ANDROMEDA, A THREAT TURNED INTO OPPORTUNITY
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Don't let chance and luck rule your life.
Discover how intuition and persuasion can lead you down unsuspected paths that will give you the opportunity to achieve your goals and objectives.
Have you ever imagined how intuition and persuasion can take you from being an engineer in a chemical plant to become a strategic consultant?
In this reflection, I open the doors to my own experience, starting with my first steps in the "Andromeda Project" at Industrias Resistol, where intuition was the key to solving a crucial challenge that no one had been able to decipher.
But that was just the beginning. Join me as I discover how the incident sparked a series of transformations in my career, taking me from data analysis on the factory floor to the dynamic world of sales. There I realized that persuasion goes beyond convincing someone to buy a product. It’s about building strong relationships, generating trust, and offering solutions to complex problems.
I will share with you how my immersion in the world of consultative selling allowed me to develop essential skills to become a strategic consultant:
The Andromeda Threat: A young engineer faces an industrial dilemma
My foray into the world of the chemical industry began unexpectedly. Fresh out of Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Dr. Athef Chehata, a renowned professor and industry guru, invited me to collaborate on the "Andromeda Project" at Industrias Resistol. Despite my enthusiasm, I felt overwhelmed. I was a simple intern with no experience, while Dr. Chehata was a leader in the sector, a Doctor of Chemical Sciences and Technology Director of Resistol, a leading company in the production of adhesives and resins.
The Andromeda Project represented a multimillion-dollar investment for Resistol. The company had acquired cutting-edge technology in the United States, including the machinery necessary to manufacture a resin essential for the Mexican tire industry. The promise was to generate production composed of 75% resin and 25% impure material (waste). However, the reality was discouraging: only 58% resin was obtained and an alarming 42% wastage!
The tension increased with each passing day without an explanation for this imbalance. Executives and plant managers found themselves in an increasingly tense situation, searching for answers and solutions to a problem that seemed to have no end. And in the middle of this whirlwind, there was me, a young engineer with the responsibility of helping to solve the mystery of a waste of around 42%, that is, almost half of the production was garbage, waste.
Intuition in the Fog: Solving the Mystery of Resistol Waste
One freezing January night, in the lonely engineering offices of the Lerma plant in Toluca, State of Mexico, the cold was chilling to the bone. I had been tasked, along with my esteemed colleague Alfonso Trujillo, with solving the riddle of the Andromeda Project's Waste. However, the pressure and lack of answers overwhelmed me. I pondered the possibility that this might be my debut and farewell at Resistol.
We were lost, with no clear idea of how to tackle the problem. While many senior executives and engineers were focused on exhaustive data analysis and the search for “smoking guns,” I was growing increasingly frustrated. It seemed like everyone was stuck in a maze of numbers and assumptions, losing sight of the bigger picture. They were focusing on the tree, ignoring the forest as a whole.
In the midst of uncertainty, suddenly, the answer to the problem of the waste was still not very clear, since it was a heterogeneous catalytic reactor of the fluidized bed and the question was if this was due to a chemical or a physical phenomenon.
Due to a problem with the production equipment mixed with intuition, an "INSIGHT" came to my mind that made me assume that the problem was physical, due to the dosage of the gas to the reactor that was going to be combined with the resin and the catalyst.
The technology said that the gas should be dosed continuously and at a constant speed for 4 hours that the reaction lasted and with these indications, at least 75% conversion of good product would be obtained, however it gave on AVERAGE 58% with a waste of 42%.
Using intuition (knowing, but NOT knowing how we know), the change I made was to first feed the gas at a low speed for at least two hours, then increase the gas dosing speed for one hour and then lower the speed for the rest of the reaction (it was a process that lasted four hours).
With this dosage what was happening was that the gas molecule was better integrated with the resin and the chemical reaction occurred more efficiently resulting in an average of 94% of the desired product, SURPASSING THE 75% THAT THE TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED IN THE USA SAID.
In the laboratory at the pilot plant level, it gave 75% of the desired product and 25% waste, but when it was taken to an industrial level, it gave 58% on average.
The change in the gas flow speeds allowed it to react better with the resin molecule, giving a conversion of 94%.
THE PROBLEM WAS A SCALATION ERROR, WHICH RESISTOL AND ITS TEAM OF "EXPERT" ENGINEERS HAD BEEN TRYING TO SOLVE FOR TWO YEARS.
