1. Bianca, how did your Bechtle career start?
Bianca Tufano: It was about four years ago and completely by chance! I had taken the trainer aptitude examination in the company I completed my traineeship, and so wasn’t actively looking for a new job, but I met someone from Bechtle in a seminar held in preparation for the examination. We got on really well and that’s what got the ball rolling as he convinced me to send in an application even though IT was a completely new kettle of fish for me. From then, things went really fast and I joined the hunting team in 2017.
2. What is your role at Bechtle?
As an account manager, I have my own customer base that I have built up over the years. This includes large organisations and existing customer, all of which are located in southern Germany. In my position, I’m involved in all parts of the value chain—from sending quotes to handling returns. I am in direct contact with my customers to advise them on new products, send quotes and also when it comes to processing orders and over the years, I have developed excellent relationships with them. I also work very closely with the manufacturers. In the public sector, a lot of our work is related to tenders and realising projects and framework agreements.
We are around 60 people in the department, and I lead a team of five. On top of my responsibilities as an account manager, I’m also a confidant and mentor and for vocational trainees, which sees me carrying out appraisals and reviews, as well as checking record books. The role of confidant is quite special in that a person is voted into the role by their departmental colleagues. I try to offer my colleagues the support they need in all kinds of situations, such as with personal problems, but I’m also on hand to offer advice as a neutral party, particularly during conflicts.
3. It sounds like quite a mixed bag! What do you enjoy most?
I’m very passionate about my charges, meaning that everything connected to my team or other colleagues is very close to my heart, especially when it comes to promotion and personal and professional development. That’s why I’m studying business psychology in parallel with the job. I’m completely fascinated by knowing why people act in a certain way and what makes them tick.
4. If you could describe Bechtle in three words, what would they be?
Individual, respectful and a community. “Individual” because that is something that comes across when it comes to promotions and development, which is always about the individual, true to the motto “embracing strengths”. There are so many seminars and trainings on offer, particularly on the different product and on dealing with customers. At Bechtle, there is a strict focus on making sure training opportunities are taken, which means an employee’s manager actively approaches them about what’s on offer.
“Respectful” because I feel appreciated by my colleagues, leaders and also the members of my team, and good communication and openness contribute greatly to that. The great relationships I have with my customers also plays an important role and is definitely one of the highlights of the job.
And then “a community” because the team spirit is fantastic. We know and get on with each other very well and we’ve been trying to maintain this camaraderie even though we are all working from home. A lot of team events have taken place virtually over the last few months including one where we all “got together” to drink mulled wine. These kind of things shape our working day with everyone pulling together to focus on our team goals.
5. Corona has had a firm grip on us for more than a year. What effects do you feel in your day-to-day work?
I really enjoy going to the office, there's a lot of hustle and bustle and action with my colleagues, you can quickly exchange ideas on topics and get to know much more about each other than in the home office – that was quite a change. But I didn't have any major concerns when we all switched to the home office a year ago. After all, everyone wants to achieve their goals at the end of the day. I have noticed, however, that the topic of "communication" has become even more important. The exchange within the team now takes place virtually – but I still miss the social interaction.
Bianca, thank you for giving us an insight into your working day and we wish you continued success at Bechtle!
