New times require new solutions. Johan Ekblom, European Sales Manager at isMobile, has tested new ways to meet digitally. He strongly recommends to just go for it, to be open and not hesitate to try new technologies and ways to communicate. Hear his thoughts about the new opportunities with digital collaboration.
Johan has over 20 years of experience in business development and sales in B2B IT solutions. He started at isMobile 2019 and first explored the product benefits of the Field Service Management solution isMobile Coordinator at the exhibition Utility week in Paris. This was his first week at work and he immediately fell in love with the opportunities, the interesting meetings in the new line of business. After that an intense period followed with new contacts, business travels and exhibition events. In the middle of February, he visited the e-World Energy & Water meeting point. Then new directions came along and new ways of innovation and collaboration were quickly arising. A few months have now passed, and we are curious of the outcome. Is it too soon to evaluate, or can we see the benefits already?
Johan, how would you describe the need of physical meetings to create new business and partnerships?
- Dealing with solution selling is always a matter of trust where one fundamental part is learning from each other as provider, customer or partner. This is of course easier when we have the possibility to have physical meetings. However, meetings online in the early phases are quite common anyway, this is a great way to introduce our solution, discuss customer’s business rules and basic requirements to find out if we have a match or not.
Your way of working has been changed a lot when the opportunity to travel and meet physically has been severely limited. How has this new situation affected you?
- Important lead generation channels are of course affected such as physical conferences and other kind of business gatherings. Now we must find and use other ways of finding business opportunities using social media platforms, on-line conferences, networking etc. Another important way is to develop your partnerships, to help each other doing business.
Which are the biggest challenges right now in your experience?
- I would say it is the lead generation, to be in the right time and the right place doing business and not having the normal business buzz when you are on travel meeting customers and partners face to face. You need to constantly update your network activities, promote your solution and to work with branding in new ways.
You have tested a few different digital events. Can you tell us about them and share your experience?
- It’s been very interesting. I have attended digital forums like online conference and digital speed-meeting. These kinds of forum are more or less new to all of us, organizers, speakers, delegates etc. when it comes to technical and networking issues. I have a positive experience. Instead of meeting face to face having business discussions up front you can use digital chat rooms and other forums to start a conversation and to start network activities. So, the answer to the question whether it´s too soon to evaluate the new situation, I would say that this has already shown to have a positive outcome and as a bonus you may attend to more events than ever before, all over the world!
What advice would you give to anyone who has not yet tried new alternative digital meetings?
- Just go for it, be open and do not hesitate to raise any questions during the sessions and broaden your network. We are in this transition all together and I have only met positive people interested in deeper FSM solution discussions or willing to help to find the right people within their networks.
So, you are standby to connect and communicate?
- Yes, I most certainly am! And I´m also very active in searching new channels to communicate. It´s all about people and efficiency starts and ends with serving people. That´s what my job is all about, and the approach of isMobile. We are developing applications to serve the people involved in the process of field service and giving them the best tools for efficiency by transparency. To share information and communicate to be one step ahead.
To be able to serve a solution that’s making the difference in business, is a great feeling. I´m at your service. Don´t hesitate to take a quick chat or submit interest for a digital speed-meeting. I´m eager to share information about our field service management product isMobile Coordinator. Please give me a call or take a browse on our website www.ismobile.se and read more about isMobile Coordinator.
Johan Ekblom
E-mail: johan.ekblom@ismobile.com
Tel: +46706015089
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johan-ekblom-3098121b/
