At a table with Tobias, Area Sales Manager

Hello Tobias. You started as an apprentice and are now Area Sales Manager for the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) area. Can you still remember your early days at Soloplan?
I can still remember very well how I started as an apprentice at Soloplan GmbH, 9 years ago. I was motivated to apply for the apprenticeship as a management assistant in IT systems because of a student internship I did at the time. During this apprenticeship, I was able to visit the service, IT, development, sales and administration department and thus found out what I liked best. At the end of my apprenticeship, I chose the sales department and since then, I am responsible for the sales areas Germany, Austria and Switzerland as an Area Sales Manager.

What does your typical everyday work look like? And what do you enjoy the most?
There is no typical working day as such because my preparations differ greatly from customer to customer which makes my job very diverse and existing.  Most of the time, if you work with a new customer, you also have new requirements and each year, the number of possibilities grows. I particularly enjoy the contact with customers and seeing in retrospect the progress and goals the users reach through the use of our logistics software. 

Sell, sell, sell! Many think of extreme pressure to succeed when they think of sales. How is that in your team?
As a team, we have a joint target and support each other, across the branch offices as well, to reach that target. Of course, you can measure sales work in sales numbers and everyone has their own goals, however, teamwork is very important for us. For example, we attend appointments together; do internal and external trainings to constantly improve ourselves and to learn from each other. In addition, we offer a very good and sought-after product which certainly also contributes to the success.

State-of-the-art equipment and a sunny roof terrace. What else does Soloplan offer as an employer?
Besides the modern equipment, Soloplan particularly stands out for its pleasant working atmosphere and the optimal working conditions. Equipment and work environment are of great importance to Soloplan. For example, we have the possibility to work in open-plan offices, single offices or so-called work-in-silence rooms. Soloplan provides impeccable catering for both customers and employees. Furthermore, employees have the opportunity to take part in regular team events.

Why should young people aspire a career in the IT industry?
I asked myself the same question when I still was a student, before my apprenticeship. For years, the whole world has been involved in the digitisation and hardly any company can avoid it, thus, there is always something new in the IT sector e.g. tasks you have to wrap your head around. New technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence or voice-assisted telematics systems are exciting as well. The sector is constantly changing and developing but remains a future-proof business. The same holds true for the profession of management assistants in IT systems or IT specialists–that was a pivotal factor for me at that time.

Would you like to become part of Soloplan?

Then take a look at our available positions – we look forward to receiving your application!