Steveco’s sales team is made up exclusively of experienced professionals who leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of success for their customers.

And now we proudly introduce Steveco’s Power Seven sales team: Tapio Mattila, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Markus Myllylä, Vesa-Heikki Renlund and Mia Brunila, Sales Directors, and Sami Orimus, Marko Tuokko and Päivi Nygren-Laitinen, Sales Managers.

Now that Covid-19 is fading, the team has taken up hybrid work combining remote work with being in the head office on Kirkkokatu street in Kotka. And there are even times, though rare, when they are all at the office together at the same time.

“We have a common mindset to be on the move and to meet customers in person. Combined with online meetings, this is a workable hybrid model,” says Brunila.

Mattila cites an everyday example from the exceptional time of the pandemic of how modern technology plus in-person customer relations can streamline operations. He arranged an online meeting with a familiar client operating in the Far East, during which they reached an agreement on future matters. After hearing about the online meeting, a friend of Mattila’s remarked, “You see, the whole thing was handled in an hour, and you didn’t need to travel anywhere”.

“I said he was wrong. We were able to renew the contract online because we had first laid the foundation for a trusting business relationship, face-to-face, before the pandemic hit,” says Mattila.

A pandemic opens up new routes

Orimus is well aware of how the pandemic has complicated Steveco’s customer relations.

“Container shipping has been really messed up during the pandemic. Import and export freight prices around the world have been higher than ever before, which has caused problems for many customers. It’s made it difficult for them to estimate how much it will ultimately cost them to deliver the goods.”

International trade has also been hampered by container imbalances, which Orimus says may be felt for a long time to come.

He is pleased that the sales team has been able to help customers and look for alternative delivery methods to sea freight, if needed. Instead of a sea container, goods have travelled in bulk on ships, and sometimes the smartest thing has been to use rail transport.

A lot of research has gone into looking for the most suitable options for each customer and shipment.

A treasure trove of expertise

Renlund says that the finely-tuned skills of the sales team stem from the diverse careers of the team members. Colleagues have experience in various aspects of production and forwarding, with an impressive accumulation of specialised expertise.

The sales team members take care of their customers independently – whether it is exports, imports, transit, loading or even customs clearances. It is easy for the customer to contact a familiar sales person with any questions they might have about deliveries.

Because the sales team is close-knit and its members have known each other for many years, customers benefit and get help from other team members when they need it.

“If I need special knowledge about freight, for example, I get the best advice from a colleague, which I can pass on to the customer. In turn, team members seek advice from me about a specific project and special handling,” says Renlund.

The team took steps to introduce a new version of the customer management system to work more systematically in February. Up-to-date information is helpful in planning and monitoring as part of the in-house information flows, in addition to working with customers.

Another benefit is that it gives team members more time to listen to customers’ concerns when their working hours are not wasted looking for issues that have already been resolved.

Our seasoned team

How do team members characterise their working group?

If the definition boils down to just one word – or two -- team members say it is “highly skilled” with experience accumulated over decades. That lengthy experience means they have dealt with all kinds of situations.

“We get to do and resolve a lot of different things. Even the veterans update their skills regularly, and the company is delightfully willing to invest in training. It’s impossible to get bored here because the work is dynamic and varied,” says Brunila.

Mattila hopes that the integrity and openness of the team members will reverberate all the way to the customers.

“We are down-to-earth and approachable people, but at the same time deeply committed professionals.”

The members of the team hope that Steveco’s delivery reliability and fine reputation will also be clear to its customers, along with the company’s reputation for responsibility to its commitments.

“We also feel a great responsibility for the success of our customers’ business. We leave no stone unturned to complete all assignments, as we work within the sales team and with production,” says Brunila.

The team members assure customers that they can contact any of them at any time. They are on call to pave the way to success. And they like to remind customers that there are no stupid questions! So, feel free to ask our ace sales team any and all questions that come to mind.

‍

Text: Kirsi Riipinen
Photo: Marko Laukkarinen

The article was first published in Steveco's customer magazine SATAMA Fair Edition in May 2022