What does role as a Technical Account Manager involve?

I am a Senior Technical Account Manager in the Dominican Republic. My role involves onsite customer engagement 70% of the time. This includes building relationships with our customers, helping them develop their business, identifying new opportunities, and proactively supporting them with workshops, assessments, and system health checks. I manage thirteen customers ranging from Telco’s, finance, government, to aviation. As part of my role I always I try to keep updated with the Microsoft technologies and Services offerings that might be needed by my customers. By investing time to really understand the customer’s business priorities, pains, issues, you can help improve it. I am involved in both pre-sales and as well as post-sales service delivery activities. We have very high satisfaction ratings from our customers in the Dominican Republic and are growing year by year.

What do you think it takes to be successful in your role?

As a TAM, you need to internalize 3 concepts: Innovation, Proactive, and Communication. And to be successful you definitely need to be totally customer focused. By understanding the strategic role you have for your customers, being action oriented, and engaging with the customer honestly, you will become an advisor to your customer. And in my opinion, it is important for them to trust you so they can make informed decisions knowing you are there to support them. Humbly, I attributed my success to what I do.

Why have you stayed at Microsoft?

I have been at Microsoft for over 9 years and I really like the work that I do because every day is different. Every day for me is a challenge and every year in my position is an opportunity to reinvent myself. When you have a diversity of customers in different segments of the business, you need to develop plans focusing on common and segment deliveries and continue to drill down to each account in particular. I enjoy my work and I like to connect with other people to create good relations. I have been able to stay in my role and maintain the same five accounts in the past 9 years. I have a great respect for my colleagues and thanks to them working with Microsoft is a journey.

What's your favorite Microsoft memory?

This was when I met Bill Gates. It was in 2002 at the Best Practice Fair. Bill Gates selected my booth as one of the booths to visit which was thrilling for me. I was really very fortunate to be able to explain to him what my best practice was and how my best practice was going to be used to increase customer satisfaction. I will never forget that moment.

What is one tip that you have for a woman entering into the Technical World?

I would recommend that in addition to be interested in technology, have a time for yourself to grow, create your own life plan, and work to develop a plan that includes your job, family, friends and time for practice something that you like such as exercise, reading, being green, etc. I’m conscious that it is very important for women to grow from the inside out. I walk in the mornings and I practice Yoga & Pilates every day. These disciplines allow me to drain all the stress of the day and open my mind to enjoy my home, my family, and my work each day.

My Career Progression

• Microsoft, Senior Technical Account Manager II. My first day in Microsoft was March 6th, 2000 as Technical Account Manager. When I have the opportunity to create my first career path I decided focus my training plan in improve my communication skills with the purpose the o lean synchronize my message with the customer needs.
• B. Before joining Microsoft, I was an IT Manager at New Horizons Bilingual School for six years. As an IT Manager, I was responsible for developing curriculum for students and managing 11 IT personnel. Prior to that position, I was a professor at IT Faculty, Universidad APEC. I was selected to be one of faculty committee members responsible for updating all curriculum for the system engineer career. Previous to my career at Universidad APEC, I was an IT Manager at Banco del Caribe for six years.

My Areas of Technical Expertise

My areas of technical expertise are: Windows Server and Desktop OS, Active Directory, Exchange, ISA & System Center Operation & Configuration Manager.