The Business Traveller Who Never Complains of Extra Work
- Kinson Loo, general manager of Motorola Hong Kong

While people think senior executives tend to write practical books, Mr. Kinson Loo prefers to write travelogues. You may have read his articles where he describes himself as "A senior executive of a telecommunication company, traveling for business purpose throughout the year, taking more flights than riding a bus..."

This frequent traveler is the president (HKSAR), Motorola Asia Pacific Ltd. In addition, Mr. Loo is also the newly appointed general manager for Mobile Communication Access at Motorola Taiwan.

As a veteran of the Hong Kong and Mainland telecommunication industry, Mr. Loo is the best person to offer sales strategy advice in this industry. "An appropriate exaggeration is acceptable, but never over promise," says Mr. Loo. "Instead of a one-off transaction and quick profit, we look to develop a long-term customer relationship with the hope that they will keep buying our products and services several years into the future."

Moreover, timing control is essential to making a sale, according to Mr. Loo, who says that the three elements: sales, marketing and product should all be aligned and complement each other in a strategic way. A good idea launched without good timing won't generate the outcome you aim for. "The more we can control the timing, the greater the possibility of winning in the business world", he adds.

Of course, Loo isn't new to the telecommunication industry, but a newcomer to Motorola. When asked if he has any short- or long-term objectives, he replied: - "I always take a long-term view, so at different stages I'll set my key performance indicators (KPIs) and, after a period of time, I'll evaluate if I have attained them. This is how I make my own appraisal." KPIs include: market share, sales figures, brand recognition and client satisfaction, etc.

For those who would like to join the industry, Mr. Loo has some sound advices as well: "Don't change jobs too often. Before you join a company, think it through carefully, rather than move somewhere else in six months or a year. At a certain stage of your career when you become promoted to middle and senior management level positions, bosses tend to pay closer attention to your past work experience. Both changing jobs too often or, conversely, not changing jobs at all are equally harmful to your career. If you work in the same company for decades, a boss who wants to hire you may think you have already lost your motivation."

The second piece of advice to newcomers is to give something extra without complaining. Nowadays many younger workers tend to ask - "Why should I have to do this?", "Why should I have to take extra responsibility for this?" In reply Mr. Loo says:- "Instead of complaining, you should see new tasks as a fresh opportunities for personal growth. The most critical point is gauging how much time you have to handle so many projects."

Finally, Loo says we should be proactive in enriching our skills and knowledge. "You have to take the initiative to absorb, check out and ask for new knowledge instead of waiting for other colleagues to teach you how to do something. Even if you aren't a graduate from a science discipline, you can still acquire technical know-how if your company expects this of you. You bear no fruit without expending some efforts."

The fulfillment of the above three criteria plus personal persistence will lay the groundwork for your success in the telecommunication industry and other life pursuits.