Field service conference 2024
The Sauerland is one of the most innovative regions in Germany and is also known for its high recreational and leisure value. ipf electronic has been closely associated with the Sauerland for more than 40 years. It therefore makes sense to hold the international sales meeting right here. The program of the ipf conference was just as varied as the region.
The sales staff were welcomed by Antje Wieners, Detlev Rössel, Christian Fiebach and the new sales manager Alexander Kemler, who will be taking over from Mr. Rössel.
A fixed item on the agenda at every meeting is the awarding of particularly successful employees with a bonus for their outstanding performance in the areas of "highest sales increase", "highest gross profit ratio" and "best quotation ratio".
Martin Kliment (3), Ralf Henning (2) and Peter Hilger (1) received an award for the highest increase in turnover.
Christian Büttner (3), Karsten Schaller (2) and Patrick Wittich (1) impressed with the highest gross profit ratio. Finally, Markus Moser (3), Pierre Bernoth (2) and Florian Finkbeiner (1) were awarded for the best quotation ratio.
In connection with the management report, Andreas Boldt, Michael Stenzel, Markus Moser, Karsten Schaller and Thomas Westendorf presented selected success stories about particularly interesting customer projects and also reported on some of the challenges that had to be overcome.
Going it alone among
Sales representatives are usually on their own in their day-to-day work. But only in close cooperation with colleagues is it possible to master the challenges faced in-house and achieve the goals set.
Team spirit and working together were therefore also the theme of the challenge on the second day of the conference. In groups of 5 to 6 people, floatable rafts were to be built from a few boards, beams, barrels and ropes. The "success check" of the challenge was a tough one, as each group had to prove the seaworthiness of their raft on the Biggesee. The team had to develop an idea for the construction, implement it together and test it under real conditions. It quickly became clear: I can't do it on my own, but I won't sink if I work as part of a team.
And anyone who can find the optimum solution to a customer problem in everyday life demonstrates experience, ingenuity and accuracy.
After all participants had been able to contribute their experience and ingenuity to raft building, everyone was able to experience "marksmanship" in the truest sense of the word with a bow and arrow. After a bit of practice, the arrows hit the target accurately.
More sales performance - it's all in the head
At the end of the meeting, coach Michael Schneider explained that day-to-day sales work can be compared to top-class sport. It's all in your head and the right mindset is crucial via success. Accepting the status quo as the current reality and focusing on things that you can influence yourself creates room for maneuver and opens up new opportunities. As every participant learned while building the raft, a solution-oriented approach is far more effective than worrying unnecessarily about possible problems. What's more, this results in a much better team dynamic, which makes it much easier for everyone to achieve their goals.
At the end of the training, the participants were able to return home after a snack with new experiences, valuable insights and plenty of motivation.
