{"id":36437,"date":"2024-03-12T16:14:56","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T13:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norex.fi\/sales-maestro\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T13:29:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:29:54","slug":"sales-maestro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norex.fi\/en\/sales-maestro\/","title":{"rendered":"Sales Maestro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When reflecting on his career, Norex Sales Director Kaj Koskinen<\/strong> starts by rewinding back in time. \u201cMy father was an entrepreneur in this industry. From there, in the 80s he moved to what was then the Haaga Institute as a teacher and built a long career there. Since I couldn\u2019t come up with anywhere else to study back then, I was forced to apply there,\u201d Kaj laughs. \u201cI ended up studying hotel and restaurant management.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The path led to internships and summer jobs in hotels. The travel agency Olympia, run by a family he knew, also employed him for several years. \u201cAfter walking those roads, I ended up in this scene\u2014at what was then Maxxium\u2014as a sales rep, doing duty-free sales work for ships and the airport,\u201d Kaj recalls. <\/p>\n\n

Over the years there were plenty of mishaps that are funny now. \u201cA colleague and I were on a Tallink ship, in port, training the ship\u2019s staff. At some point I felt movement and asked the restaurant manager if the ship was already moving. And it was! There we were, standing there without tickets or passports. It did annoy us a bit, but then my colleague and I went to Tallinn,\u201d Kaj chuckles. \u201cThe restaurant manager got a fair amount of flak when it turned out there were stowaways on board.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

After travelling around in sales on ships\u2014from Tallink Silja all the way to Ecker\u00f6 Line\u2014it was time to look for a new sphere. \u201cI ended up selling professional cleaning equipment for Vileda Professional. That also connects to the restaurant business in its own way, because there I took on the HoReCa sector for them as a new area of focus. On top of that, I also handled my own sales territory in Eastern Finland,\u201d Kaj recalls. <\/p>\n\n

After a few years, the salesman\u2019s itch returned and the desire to move forward grew again. \u201cIt happened nicely that I saw on LinkedIn that Norex was looking for a Product Manager. I\u2019d met Tumpi in these circles before. As we talked, it became clear that he had another role to offer\u2014handling HoReCa accounts: restaurant chains and wholesalers needed to be taken over. On top of that, the duty-free business I already knew was part of the package. It was a great position for me. And that\u2019s how it started.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Solutions Seller<\/h2>\n\n

\u201cIn the end, I drifted into sales work almost by accident,\u201d Kaj reflects. \u201cBut I\u2019ve always felt that I\u2019m good at it. It\u2019s rewarding. It\u2019s easy to measure, because if the numbers change and grow, you\u2019ve probably succeeded.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Kaj believes that in sales, things ultimately always tie strongly to customer relationships and the solutions delivered to them. \u201cI don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m selling Norex products, but solutions,\u201d he says. \u201cFrom the same region you might get several red wines made from the same grape\u2014very similar in style and just as good. The point is that instead of selling that one red wine, we sell a complete service and solution that means more to customers than that one specific individual product.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Even though 10 years have already passed at Norex, Kaj isn\u2019t thinking about greener grass on the other side of the fence. \u201cThis isn\u2019t finished. We just clarified our strategy, strengthened our values and communicated them more strongly outward. There are lots of plans and work to do. There\u2019s still more to offer and opportunities to grow. That motivates me too, when good things happen and sales and the sales team succeed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Kaj is happy with his employer, which he feels has enabled things through which he has gained freedom and responsibility. \u201cAlong the way there have been successes that have allowed me to show my value. My own job satisfaction is strongly tied to my manager. Of course, our company culture and the way we operate also suit me, and I believe in them. Naturally there are bad days too, and you don\u2019t come into the office in a good mood every day. That\u2019s why colleagues and the community matter enormously,\u201d Kaj says appreciatively. \u201cTo put it bluntly, I could just as well be selling screws\u2014it\u2019s ultimately just sales. Everything around it\u2026 that\u2019s the thing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\"Kaj<\/figure>
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Kaj Koskinen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sales Director, HRC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

050 327 6199<\/p>\n\n\n\n

kaj.koskinen@norex.fi<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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