Manager Corporate Sales, MULTILINE ENGINEERING CO. shares his experience

What is your role at Multiline?

We have an independent department within sales at Multiline for selling to the Government Institutions and various other organizations which advertise through tenders. We call it the TENDERS department. I head this department and work with our Head of Sales and Operations teams. Working with the tenders especially with the Government departments is an all-together different ball game. One has to be very meticulous as well as patient.

Tell us about your career and how you ended up here?My career started with Pharmaceutical companies. I think that they provided me a great training to achieve sales targets and developed patience and the habit to work hard. It is also due to this that I lived in various cities including Peshawar, Karachi and many small cities. I learned to speak Pushto although I am from Punjab. I learned about various regional traditions and customs due to spending time in small towns and localities. This helps me a lot with building relationships with people sitting in important positions. I joined Multiline about a decade ago and never looked back.
Although the product was very different from what we used to sell in my previous job but I believe that sales process is the same. I am given complete freedom and autonomy which helps me perform much better.

Selling to government institutions is generally considered very tricky, how do you manage to stay calm?

Over the years our company has built a solid reputation with the Government departments and the brand is immediately recognised. Government officials are very particular about getting product in accordance to the specifications stated in the tender. Contrary to what people may believe and there may be very few exceptions, if a tender says that the generator should be of European origin then they will make sure that it is of European origin. Main reason is that when this officer is transferred elsewhere and a replacement comes even then they can verify the origin of the equipment and in case of any anomaly, the previous officer’s career can be in danger. They don’t risk such a thing. Many of our competitors have been blacklisted by the Government and generally they change their name and then again compete in tenders. Luckily Multiline has the same name and brand for 40 years. So, the departments feel more comfortable working with us. But the process is very tedious and painstaking. From filling the tender to eventually receiving the payment. One has to be extremely patient and careful.

Please share the highs and lows of your carrier?

By the grace of Allah I have had many highs in my carrier. I was successful in positions and with products where others haved failed. I have numerous certificates and trophies from the pharma companies. With Multiline, we have won tenders against companies which are much larger and have bigger names. I have been praised for it and the company cares about me. But the lowest part of my career and life was when my wife passed away a couple of years ago. She served with the government as a teacher and was in Ggrade 18  when she had a fatal heart attack. As they say that behind every man who is successful, there is woman who gives him to peace of mind to work as he seems appropriate. She was certainly that woman. May Allah rest her soul in peace.

What advice will you give to the young people who are starting out in their carriers?

I grew up before the computer age and am not computer literate. I have an assistant who helps me with documentation and emails. Young people today are lucky that they have these skills but what I see is that they are not focused. They waste too much time on the computer and phones during working hours. Cell phones and computers can greatly ease the way we work and can help save time but if used improperly they are the greatest waste of time as well. Young people should learn to respect this and also realise that they can learn a lot from people with experience