As a Technical Account Manager (TAM) at VMware, I wanted to share my journey on how I found my purpose in this role and what I do on a daily basis.

Before I dive into the nitty-gritty, let me give you some context. When I first joined VMware as a TAM, I was relatively new to the industry and unsure of what to expect. I had a vague idea of what my responsibilities would be, but I wasn’t sure how to effectively deliver value to my customers.

To make matters worse, I was working with some of the best TAMs in the business, and I felt like I was struggling to keep up. They were top-notch performers who seemed to effortlessly manage their tasks and deliver outstanding results. I knew I had a lot to learn if I wanted to be successful in this role.

So, I did what any self-respecting TAM would do: I asked my colleagues for advice. And boy, did I get some gems! One of the best pieces of advice I received was to read “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. It’s a book that teaches you how to manage tasks and prioritize effectively.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: another productivity book? But trust me when I say this book changed my life. As someone who has always been somewhat organized, I thought I knew how to manage my tasks effectively. But “Getting Things Done” taught me how to take it to the next level.

With the help of this book and an amazing app called Things (which is based on the methodology presented in the book), I was able to break down my daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly activities into manageable chunks. I started using recurring tasks, due dates, tags, and project organizations to keep everything organized and prioritized.

It’s hard to explain just how much of a difference this made in my life. As someone who used to struggle with forgetting tasks and feeling overwhelmed, I now feel like I have complete control over my work and personal life.

But what exactly do I do on a daily basis? Well, as a TAM at VMware, here are some of the things I do:

1. Work as an extension of my customers’ teams: As a TAM, I operate as an extension of my customers’ teams. This means I am embedded in their organization and work closely with them to ensure their success.

2. Understand their business objectives: To deliver value, I need to understand my customers’ business objectives. What are their pain points? What Are their Goals? By understanding these factors, I can help them achieve Their Objectives and overcome Their Challenges.

3. Identify gaps in their environment: Every organization has Gaps in Their Environment, whether it’s knowledge/skill, capability, or something else entirely. As a TAM, my job is to identify these Gaps and work with my customers to develop a plan to address Them.

4. Design and execute plans to address gaps: Once I have identified the Gaps in My Customers’ Environments, My Job is to design and Execute Plans to Address them. This Could Involve Training, Tooling, Process Development, or something else entirely.

5. Work with customers to ensure successful platform adoption and utilization: As a TAM, I work closely with my Customers to ensure they are getting the Most Out of Their Platform investment. This Means Helping Them with deployment, troubleshooting, Optimization, and more.

6. Advocate for my customers within VMware: As a TAM, I also advocate for My Customers Within VMware. This Means I Work closely with Other Teams to Ensure That My Customers’ Needs Are Being Met and Their Concerns are being addressed.

In conclusion, being a successful TAM at VMware is all about delivering outcomes for my customers. It’s not About Selling Them More Products or services or even Opening More Support Incidents. It’s about Understanding their Business objectives, identifying gaps in Their Environment, and working with them to address these Gaps and achieve Their Goals.