The best job in Haarlem is available! When SalesQ announced that, Kevin Siecker (30) didn't have to think twice. As Project Manager, he has been the link between customers, internal organization and Operational Director since December. He is the man who has to push agents to greater heights so that campaigns for IT customers in particular exceed expectations. Siecker also happily picks up the phone himself, because sales is simply in his blood. “Winning and closing deals, that really appeals to me.”
With Siecker, SalesQ has brought in an old friend. Siecker also worked in the old Union Chocolate Factory in 2016 and 2017. During the completion of his studies in commercial economics, he first became acquainted with sales in practice. “At the time, my work consisted mainly of calling potential customers. So cold acquisition.”
Welcome back to SalesQ! How did you end up at SalesQ again?
“After my first period at SalesQ, I made trips to other branches, including as an account manager and Business Developer. But somehow it kept tickling. SalesQ is still in me. In those years I have always kept in touch with people from SalesQ. When I heard about this job, I immediately saw new opportunities.”
What does your job entail now?
“I am responsible for ensuring that IT campaigns run as smoothly as possible. We are specialized in this industry and have a lot of knowledge of IT. We know what it's all about when we talk about security or about replacing IT infrastructure. That helps us to over-perform and achieve results that customers don't think possible. I also have knowledge of IT, which allows me to better coach my team of 20 to 25 agents. For example, we work together to ensure that our customers' sales department(s) are more successful.
As a Project Manager you therefore also have a lot of contact with IT customers, how do you go about this?
“I maintain very close contact with the customer. It always starts with an intake. A conversation in which it must be revealed who the customer is, what his proposition is and why he stands out above the competition. We then train our people together with the customer, so that there are no misunderstandings about the unique selling points. Although of course I already have prior knowledge, I am also at those trainings myself. I need to know as much as possible to be able to coach well. The customer receives regular updates and reports from me about all our call attempts, experiences and results. If necessary, I consult with the customer about adjusting the campaign.”
Internally, you are faced with the challenge of letting agents 'flame'. How do you do that?
“I try to be in the workplace as much as possible, because I like to be among my people. You then hear exactly how they work and I can give immediate feedback. I like winning and closing deals. It gives me great satisfaction when I succeed in having colleagues turn a 'no' into a 'yes' and then be able to add many new leads to the board at the end of the day. But that does require a certain mindset, a certain eagerness. When I first worked here, we called it the hyena mood. It means you are hungry to score leads, to get results.”
How would you describe the atmosphere at SalesQ?
“It's really good and I'm not just saying that. After all, it says enough that I'm back. The people you work with are the most important, because you spend a lot of hours with them in a day. Fortunately, the people in our team all have a winning mentality and because of that we also motivate each other. I myself know how hard it is to get you going for the next phone call, if you've heard 'no' fifty times already. It's nice when others help you. Our organization is also not hierarchical; you can ask the director how his holiday has been and everyone can always contact me when necessary.”
You started by talking about the possibilities you see in this position. What do you expect from the future?
“Making others better is an important motivation for me. I also want to get better and better. I hope to develop into an operational manager and who knows, an operational director. At the time, I gained basic knowledge here to be successful elsewhere. I want to pass on what I have learned to others, so that in a few years they will look back with pleasure just like me and tell them that it is very nice and valuable to work at SalesQ.”
Do you recognize yourself in Kevin's story and would you also like to work for a dynamic organization? Then come and join our friendly team!
