Not all heroes wear capes. Meet the Teamleader Titans: our brave rocks in the surf who were there from the very beginning and witnessed it all. It’s largely to their credit that Teamleader is where it is today. After all this time, they’re still holding the fort. They are the real MVPs, high time we gave them the spotlight they deserve. This episode: Naomi.
How many different roles have you had over the years? Which ones?
A whole lot, I’ll tell you that. Top of my mind, I can think of about seven different roles. The different job titles I had are Inside Sales Representative, hybrid sales, Inside Sales Coach, Sales Executive, International Sales Manager, Inside Sales Manager and now Sales Manager.
A lot has happened in the five years I’ve worked at Teamleader. Mostly because there was a need for people in our Dutch office who were willing to take up responsibility. I was lucky to have a manager and supportive colleagues who saw my potential and who helped me grow and develop. Over the years, I’ve always felt great confidence from the organization to take my career to the next level..
In my current role as Sales Manager, I am less involved with the prospects, but more with the team. I still do the occasional call with prospects to support the team and to keep my finger on the pulse, find out what keeps our customers awake at night.
What’s your fondest Teamleader memory since you started working here?
On the one hand it’s the skiing trip we went on with the entire Sales team earlier this year. In my experience, it was an unforgettable team building ever. I really enjoyed seeing how everyone in the team gets along very well, from the ones that have been around a while to the ones who joined more recently.
On the other hand it’s every Work Smarter edition I’ve attended, especially the proud feeling I get every time a customer tells me how long they’ve been using our software and how the service is still as great as ever.
What are the top three company milestones you’ve witnessed during your time at Teamleader?
Wow, that’s a hard question to answer. There’s so many things happening at Teamleader so a lot of milestones come to mind. If I had to choose:
1. This year’s acquisition of our company by Visma. I guess we all knew we would be acquired at some point. The fact that it’s now happened shows that over the past years we’ve succeeded in becoming a strong and appealing player on the market.
2. Our acquisition of Yadera (ed. now ‘Teamleader Orbit’) back in 2019. Expanding our product portfolio with a second software tool meant increasing our market share and reaching a wider audience.
3. In general, growing from a small team of 20 to an impressive 200 employees today. When I started not a lot of people knew Teamleader, especially in the Netherlands. That has changed completely. Thanks to our strong growth, in a relatively short time we established a solid employer brand.
What’s the most important change compared to the early days?
If I compare it to how it was 5 years ago there’s even more open communication about advancement and learning opportunities for our colleagues. When I started at Teamleader, there wasn’t a lot of clarity about that. Someone starting today as an inside sales representative has a very clear career path in front of them. The fact that we now sell two different software tools has also contributed to this. Currently It’s possible for someone in Sales to sell one software tool for a while and then switch to the other. This way we focus on personal development and created an interesting growth path for our teams.
What’s one thing you would’ve told yourself when you started?
Go for it, even if it’s new to you. You'll learn how to swim. If you do something with passion and conviction, radiate that you enjoy your work, the organization will notice it. As a reward, you will get the chance to develop further as a professional and get more responsibilities. It's something I say to everyone who starts working at Teamleader: you will get opportunities, seize them.
What’s the personal achievement you’re most proud of?
Two things: the opportunities Teamleader has given me and seeing the personal development of the people in my team. It's a joy to see them grow. Some of them have barely left school and are already giving demos and closing deals, even though they had to overcome their personal fears and insecurities. We give them the tools, but in the end it’s up to them. It's beautiful to see them take that opportunity and become more mature. Anything is possible, as long as you go for it.
In 2022 we celebrated Teamleader's 10-year anniversary. What do you look forward to most in the next decade ?
Above all, I wonder where Teamleader will be in 10 years. What do we want to achieve, what is our bold ambition? I think we will make even more acquisitions under the Teamleader umbrella and gain an even bigger market share. Our goal remains to conquer Europe.
