‘What do you like or find interesting about an ERP solution?’ was one of the questions we asked Marian den Ouden. She has been Head of Sales at HB Software since April 2024. Her answer: ‘Nothing in particular, as long as we make a customer’s life easier.’ It typifies her way of thinking, as does her remark that ‘a tool should always be there for a purpose’ and add value to people.

Marian is 33 years old, ambitious and energetic. For example, she set up a new office in Australia at a previous employer, including tasks such as HR & recruitment, and financial activities. Developing strategies to conquer new markets is therefore not unfamiliar to her. When she returned to the Netherlands (after a challenging corona period), Marian noticed that she had ended up in an organisation that no longer suited her. ‘I want to be more independent, not fall under all kinds of management layers, be able to run my own ‘shop’ and above all be there for customers’, is what she adds.

What knowledge and experience does she bring with her?

‘When I had to set up my own organization in Australia, I gained experience with Business Central 365. Even then, I noticed that you don’t necessarily need a financial background to make the system  work for you. For example, because many purchasing and sales processes are automated, you only have to do a final control check. My monthly reports were ready in no time and I could easily deliver the figures to the head office.

What can customers expect from you?

‘A pragmatic approach, because I don’t like to make things too big or too complex. My experience is that you achieve much more with a step-by-step approach. In addition, customers can mainly count on personal contact. The great thing about sales is that you can help customers with a problem. I would describe the way I do that as ‘Consultive Selling’, I first want to fully understand the needs and challenges. From my practical experience with Business Central as a customer, I can also share a lot of knowledge and provide additional advice.

Where are the opportunities?

Cross-selling and upselling is what Marian also talks about. For example, a customer who uses our reporting tool Exsion 365 may not know that we have developed various industry additions for Business Central. That is why I have chosen to approach these customers proactively, because I want to make sure that they are aware of our full range of products.