Born in China and going global

Editor’s note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, and huge changes have been made in Beijing, capital of China, over the past 40 years. We have invited 40 foreign experts to participate in a series of interviews named “New Era, New Insight” jointly hosted by GMW.cn（The official website of Guangming Daily） and the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and share their “Beijing Stories”. The following is a part of the interview with community manager of Xiaomi, Nelly.

The community manager of Xiaomi, Nelly (photo source: Guangming Online)

Hello, my name is Nelly. I am from Mexico, I came to China ten years ago, and right now I’m working as community manager of Xiaomi.

Well, like I said, I having here ready for ten years, when I was 26 years old.

What brought me to China was the language first of all. I got scholarship and I just wanted to see some different parts of the world, like to learn another thing and discover another world.

That’s what I came like for the language and after that I stayed for a master degree as well for the scholarship runed by the Chinese government and after that life has passed by and here I am. Ten years later.

Ten years ago I don’t really remember it might be like a Nokia. Definitely no screen touch no smart phone no nothing. It was just all piece of technology.

What I really remember is when the smart phones started. Everybody was excited because you can access like your email and you context very easily.

But I thought it was really expensive. I clearly remember that I actually before working in Xiaomi, I was a fan, I heard about this brand. My first smart phone was a Xiaomi, Mi 2 actually. It was a white one.

I heard of Xiaomi because of all the friends they really like the brand.

It was very affordable because that time I was still a student. So I need something affordable and easy and cool also to use.

But also it was not only smart phone it was like the whole eco-system. I also like buying Mi banks and Air Purifiers as well. So basically a whole lifestyle and that’s why I really got into the brand. When I knew there was a opportunity for me to work here I was really excited.

I am definitely and I have definitely like share so many Xiaomi products with my family, my friends.

They are in Mexico now, so the time I go back, I always taken them like present like something. They are really Xiaomi enthusiast.

03’18’’ Also my friends like some of them have come to China, maybe they have not heard of Xiaomi yet, but I definitely transform them and they now are really fans like “Oh my god, where can I find these” “Well Well, it will very soon”. Definitely many people I have transforming to Xiaomi fans.

It’s about the cultural that we have.

I really believe in our message that use really good quality products with honest pricing, and also the third thing very important is the fans, like we really listen to our customers. So that’s why even now outside China we are really popular with them like we communicate with them we are friends with them. And every time they have suggestion, we really take it in our consideration in our hearts really. So that’s what makes the difference.

It’s like a huge family for real. It’s really rewarding because it’s a job not only you are in front of computer, it’s like you really get to know these people. First, online of course you communicate, but then when you get to know them and you know the person out stories and how also Xiaomi like change and transform their lives.

It’s particular. Really makes you want to work even harder to offer better products and services to them.

Actually very recently we were in Spain actually that was a really amazing experience.

Well we had a program called Mi Explorer we gave our very talented fans. The new products for them to experience first, and they can give their opinions and views. We invited people from all over the world, we received like more than 20,000 submissions, people from 70 different countries. From there it was very difficult to choose, we got people like from Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand, India, UK, Spain, like really everywhere. And we go with them together, we were just friends.

It was really cool to see how the passion for Xiaomi really goes be un-boundaries and that’s what bring so these people together.

I think the reason of the great success was really a global effort.

Maybe it’s a small team, but we really work hard together and this could be impossible without our fans’ support. So we basically working together also the team with our fans. That was why we took success.

Particularly in Xiaomi, for example I’m in charge of Western and Europe right now, people in those countries maybe tired like these excessive prices something “ company are potentials”.

We come with the very clear honest messages like “quality products, honest pricing, friends with users”.

So I think that was really refreshing like we come as a new player with new attitude.

I think that is what is giving us such a big advantage, like people can really see us an honest brand.

The attractiveness is that we are more than just a smart phone or a tech company. We make friends with our fans.

People when we meet with them, for example, make friends even we have stories have met each other in our Mi XXX

Like I said it’s just like a big family coming together.

We are working really hard like we are expanding, we are growing.

Some points as well like very challenging. Because we are small team, still. But we are working with our hearts really.

What we can offer that I can tell you that everybody work in this team is putting everything, all the effort and all the heart and I think that’s what we can offer.