Meet Our People: Dana, Territory Sales Manager

Meet Dana, Territory Sales Manager for the E3.series product line at Zuken USA. She joined the company six years ago after working for a Zuken reseller. Dana enjoys being part of the Zuken family and working with an invaluable group of colleagues who support each other when needed. As you can imagine, the days are jam-packed as part of the sales team, so I appreciate that Dana took some time out of her schedule to share her story.

From Semiconductors to Selling EDA Software

My career began after I received my electrical engineering degree from NC State. My original plan was to work in the wireless telecommunications industry; however, I landed my first job supporting and training a distribution network for electromechanical devices. From there, I moved on to selling semiconductors but took a break from working after the birth of our first child. When I was ready to come back to work, I started with the sister company of my previous employer. They had just started selling an EDA line–Zuken’s. After a while, I made a move to work for Zuken directly in 2015. And the rest, as they say, is history!

Same Role, Different Tasks

In my role as a Territory Sales Manager for E3.series, I am involved with the business and account management tasks for our customer accounts, including start-up companies, harness manufacturers, and well-established corporations. There’s no typical day for me; every day is different. It starts with a to-do list each day which might include checking in with my current customers to see how things are going or following up on a question or information they requested. Often, you’ll find me working with a prospective customer on an evaluation of E3.series, Zuken’s wire harness design software suite. All software test-drive requests come to me through the website. Some days, there may only be a handful, while other times, there are more than enough to fill my entire day. It’s always interesting to learn how different customers use our software across various industries.

Helping Customers

Communication is critical in building and maintaining strong customer relationships. I always make an effort to respond right away when customers reach out to me. While I may not have the answer right away, seeking the appropriate resources to provide information and assistance to customers is my strong suit. I like to check in on my customers regularly to make sure they are having success with our software. If, for some reason, they are having challenges, I’ll work with them to understand the issue and come up with a solution.

An Invaluable Team

To retain our current customers and bring in new prospects, it’s essential to have hard-working teammates who help each other when needed. Boy, did I get lucky in this department! The territory team mainly consists of Jon Dermont, an E3.series Technical Account Manager, and me. Jon is the expert on the technical aspects of the product, and I am responsible for the business and account management tasks. Laura Mirto, an Applications Engineer, has been invaluable in onboarding our new customers to make sure they get started successfully with the software. I enjoy being a part of the Zuken family. We are always there to help each other out. And the best part about working at Zuken is that we all have a lot of fun together.

Wires, Wires Everywhere!

The most memorable project was when I began my career at Zuken. When I first started selling E3.series, I was unsure why some of the functionality in the software was so important. Then I went on-site to visit a fire truck manufacturer using our software for their wire harness designs. All of the technology in the vehicle was astonishing. There were wires everywhere; under the seats, in the front bumper, on the ceiling, literally all over the vehicle. I now have a much greater appreciation for our software and how it can help engineers solve their design challenges. Every time a fire truck passes by, I remember that on-site visit.

Exercising, Cooking, Live Music, and More

Regular exercise is my go-to for my physical health and mental well-being. I alternate running days with weight training. Warmer weather is my favorite, and I love to be outside. Inside the kitchen, my husband and I take turns cooking. We enjoy trying our hand at new dishes almost as much as we enjoy eating them. I love live music, so I am trying to catch as many concerts as possible this year. With two teenage daughters, two dogs, and a cat, my best times are definitely those spent with my family.