Waldemar Życiak

From Technician to After Sales

Meet Waldek, who has transitioned from a Technician to Customer Relation Associate. We asked him some questions.

Tell us about your professional journey at Eryk. From being a technician to moving into the sales department? What motivated this shift?

My adventure with Eryk started over 4 years ago. It was quite a challenging time, the beginning of the pandemic, yet the company was still able to hire and send new technicians to work. Most of the projects I was involved in were in Denmark.
From apartments, through warehouse halls, welding portals, to grain transport systems – this was the career path I followed at Eryk.

At some point I realised that I wanted to combine my technical expertise with business development skills. I thought that my hands-on experience could help me better understand customer needs.

What has been your biggest challenge and the most difficult project so far?

At the beginning of my work at Eryk, the hardest part was adapting to the rotational system and building my personal life around it.

Due to the nature of work in different countries, there were sometimes communication issues. For example, during one project, the customer’s representative didn’t know English, only German. However, while attempting to communicate, we discovered that he also spoke Russian, and fortunately, one of our technicians was fluent in Russian, which significantly improved the pace of communication and project execution.

How are you managing to build and maintain strong relationships with customers?

I believe that developing these skills is an ongoing process. My focus would be on building trust, maintaining clear communication and consistently delivering value.

Do your technical skills and experience on site benefit your current role in sales?

I believe they do. My technical background gives me a deeper understanding of the services we offer, allowing me to communicate their value more effectively. My hands-on experience builds credibility with customers, helps me anticipate their needs, and enables me to provide practical solutions. This not only strengthens customer relationships but also gives me a competitive edge in negotiations and problem-solving.

How did you prepare yourself for the transition into sales? Do you have any previous experience?

I took the time to study sales techniques, customer psychology, and negotiation strategies to build a strong foundation in selling. Although my experience in sales was initially brief, I refined my approach through trial and error, actively seeking feedback from customers and colleagues to continuously improve my skills.

What are your expectations for this new role?

My expectations for this new role are to develop strong relationships with customers, leverage my technical expertise to provide valuable solutions, and continuously improve my sales skills. I aim to contribute to the team’s success by exceeding sales targets, learning from experienced colleagues, and growing both professionally and personally. Ultimately, I want to make a meaningful impact by delivering value to customers and driving business growth.

What’s your way of achieving work-life balance? Do you have any hobbies?

I believe that setting clear boundaries and practicing effective time management are key. By establishing limits between work and personal time, and managing my tasks efficiently, I can stay focused and ensure there’s space to recharge and enjoy life outside of work.

My hobby is sports, especially mountain biking and extreme sports, but of course, to a certain level of extremity. I also enjoy DIY projects in my home workshop.