“It’s my job to ask uncomfortable questions”
Our Head of Sales is dedicated to questioning the status quo, encouraging open dialogue,
and providing valuable insights. Are you ready to embrace the possibilities?
When she was 16, Baukje’s boss at her local sports shop made her team an offer: if they could sell enough Adidas Copa Mundial soccer shoes and beat rival Nike in time for the upcoming World Cup, she and her whole team would get tickets to see a football match in neighbouring Germany.
“I realized back then if we were going to win, we needed to make every sale count and find a selling point for each person that walked into the store. Soon, I found out that successful sales were those in which I helped customers, guiding them to make the best decision for their needs”. That experience – and the trip she won as a result – taught her two important lessons. One, selling is a team effort. Second, when you truly grasp the needs of the customer, selling becomes a straightforward process.
“Sales has mostly come effortlessly for me”
Successful projects often begin long before a single line of code has been written, agile boards start filling up or prototypes get drawn up. As any seasoned manager knows, the preceding sales process – with a clear and reasonable definition of scope, budget or roadmap – is crucial.
Research from Boston Consulting Group has found that 70% of digital transformations fall short of their objectives. Similarly, the 2020 Global Application Modernization Business Barometer Report found that 74% of organizations that had started a legacy system modernization project failed to complete it. Unrealistic expectations, lack of planning and transparency and insufficient resources are often quoted as causes.
Still, when you think about what makes a great salesperson, half-flattering words like “extrovert”, “talkative”, or even “pushy” usually pop up. Baukje has long held that the opposite is often true. “A salesperson needs to be flexible and confident, not afraid to ask questions, challenge assumptions or dig into the challenges and frustrations a prospect or customer experiences. Be genuine, a good listener, and build relationships based on trust and open communication”.
Another piece of advice: “refrain from hogging the airwaves”. Talking only 30% of the time during sales meetings and listening actively for the rest of the time helps her understand where the biggest challenges lie and understand its consequences – a first step to make any project a success. “Being quick on your feet is also key. It very much depends on who you are speaking to; you need to adapt your message whether you’re speaking with the IT, Sales or Marketing departments.”
This hear-first-talk-later approach allows Baukje to handle another common misconception: “honest debates and hard but honest truths are often the foundations for strong relationships”. Finding a solution is ultimately about uncovering the pains and gaining a deeper understanding. “You should not be afraid to challenge prospective clients. Knowing when to push and to be firm is an important and delicate but crucial balance. At any stage, there is a possibility for friction to occur, it’s part of being human and maintaining a partnership. That’s why fostering close transparent communication helps us anticipate obstacles and strengthen a problem-solving mindset.”
A genuine interest and desire to help, great listening skills, and the ability to build trust. These are important traits every salesperson must develop. Still, every sale is a team effort: “At Near Partner we are encouraged to share and learn from each other, grow professionally, overcome obstacles, and have fun along the way.”
A no-nonsense approach to sales
At Near Partner, we call this a problem-solving mentality, and it requires thinking beyond the immediate tasks at hand to understand how it fits in the bigger picture, and how potential future problems could be tackled as well.
Baukje has first-hand experience in doing precisely that: as Head of Sales, her role includes understanding clients’ requirements, coming up with creative solutions that help and drive businesses forward. “Throughout the sales cycle and especially after the deal is done, I try to emphasize that Near Partner is here to help. We want the customer to be aware and to feel as if we are working with them right next door. We aim to establish a very open communication with our customers so that whenever they have challenges, ideas, concerns, and goals, they feel they can come to us for help.”
This mission is made even more complex by the fact that most managers don’t know exactly what it is they need. “Digitalisation and customer experience are high on the agenda. Often, the reasons why past attempts failed area a lack of time and resources. Most IT departments experience some degree of backlog because their attention is required elsewhere, leaving bigger projects on the back-burner. To gain clarity, we offer brainstorming sessions on development projects, establishing priorities, roadmaps, and more.”
It is a joint effort, where Baukje and other members of our team work together to provide the best services or solutions, bespoke for each client. “By using low-code, development projects that would normally take months, can now be completed in a matter of weeks, allowing IT departments to focus on their tasks while company goals are being achieved.”
About Baukje
With a degree in International Business Management, Baukje moved from Sports to Telco, to the insurance industry and, for the past 6 years has been working in tech. Sales are a big deal for her, but the creativity and focus needed to get the job done requires some serious work-life balance skills. “When I’m off the clock, I’m really off. I try to get away from screens and be outside as much as I can. I enjoy peace and quiet, sure, but also playing instruments, sports, yoga and meditation.” Living within walking distance to the beach doesn’t hurt. Baukje admits with a big smile what was a big part of the draw when choosing to come to Portugal six years ago. Her move was highly motivated by the “good weather, beautiful beaches, nature and lifestyle”.
If you have a project that requires expert guidance and innovative solutions, do not hesitate to contact Baukje. Start your new IT project with us, where innovation, experience and success collide.
