just to focus on exploring new territories will certainly impact your sales.
That’s when outsourcing sales services can become a crucial solution for a hassle-free business expansion. Outsourced teams can develop and test whole new sales strategies and different ways to approach new markets, without shifting your business focus and net profits. Furthermore, as outsourcing helps you save money, you have more room for testing and improving processes.
Outsourced sales teams already have the essential skills and knowledge to handle new perspectives and horizons rapidly.
Time And Money Saving
Increasing sales and having lower expenses is the main goal for every business. This is one of the main reasons why companies choose to outsource their sales services. Some of the areas in your business where outsourcing can help you cut costs include hiring and training salespeople and office locations.
Hiring takes time, the process is tedious, and there is one more salary to pay at the end of the day. Outsourcing your sales team is practical and easy since SDR teams are already formed and can guarantee results from day zero. Moreover, you can focus on improving the products or services your company offers rather than wasting valuable time on hiring processes.
Provides Your Business With The Right Tools
To achieve your business goals, you need more than talented sales reps. You also need to provide them with the right tools to analyze and manage data. These days, there’s plenty of marketing tools for different targets. A big challenge is choosing the most suitable one for your business’ needs. Moreover, mastering those tools may take a long time, and time is invaluable.
Outsourcing provides your business with a professional sales team who knows how to master the market’s best CRM tools. And as these companies usually pay for those marketing tools, you have a cost-effective option to enhance your business with the latest technologies.
Holistic Approach That Avoids Operating In Silos
Silo working happens when different departments within a company don’t share information or communicate with other colleagues effectively. This represents a major drawback for your business goals, and the big problem is that it’s a common practice in several companies.
On the other hand, Outsourcing breaks the silo structure by providing companies with sales teams that have a holistic approach. They promote communication across departments like marketing and sales who often work in silo structures in most companies, and as a consequence, they help improve the overall sales process.
B2B Sales Outsourcing companies offer integrated sales and marketing teams, which is a great alternative to the traditional isolated department structure. Your business won’t have to deal with expensive training to staff marketing and sales areas individually. This definitely breaks the obstructive silo culture, thus, in a cost-effective way for your business.
Outsourced teams are also trained to accomplish narrower deadlines, which is usually a setback for in-house teams due to the silo culture.
Improve Performance Of In-House Teams
Another advantage of outsourcing sales for your business is that you can improve your in-house sales reps’ performance by working alongside external teams. The expertise and efficiency that outsourced teams have can provide your employees with new perspectives or fresh ideas.
You may be wasting your account executives’ (AEs) potential by relying on them in the prospecting routine, like cold calling and emailing. You need account executives’ valuable expertise to focus on closing deals and working with customers. This is the reason why hiring outsourced sales development reps (SDRs), who focus on handling prospecting tasks, is a smart strategy for any business.
This is a significant benefit for your company to scale sales and get high-quality training while encouraging in-house teams to think outside the box. Outsourced teams can help you improve your company’s practices thanks to their experience across several industries, thus, you will get a focused workforce maximizing your ROI.
The B2B Sales Outsourcing Service Your Business Needs
If you’ve decided to give B2B sales outsourcing a shot, you first need to identify pain points and gaps within your sales processes. By detecting the opportunities for improvement, you will have the ability to find the right outsourcing partner.
You will discover outsourcing is the perfect way to cut costs without losing brand authority and consistency efficiently. Moreover, you will leverage your business sales even in uncertain times, which is a significant advantage these days.
For more information regarding this article you can can visit Agile B2B Sales website.
Is Atlassian Cloud HIPAA Compliant?
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