Filtermist’s Commercial Director, Jo Morris, has written this short article on our recent two-day Sales Conference – why it was held, the importance of investing in people and how instilling a growth mindset can significantly improve the bottom line.

“As an ever-evolving business, Filtermist is constantly changing and looking for ways to improve so we offer customers worldwide the best products and levels of customer service possible. Our people are key to every aspect of this – from understanding quality requirements on the shop floor, to exceeding customer expectations in our service delivery. Ensuring everyone is on the same page and pulling in the same direction is vital to the smooth running of our business.

“We have recently restructured our sales team and we have a number of new starters, so we decided now was a good time to get the whole team together to discuss how we do business now, and how we want to do business in the future. We make no apology for having ambitious targets, but as a business we are responsible for ensuring we recruit the right people and equip them with the skills and information to do a good job.

“For any business to meet its sales targets, everyone involved needs to know what those targets are and more importantly why they have been set and the role each individual has to play in making sure targets are achieved. We have done a lot of work on breaking down overarching targets to an individual level so everyone has a clear understanding of their numbers.

“We were proud to be able to welcome Absolent Air Care Group CEO, Axel Berntsson, as a Guest Speaker on the second day. Axel presented the Group’s strategy for 2024 and beyond, and reiterated the values that drive how our Group does business. We pride ourselves on doing the right thing for each and every one of our customers. Having the courage and back-up to walk away from business can be very difficult for salespeople – it’s not in their nature. However, being part of a Group which is committed to delivering business ethically means our people have the confidence to know they need to do what’s right, not what is necessarily going to get them the sale.

“We also gave delegates an opportunity to think about the type of person they are and how they can develop both on a personal and business level. Understanding that time is limited, and that each individual has a personal choice about how and where they spend their time can be very liberating. We want our people to want to come to work and to want to feel proud at the end of each day. Life is too short to spend it being miserable.

“There are lots of trainers who deliver workshops on personal development and sales techniques, but they rarely have a full understanding of the business they are talking to. I have worked as a sales and leadership development trainer for more than 20 years and have worked at Filtermist since 2017. Over the last six years I have taken on responsibility for HR, Supply Chain, IT, and now Contracts and Sales. This gives me a unique perspective, so having the opportunity to combine my passion for people development, with a real understanding of Filtermist’s business requirements, was a real privilege.

“We have some amazing people in our teams and getting them all in a room together to collaborate and brainstorm was a very worthwhile investment. It was a scary thought having no salespeople in the business for two full days – especially during this exceptionally busy period of the year, but the enthusiasm ignited in the room was contagious.”