Gökhan Büyükkantarcıoğlu

Due to some significant sales I achieved in mining projects within my responsible region, my ability to recommend the correct size and type of machinery matching required for such projects to lower operational costs, and my expertise in guiding customer companies in this regard—qualities that set me apart from the rest of the sales team—I was appointed as the Mining Director responsible for mining machinery sales across all of Turkey. I manage and support the sales activities of mining-class excavators and rigid dump trucks of Hitachi ranging from 70 to 800 tons in operating weight and fully electric mining trucks of XCMG in all regions for both existing and ongoing large-scale mining projects in Turkey. Currently, I am solely responsible for the sales of mining-class machinery in Turkey. However, discussions are ongoing with management to expand my responsibilities and authority by assigning me the responsibility for both sales and after-sales processes within a newly established mining department, further differentiating the distribution of tasks in this field. In this case i might be asked to leave my position as deputy regional manager for İstanbul region and give my full focus on mining business as sales and after sales director.

To utilize my knowledge and managerial skills more effectively, I was assigned as the Deputy Regional Manager for Istanbul (and its related provinces), where I had previously served as the Construction Machinery Sales Manager. This time, I was not only responsible for construction machinery sales but also for the sales of road equipment, cranes, piling rigs, forklifts, and other lifting equipment sales of the region. I report directly to the Regional Manager (who is also responsible for sales and after sales targets of the region) and continue to hold this position. Currently, I am responsible for the profitability of sales activities in my region.

My high personal sales figures during my tenure as Sales Manager Deputy and my efforts as Business Development Manager to develop compact machinery for my company resulted with Hitachi becoming the mini excavators market leader in Turkey in 2019 led to my selection by Hitachi for a special sales management training program. After successfully completing this program, I was promoted to Sales Manager by my company, Enka. In my role as Sales Manager, in addition to the regions I was already responsible for, I was also given responsibility for the sales team's activity in Thrace region, overseeing the sales targets for construction machinery in this area. Alongside my personal sales activities, I took on the role of guiding and managing the sales team in this region. During my time as Sales Manager, I achieved 3 digit personal sales numbers for two consecutive years, met regional team sales targets, and was recognized for my success. As a result, I was invited to Japan by Hitachi and awarded the Excellence in Performance Award for my achievements.

While continuing my role as Sales Manager Deputy, I realized that the use of compact construction machinery in Turkey was a newly emerging trend and had significant potential. I noticed that a large portion of my sales consisted of such equipment, unlike the rest of the sales team, I stood out as a team member who excelled in this area. I explained to the company management that this field had a promising future in Turkey and required special attention. As a result, they assigned me the task of sharing my knowledge with the rest of the sales team and guiding them. I prepared training materials and conducted sessions, particularly on mini excavators. I explained to the sales team why selling compact machines required a different process compared to medium and large-sized machines, and what unique approaches and strategies were needed. I visited different regions to support their sales activities and organized annual training sessions tailored to the changing competitive landscape. I became a consalting point when the issue is compact machinery. This is one of my present roles even today in my company.

Due to my success in sales activities within the regions I was responsible for as a sales representative, I was selected by my company as a managerial candidate and underwent third-party training in advanced sales and management skills. As a result, I was promoted to Assistant Sales Manager. After my promotion, I continued sales activities in the regions I was responsible for as a sales representative, while also serving mostly key customers this time on the European side of Istanbul. During this time, I took on the role of assisting less experienced colleagues, helping them improve their sales performance. In this period, I played an important role in increasing my company's market share by 50% in the Western Black Sea region and by 21% on the European side of Istanbul.

While continuing my role as a sales representative at the company I worked for, I noticed that the company lacked a marketing department and sufficient sales support activities. I discussed this issue with the management, and as a result, I was given the additional role of marketing specialist. I held this position until the marketing department was established in 2009. During this period, I created product catalogs for the company's construction machinery, designed a new website, and prepared interactive materials to assist the sales team in their meetings. Additionally, I took on the responsibility of determining the fairs the company would participate in, organizing fair stands, and creating advertisements for national and local media.

I carried out sales activities for Hitachi construction machinery (inc. excavators, wheel loaders) and Tadano Cranes in my area of responsibility, which includes the European side of Istanbul and the Western Black Sea region covering 6 provinces in total. I established an after sales service and sales dealership in the Western Black Sea region. During this period, I increased my company's customer portfolio in the Western Black Sea region from less than 20 to over 2000.