At large, leaders are expected to be open-minded learners, good communicators, out-of-the-box thinkers, agile decision-makers, and more. But in present times, a successful modern-day leader needs to go beyond the convictions and showcase mastery in various aspects of the business while embracing technology and client relationships. A great example of one such leader in the UAE is Neha Goel. 

The technocrat and sales expert with nearly eight years of experience has been playing a significant role in the evolution of the organization she is part of. In her professional journey so far, Neha built strategies tailored for a different market and consumer segment. Her drive has always been in building strong client relationships and products that satisfy customer consumer needs. Appreciating her growth in UAE, Women Entrepreneur India engages an exclusive interview with her.

Take us through your educational and professional journey.

I'm a BE (CS) graduate from BITS Pilani. Even before completing my studies, I got an opportunity to work with Microsoft. Later, I moved to Ramco as a consultant, leading ERP ERP, HR, and Payroll solutions. From there on, my career choice shifted to the sales role because I realized that I was good at relationship management during my tenure at Ramco. They promoted me for leading the business development activities for the sector in the Middle East. 

My role grew into promoting solutions, developing business lines, creating pipelines, sales, and more. While working with some of the leading banks, I witnessed immense success rates in the financial services industry as well. That's where my journey of working for the banking industry started by understanding the operational difficulties and solving problems in selling. 

What key expertise do you bring to the table as a leader?

While my forte is Sales Strategy & Development in Banking, Finance & Insurance Sector, I bring my long year of experience in enterprise application sales, digital transformation, consulting, software as a service (SaaS), cloud solution selling, and more. In my previous stint, I have had an opportunity to be exposed to operational solutions, HR-specific solutions, talent management, and several other business aspects.

What attributes or lead ship personality gives you an edge in the corporate segment?

I am very competitive; I believe that all Indians are very competitive since childhood. We are just competing to get into the best college and gain the best job. The competitiveness really helped me in this career. Further, the problem-solving approach and consultative nature keep me going. Instead of dismissing a solution, I prefer going one step ahead and solidly solving the problems, and trying to resolve as much as possible.

“Neha emphasizes taking every feedback as constructive criticism and becoming better every day”

What leadership philosophy do you follow to lead your team and the sales function?

The first important aspect is to be self-motivated because sales is a very passion-driven profession, and it is not easiest due to the high expectations and changing behaviors. Despite some losses, we have to keep the team motivated by understanding their skills and perspectives; this can happen only by being active listeners and involving in the feedback process. I don't believe in micromanagement but a certain level of engagement is crucial to bring focus, provide direction and enable them with the past experience. My approach is always about knowledge sharing and also managing the emotional turbulence that comes with this particular job.

Tell us about that strength and support that keeps you going forward in life.

Honesty, I feel blessed to be surrounded by very intriguing people, especially my partner who keeps me motivated all the time. My family's support has been helping me to achieve my targets year on year. Therefore, my heart strongly believes that it is important to have a closed circle of friends and family who always believes in you and criticize to make you better.

As I said earlier, the sales profession needs constant motivation. To me, this sort of motivation comes from people, innovation, and technology. Also, we cannot reach heights without a skilled and supportive team. I make sure to invest in the team, engage and promote a culture that we enjoy and grow together.

As a successful business leader, what advice would you present to young women and girls who aspire to follow in your footsteps?

Usually, the sales profession is perceived as a men's job, especially in the Middle East. But I believe that women can do more. We should not be afraid of picking up opportunities and taking risks. Find your passion, set your SMART goals, prioritize it, and never stop learning. It is also important to perceive feedback as a constructive message to grow. At times, people take negative feedback in a deconstructive way and do not perform well by worrying about it. One should be able to take both positive and negative feedback to better themselves.

Neha Goel, Sales Director Of Comarch Financial Services

A competitive and tech-savvy personality, Neha always looks for opportunities to constantly learn and elevate her expertise.