Interview with IceWarp CSO Jan Urbík, Part 2
An Expert’s Views on the Modern Sales Landscape
We recently sat down with IceWarp CSO Jan Urbík and discussed the many ins and outs of software sales in today’s markets. And because Jan is such a wealth of information, we had no choice but to split his responses into two articles.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part 1 of Jan’s interview. Otherwise, let’s dive deep into the mind of a successful CSO!
How to Expand Abroad
In the first half of Jan’s interview, we covered his past employment, his plans for the IceWarp Sales Department, and his advice for new salespeople. So, let’s start with something a bit broader, and discuss how Jan views the challenges of IceWarp’s multinational presence.
“Every region is a bit different. That means you can’t have the same sales strategy in the US as you would in India. Some countries lean more toward Cloud solutions, while others prefer on-prem. Our motto is “Be flexible”, and it’s a great advantage over larger companies. We can make the necessary adjustments to any situation, within reason, of course. This really rings true for us in the Middle East and India, where our flexible approach has resulted in two fastest growing regions.”
But simply being flexible isn’t enough. For a smaller-scale company to have any chance in the tech world, it has to operate with a creative and highly specialized strategy. How exactly does Jan approach making a sales strategy? Let’s find out.
“We start by getting the core team together and identifying what we’re good at. This helps us to create a sort of mantra or a base we can use to start building. We then look at the numbers and try to highlight the areas with the greatest growth potential as well as the areas where we actually know what we’re doing. Seeing sales opportunities in areas outside of our current wheelhouse means we still have a long way to go before we can take advantage of them. That’s why it’s best to start with what you actually know.”
Stick to the Plan
It’s good to have a base and to understand the field you’re operating in. However, the main highlight of any sales strategy is surely the product you’re trying to sell.
“Step 1 is to find the right people. They have to understand what the given area needs and the type of solution they can sell as a product. Then you can actually develop the specialized product. But the strategy doesn’t stop there. The following steps are localizing the product to match each specific region and adding a support team to care for the clients. It’s like a bunch of little cogs in a system. Once all the cogs fall into place, then the full strategy can be fulfilled.
And it helps to split the strategy into different phases. For instance, let’s say we wanted to expand IceWarp into China. That comes with a lot of boxes that need to be checked. All we can do is start with what we know, which is the IceWarp software. But to localize it for the Chinese market, we need language experts, testers, a local branch, a new sales team, and so on. This whole process can potentially take years, but if you split it up into phases, you can continue to make steady progress until you’ve reached the final goal.”
One area that highlights everything Jan shared above is IceWarp’s plans to expand into Malaysia. When asked how things were going with the expansion, Jan described the following.
“We originally started with a three-year plan for Malaysia. And we were meant to officially kick off that plan by July 1. However, that doesn’t mean we simply start working on this plan come July 1. No, it means the strategy is already in motion and ready to launch by that day. And that’s why we already have a branch in Malaysia. That’s why we signed a contract with a new service partner in Malaysia, and why we hired a call center in Malaysia. All of these moves were put into place months before the official plan had even hit the starting line. But that’s the kind of foresight and fore-action needed to create meaningful growth literally on the other side of the globe.”
It was here that we again chose to take a step back and look at the grand picture of IceWarp, to see the company and its growth through the eyes of its CSO. In his own words, let’s uncover what Jan considers the company’s primary goal.
“Our overall plan has several parts and multiple phases based around product development and consistently upgrading the software with new and useful features. You could say this is the first step in IceWarp’s aspirations, but it doesn’t matter how many upgrades we make unless the users and potential customers know they exist. That’s where the marketing department steps in. And they, too, have a plan on how to improve, how to address our client base even better, and so on. No matter how big or small, all our plans and strategies revolve around the same primary goal – to continue pushing the company toward greater success. We’re not exactly where we want to be yet, but that’s the point. No company is satisfied where it is. We’re always working towards something bigger.”
Take Jan’s Word For It
IceWarp CSO Jan Urbík’s resume really speaks for itself. And if anything’s been made clear from this two-part interview, it’s how much he really believes in what he’s doing at IceWarp and the work of his various teams.
So, when it comes to today’s modern software sales landscape, remember to take a page out of Jan’s page, be flexible, create specific strategies, and keep innovating!
