Our Sales Director, Thomas shares his key points on how we keep our sales skills at the highest level
What if you could get your B2B sales skills to go through the roof?
Having long-term experience of coaching aspiring B2B Sales talents himself, our Sales Director, Thomas Tuominen, knows that becoming a sales success at Management Events is not that unusual. Quite the contrary, actually.
Going all the way back to 2004, Thomas has a rather long history with Management Events.
He witnessed Management Events’ business grow, while at the same time his own impressive career took him from Sales Manager to Sales Director. Thomas is definitely one to speak to about excelling in B2B sales.
And today, as Management Events is leading B2B sales in Finland, Thomas is pleased to share what he has seen and learned, and what makes Management Events’ sales teams flourish.
How do sales talents get their skills up to the highest peak at Management Events? What are Thomas’s key points for keeping your B2B sales skills at top level?
The speed of change keeps Thomas exposed to learning, year after year
How exciting would it be to learn about B2B sales in a company that is constantly evolving?
For Thomas, the aspect of change has been a huge motivator in his career at Management Events, year after year.
“The drive for renewal is strong here – I would describe it as a “start-up spirit. When we get a new idea, we prepare properly, and it won’t take long before we are already implementing it. That’s really motivating for me”, Thomas describes, smiling.
Working in a culture where new things are bravely tested certainly offers Management Events’ employees a fast learning curve.
One example of that was when COVID-19 hit us.
“When Management Events’ business concept changed from live networking events to virtual events, it was immediately evident that here is our momentum for change. And we decided to test something major: change our entire sales process!” Thomas explains.
The sales process that had been honed for years was about to change. A new sales method was planned, designed, and implemented. And after some time of testing it in practice, we came to a common conclusion: it simply wasn’t working. We had overcomplicated things.
“Eventually, we decided to let go of the new sales process and go back to our previous one”, Thomas says.
Learning a new sales process is in itself challenging, but doing so in the middle of business change required a lot of patience from Sales Managers in the company. Thomas says that it was still an ideal opportunity to learn something new and gain a unique experience of Management Events’ constantly evolving culture.
“It was another lesson learned and taught us much about adapting to a new situation. I’m glad we dared to jump into the unknown and try something new”, he explains.
When you have a supportive team around, a top-notch skillset is guaranteed
Entering a job with little to no previous experience of B2B sales can be quite intense.
Thomas guarantees that newcomers won’t need to be afraid of being left alone at Management Events – each morning starts with teaming up at the office, having a cup of coffee and setting targets for the day.
And the supportive team is more than happy to help in times of uncertainty!
“We are on this growth journey together and we help each other to succeed. For example, upon joining our company, newcomers attend sales meetings together with our more senior sales professionals”, Thomas explains.
During his years in the company, Thomas has learned one thing for sure: at Management Events, teams pull together both in times of success and in challenges.
“We are a Team, with a big T. We ask for feedback from each other and openly share what we have learned – ups and downs are experienced together. And we always want to do better – I think that’s the recipe for success in B2B sales”, Thomas adds.
Being present is one of the cornerstones of Thomas’s own leadership style. And he surely practices what he preaches: Thomas works hands-on with his B2B sales team every day.
“I’m not a manager who leads from behind the reports. I want to really get to know the people. That’s why I regularly attend sales meetings and have weekly one-on-one discussions with each of my team members”, Thomas says.
What are Thomas’s 3 tips on keeping your B2B Sales & Business Excellence at the highest level?
Having an impressive growth journey at Management Events himself, Thomas knows how to excel in B2B sales. But what are his 3 tips on reaching and maintaining your B2B sales skills at the highest level?
#1 Learn from your peers
According to Thomas, attitude is everything in B2B sales.
Willingness to learn from each other and to try new ways of doing things are key elements of keeping the sales skills at top level at Management Events.
“For example, we listen to our colleagues’ phone calls and pick up new techniques to test in our own sales talk. Listening and learning is an ongoing process”, Thomas says.
“After several years in a B2B sales field, I think I am still not ready – and that’s the mentality we commonly share here”, Thomas adds.
#2 Challenge your routines
Thomas has a motto: “be afraid of routines”. It’s a motto he also applies to his way of leading. He explains that if something feels too familiar and easy, it’s time to shake up your way of doing things.
“I think daring to challenge your routines keeps your learning curve deep and sales skills high”, Thomas summarises.
#3 Dare to fail, too
With its own highs and lows, B2B Sales is a constant rollercoaster. From his own experience, Thomas knows that the ability to fail is one of the key characteristics of a successful salesperson.
“I think failing is always an opportunity to learn something new. Working in a fast-paced company such as Management Events, it’s important to fail fast, learn from it and keep on going”, Thomas explains.
Connect with Thomas on Linkedin and ask about working at Management Events.