Owner-Managed and Family Businesses

When you can no longer carry it alone

For years you were the best salesperson in the business. You know the key accounts personally, you know what a quote can cost and you sense when a deal is going to close. That is a strength. Until growth asks more of you than there are hours in a week.

You notice it in small things. Decisions wait until you have time for them. The sales team brings you questions it should be able to answer itself. And the new market you have been talking about for two years never quite happens.

Why the first commercial leader often doesn't work out

Many family businesses have tried before. A candidate with an impressive CV from a multinational, who leaves again after six months. Too much PowerPoint, too few client visits. Or someone too lightweight, who never pushes back on the owner.

What you are looking for is rare. Someone with the experience of a large organization who feels at home with short lines. Who brings structure without stifling the entrepreneurial spirit. And with whom you click, because you will work closely together. For us, that chemistry counts as much as the CV.

How we search for family businesses

Development Driven Search® starts with two questions. What does your company need for its next stage of growth? And for which experienced commercial leader is your company exactly the place to make a difference? Good candidates choose a family business deliberately. They want influence and an owner who gives them room. When we find that motivation, people stay.

1. We get to know your company. We talk to you, to the family or the management team where needed, and we look at how work really gets done. We also discuss openly what role you will keep alongside the new leader.
2. We look beyond your sector. For Wijs & van Oostveen, the best candidates came from outside the financial world, because the culture there was a better match.
3. We assess on evidence and on fit. The factors that research shows best predict success in sales, plus an honest view of how someone will land in your organization.
4. We stay involved after the start. The first months show whether you and the new leader work well together. We like to look at that with you.

From intake to signed contract takes 8 to 12 weeks on average. If there is a gap right now, an interim or fractional commercial leader can bridge it.

Discuss your situation in confidence with SalesQuarters. Call +31 20 226 90 00 or email info@salesquarters.nl. A first conversation commits you to nothing. Would you like to hear how it went for others first? We will put you in touch with a client as a reference.

What family businesses say

Wijs & van Oostveen had been searching for a long time without success. CEO Steven Sarphatie: "We preferred not to poach employees from competitors, and with bankers we missed the cultural fit." After our search, the commercial team grew by five new people.

BearField, the company behind Arizona and Charlie's Organics, was looking for a Business Development Director with multinational experience and an entrepreneur's mindset. CEO Pieter van den Akker called it "a rare combination". We found that person.

We have also worked for GR8 Roofs, BrandWise Group, De Graaf Bakeries, New Flag and Solude, among others. From FMCG and energy to property development and corporate gifts.

Want to talk it through?

A conversation about the commercial leadership of your company stays between us. Even if it is only an idea for now.

Call SalesQuarters on +31 20 226 90 00 or email info@salesquarters.nl.