Joining SVTECH in 2019, Mr. Dinh Thanh Dung – Account Manager (AM) at the Hanoi Office – was the youngest member of the sales team at the time. Even today, he remains one of the younger members of the team and is frequently mentioned as a standout individual who truly “adds character.” His secret can be summed up in just three keywords below:
Keyword #1: PROACTIVENESS – A “Make-or-Break” Factor for Sales Professionals
When speaking with us about this topic of “adding character,” Mr. Dung repeatedly emphasized proactiveness at work. Perhaps this is because it has long been his guiding principle and compass in his professional journey.
“I wouldn’t say that I’m proactive in every situation. But I firmly believe that to perform well as a salesperson, proactiveness must always come first,” Mr. Dung shared.
Due to the nature of his role, Mr. Dung’s work indeed demands a high level of initiative in researching and identifying business opportunities within his assigned market segment. Moreover, the constantly evolving IT landscape requires him and his colleagues to continuously learn, explore, and update their knowledge in order to accurately understand customer needs. Without proactiveness, it is difficult to survive in this industry—let alone to truly stand out.
This is likely why many Gen Z employees at SVTECH look up to Mr. Dung as a role model for workplace proactiveness—learning from him, openly sharing challenges, and confidently expressing their opinions.
Keyword #2: FLEXIBILITY – Sometimes a “Striker,” Sometimes a “Libero Midfielder”*
The second keyword Mr. Dung highlighted is flexibility. According to him, there is no fixed definition of “a typical working day of an AM.” With an extremely broad workload, he constantly has to flexibly adjust both his “office” and work priorities. Some days are spent entirely with customers, others immersed in intense project meetings, and at times coordinating closely with engineering teams.
Mr. Dung likens an AM to a striker—energetic, proactive, and agile in handling issues within a project. A good striker must be sharp and decisive to recognize and seize scoring opportunities. Similarly, an AM must be able to identify and capitalize on opportunities from partners, customers, and the market.
At other times, however, an AM must act like a libero midfielder, ensuring smooth coordination among all parties involved in a project: working with pre-sales teams and technology partners to propose suitable solutions and services; collaborating with internal departments on bidding documents and tender management until contract signing; building close relationships with customers; and analyzing competitors’ activities in the market. Each stakeholder requires a different approach, specific expectations, and often a high level of tact and sensitivity.
Naturally, the ability to flexibly switch between these “positions” is the result of a long journey of continuous effort and self-improvement that Mr. Dung has pursued over time.
Keyword #3: SHARING – Customers as Companions
Every job comes with challenges, and the role of an AM is no exception. Requests that customers need fulfilled “by tomorrow morning,” late nights, overtime, or working through the night—Mr. Dung considers these to be normal aspects of his job.
“In those moments, I try to listen more and put myself in the position of customers, partners, or our internal engineering teams to better understand them. That’s how I train my patience and empathy,” he said.
Therefore, the final keyword in Mr. Dung’s journey of “adding character” is sharing. “I often tell people that the greatest joy in my work is not winning bids or completing projects, but being able to share both the joys and concerns of work—and even life—with my customers. That’s how I’ve gained many true friends, not just customers,” Mr. Dung confided.
It is also this spirit of sharing that motivates him to continuously strive forward. “Because I know how much effort everyone puts into completing a project, I cannot allow that collective effort to go to waste,” he added.
With these three keywords, we believe SVTECHers now have a deeper understanding of this admirable colleague and can draw meaningful inspiration for their own work.
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(*) Libero is a term commonly used to describe a playing position in football or volleyball.
In football, a libero—also known as a sweeper—plays behind the two center backs and acts as a key defender responsible for stopping any attackers who get past the defensive line..
