In late May 2023 Linn Gunnarsson joined Phyron in Stockholm as a Sales Development Representative.
Hi Linn. Welcome to Phyron. Please tell us something about yourself!
Thank you. Well, I’m a happy, rather extroverted girl from up north who moved to the big city 16 years ago. After a promising career in Sales, I was headhunted to a new venture specializing in sales development and appointment booking. In this capacity I also spent 6 months helping the company to set up a subsidiary in Barcelona. Coming back to Sweden I continued to work with sales development for two ABM companies.
Cold calls to busy professionals who don’t know you … where did you get the guts to do that for a living?
Lots of practice, I guess. And the fact that I love it. I know that I have some real value to offer. And during nearly ten years I have connected with all kinds of nice and friendly people. We’re all humans after all.
Right now I am focusing on selected companies in Poland, Spain, and Portugal. First I usually get in touch with the sales manager or director, then with the marketing manager. These two departments are the ones most directly involved. Once I have had a chat with them, they often want a second meeting with senior decision makers. It all depends how they are organized…
I’m still fascinated with those very first meetings. An unknown person calling them from another country asking them for a meeting …talking about a service that they may have heard of but really don’t know a lot about… What’s your key to success?
The most important thing is to show that I understand their role, their industry and what challenges they face in their day to day work. I usually name-drop a few of our existing customers in the initial call, just to assure them that Phyron is well-established. That we’re already in business with some of their peers and competitors.
I also make sure to pitch the meeting as an opportunity for them to get informed and inspired. That the purpose of the meeting is more like a first date between our companies, finding out if we're actually a match or not.
This usually helps to set a more relaxed mood, and realistic expectation for the upcoming meeting.
What happens after that?
I enter the meeting in the calendar and brief the sales rep. Then I usually participate in the first meeting to make sure that no information is lost in the process. It’s very educational for me to listen in on this second phase. Which new questions pop up, and where the discussions lead.
You’re a country girl in the big city … What do you usually do after work?
The usual stuff. I spend most of my free time with friends, maybe sharing a meal at a cosy restaurant. Preferably Italian or Asian food. We may see a theatre play or concert, or some art exhibition. City life. And a few times a year I go north to enjoy some quality time with my family. I get the best of two worlds, which I am very grateful for.