INTUITION AND COMMON SENSE GAVE ME THE ANSWER IN THREE WEEKS
This adjustment, based on a simple analogy, not only solved the problem of waste, but exceeded initial expectations. We achieved a conversion of 95% with a waste of 5%, a result that amazed everyone. Intuition, amidst the fog of data and analysis, guided us to the solution, proving that sometimes the simplest answer is the right one; this case was a phenomenon that in Chemical Engineering is known as "Escalation".
From Resin to Relationship: The Transformative Power of Sales
While solving the mystery of waste at Resistol was a rewarding experience, I soon realized that my career path did not lie on the production floor. I longed for a more dynamic and challenging work environment. It was then that, on the way to university, a chance encounter changed the course of my career.
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A professor (Efraín Salazar) asked me if I knew anyone interested in a sales position at EI DuPont, a leading company in the global chemical industry. As a chemical engineer, I had always considered sales to be an “aberration,” an activity unworthy of my training. However, the opportunity to join a company of DuPont’s stature, with its attractive benefits, made me reconsider. Without hesitation, I applied for the position.
Thus, with the pompous title of "Technical Sales Representative", I began my career at "Colorquim", a DuPont business unit dedicated to the manufacture of pigments and inks. There, I discovered a fascinating world, where sales were based on advice and consulting, seeking solutions to customers' problems.
This experience taught me that professional sales go beyond the simple business transaction. It involves a set of soft skills, such as resilience, empathy, assertiveness, and conflict management. In addition, it requires hard skills, such as data analysis, budgeting, and projecting results.
DuPont was my launching pad. The skills I developed in sales opened the doors to new opportunities in marketing at companies such as Capsugel, Shell and Scott Paper. Later, my experience expanded to areas such as Human Capital, Finance, Operations and IT at Crayola and IMEF, where I held the position of General Manager.
Ultimately, all these experiences led me to become a Trusted Consultant. Ultimately, all professional sales are based on building solid, long-lasting relationships, founded on trust.
The Art of Persuasion in Everyday Life
Sales skills are not exclusive to trade professionals. We all, at some point, need to persuade, convince or influence others. Whether it is to get a new job, present an idea or simply express our needs, the art of selling manifests itself in various areas of life.
To master this art, I share with you some tips that will help you improve your persuasion skills:
1. Cultivate Confidence: Self-confidence is essential. Believe in your abilities and in the value of what you offer. Confidence is contagious and inspires confidence in others.
2. Listen Carefully: Pay genuine attention to the needs and interests of your interlocutor. Understanding their perspectives will allow you to adapt your message and connect effectively.
3. Project Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is contagious. If you believe in what you say, others are more likely to believe in it too. Convey passion and conviction in your words.
4. Be Honest and Transparent: Authenticity is key to building strong relationships. Don't resort to deception or manipulation. Honesty builds trust and credibility.
5. Persevere: Don't be discouraged by obstacles. Persistence is essential to achieving your goals. Learn from setbacks and move forward with determination.
Remember, we all "sell" something, whether it's an idea, a project, or even our own image. By developing your persuasion skills, you increase your chances of success in all areas of your life, building stronger relationships and achieving your goals more easily.
Even if we don't have the title of "salesperson," the reality is that we all use persuasion and influence techniques in our daily lives. We constantly seek to convince others to adopt our point of view, support our ideas or accept our proposals.
Let's look at some examples of how, without realizing it, we are "selling" something all the time:
Developing our persuasion skills empowers us in all areas of life, facilitating communication, building relationships and achieving our goals. Mastering the art of persuasion allows us to perform more successfully in any field.
Ideas to strengthen our persuasion skills:
Conclusion: The Hidden Power of Persuasion
Throughout this journey, we have explored how intuition and persuasion intertwine on the path to success. From solving a mystery in an industrial plant to navigating the complex world of sales, we have discovered that the ability to convince, influence and connect with others is essential in any area of life.
Beyond technical skills and specialized knowledge, self-confidence, active listening, enthusiasm, honesty and persistence are fundamental pillars for building solid relationships, conveying ideas with conviction and achieving our goals.
I invite you to put these principles into practice, to develop your gift of persuasion and to discover how this hidden power can transform your personal and professional life.
Dare to persuade, connect and leave your mark on the world!