Vital stats
- Ken Loubser, 44
- Designation: Executive head of sales
- Company: Intervate
- Sales Team: A team of 11 sales people, eight in Johannesburg and three in Cape Tow
- Career Summary: Loubser holds a BCom Law degree. He joined Intervate in 2002 as channel manager. His initial focus was on developing a partner channel, but as the company evolved into a services business, he was promoted to executive head of sales.
What makes your team so successful?
You have to be in sales for the right reason – to help your customers succeed and be more competitive. We have developed a methodology to identify opportunities and qualify leads quickly. It involves an hour-long structured conversation with clients, to determine whether we can add value to their business, with no pressure to buy anything.
We also speak a common language so that when we talk about qualifying the budget, we can all answer the questions in the same way. That enables us to hunt as a pack.
What is the best advice you have ever received about sales management?
Only engage in high-impact, value-creating activities. To do that, you need to employ great people with the right skills to implement your sales strategy. Also, always listen to your team and your customers.
What’s your sales leadership style?
I am a mentor at heart, and I want to see people succeed. My aim is to help them achieve success by attaining their revenue goals. However, I also expect them to take ownership and be accountable. I like to create positive energy because that is key to developing a high-performance team and getting individuals to perform and to stretch themselves beyond what they think they can do.
What’s your greatest sales learning?
Listen carefully to your customers. Being present in the moment, listening effectively and asking good questions is what paves the way for a successful journey with your customer.
What was your worst sales mistake?
In the past I have wasted a lot of personal energy and expensive company resources responding to unqualified tenders, and I’ve learnt the hard way that you have to qualify opportunities properly. That is why my sales team has such a high success rate.
What are the biggest deals you have closed?
Traditionally, you would measure deals by revenue, but today it’s a combination of revenue and customer return on investment (ROI). We were fortunate to win a contract with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, in which we are enabling more than 500 courts to scan and store dockets so that they cannot go missing.
We also closed a deal with The Government Printing Works to give consumers access to the Government Gazette online, reducing printing costs and improving the GPW’s printing capacity. The ROI in both cases is enormous, and it’s also benefiting citizens.
What business lessons have you learnt from colleagues and mentors?
Know when to be silent. There comes a time when you do not need to add any additional information as you will just complicate the decision-making process.
Do you have a favourite business quote?
“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”
– Peter Drucker
What is the best business advice you ever received?
A civil engineer once said to me that maintenance is important. Consider how much impact the upkeep will have on your time before you purchase anything, and determine whether you can afford to allocate that time.
What motivates you every day?
I love working with people and I love this country. I want to see us succeed and be more competitive globally. Our solutions have a transformational impact on organisations and can help to create opportunities for people.
