When did you join UPM?
I joined Kymmene on August 1st 1991, as I started working for a Danish department of Kymmene that did industrial timber sales. After a lot of company changes, in 1996 UPM-Kymmene was formed. During these times, there were lots of industrial customers buying timber for windows, moldings and such purposes.
How has sales work changed over the decades?
Fundamentally, sales is more or less the same now as it was when I started. The customers are always very professional, and we at UPM Timber have always had a very professional approach.
There have been changes in the market, as nowadays there are not as many industrial customers in Denmark as when I started. This shift started slowly in the 2000’s, but most of it has happened in the last ten years.
IT development has greatly changed the way we communicate with customers, and what kind of systems are used. In many ways, it has made our job easier in sales. Everything works faster: earlier if a customer inquiry was sent by fax to a connecting person, the person then faxed the information to the sawmill, and if the connecting person was traveling or away, they could not send it and it could take a week to even two weeks to get the information to move. Nowadays, I can send an email directly to the production planner at the sawmill, ask them for the product that the customer wants, and then email back to the customer even during the same day. However, this means that fast replies and pace of working is also a requirement from us in sales.
What highlights and challenges have you experienced during your career?
When we merged into UPM, there were lots of changes and it was important that everyone start going to the same direction together. As we became a much larger company this was a challenging but also interesting time, and it’s something I remember very well when I reflect on my career.
To me it has been a privilege to work at UPM, and I’m proud of how far the company has come throughout the years.
In your experience, what makes a good salesperson?
In my opinion, you need to actually enjoy the job and like to go out to find solutions for the customer. In sales, you need to be able to benefit both the customer and the company you work for. That’s why it’s important to understand the needs of both sides to find win-win solutions. As a salesperson a crucial skill is listening. They say you should listen around 80% and talk 20% of the time. I don’t know if I can live up to that myself, but it’s a very good principle!
Sometimes completely out-of-the-box solutions might be required to fit the needs of the customer, so you must be able to go to the sawmill and even ask about something completely new. For example, the window industry in Denmark has changed a lot and we have been able to create new products to equip the needs of our customers. It is very important to have good relationships with your customers.