The DDIM Specialist Group Sales & Marketing

Inés Carrasco: Mr. Komor, when was the Sales and Marketing Division established?

Ralf H. Komor: Our expert group was founded at the DDIM Congress in 2015. At this congress most of the other specialist groups were also formed. With 10 Interim Managers we belong to the larger specialist groups. We meet three to four times a year and also invite external guests for specialist presentations. But we also regularly give lectures among ourselves, which strengthen our knowledge base. In addition, we often welcome DDIM members who are interested in our work but want to take a look at it first. Guests are always welcome.

Inés Carrasco: What are the topics on the agenda of these meetings?

Ralf H. Komor: We recently had external speakers on Sinus Milieus in B2B and Business Information Intelligence as a supplement to CRM. Within the specialist group colleagues we regularly provide information on current topics from our mandates. These were, for example, the task-oriented analysis – Outcome-Driven Innovation, the effects of digitalisation B2B in sales, sales 2020 in B2B and methods for determining customer needs.

Inés Carrasco: Which topic will be at the top of your agenda in the future?

Ralf H. Komor: This year we are working on our positioning as “Digital Interim Sales Manager 2020”. We want and need to be one step ahead of the market.

Inés Carrasco: Our current DDIM market forecast shows that digital change is becoming increasingly important in customer projects. What does this mean for Interim Managers in sales?

Ralf H. Komor: The digital change in sales is virtually unstoppable. Digitalisation is on everyone’s lips and social media selling is the trend. A radical change is taking place in the market and among our customers.

Inés Carrasco: The figures from our survey show that the Interim Manager market in Germany is a model for success. The market will grow by almost 10 percent in 2018. How is the development in the sales area?

Ralf H. Komor: The demand for Interim Managers in sales is growing just as strongly as the market, whereby we salespeople in Interim Management account for perhaps 10 percent.

Inés Carrasco: The motto of this year’s DDIM.congress- 2018 is: Leadership. Values. Rules. – global. agile digital. What role do international mandates play for you and your colleagues?

Ralf H. Komor: We are noticing an increasing demand from abroad, especially from the DACH region. Even from smaller companies. Those who want to establish new products or new business areas as quickly as possible.

Inés Carrasco: What will tomorrow’s distribution look like?

Ralf H. Komor: Over the decades, the distribution has changed completely. There are studies that show that digital technologies are very important for distribution today. Example of online trade. Then comes purchasing and then accounting. A survey shows that 70% of the purchase decision or the purchasing process is actually made before a company is even approached. Selling in the B2B sector is increasingly becoming a high-quality consulting service. As Interim Managers, we have to adapt to this change.

The new generation of buyers uses smartphones to obtain information on the Internet, white papers and many other digital possibilities. What companies need today are problem solvers. Today, nobody needs the “speaking product catalogue” anymore.

Author: Inés Carrasco