‘Working together towards scalable growth’
Efficiency is essential in the world of production and manufacturing companies. Arkoni, an innovative software company, helps production companies digitalize through low-code applications. With Barry as a sales partner, Arkoni takes a big step in expanding their customer base. Koen Kijk in de Vegt, co-founder of Arkoni, shares how this collaboration contributes to their growth strategy.
From production company to software pioneer
“Arkoni originated from practice,” Koen explains. “In 2018, we encountered a problem within our own production company: new machines needed to be connected, but the right software did not exist. So, we built it ourselves. It worked so well that in 2021 we decided to offer it more broadly. We now help production companies in the Netherlands and Belgium with more efficient processes through apps that can be created without programming knowledge.”
Met een achtergrond als technisch bedrijfskundige en een passie voor software, wist Koen samen met zijn compagnons Arkoni uit te bouwen tot een succesvolle speler in de maakindustrie. Maar om verder te groeien, kon Arkoni niet langer leunen op aanbevelingen binnen hun bestaande netwerk.
The quest for structural sales growth
Koen and his team are experts in process optimization and software, but sales and marketing were neglected within Arkoni for a long time. “We mainly grew through word-of-mouth advertising,” Koen explains. “That's nice, but if you want to scale seriously, you need more. After that realization, John from Barry called. "Exactly the right timing.”
With the ambition to grow by 50% in 2024, Arkoni sought a way to not only generate more leads, but also to structure and professionalize the sales process.
Met de ambitie om in 2024 met 50% te groeien, zocht Arkoni een manier om niet alleen meer leads te genereren, maar ook om het salesproces te structureren en te professionaliseren.
From introduction to structural approach
Since November, Arkoni has been working with Barry. “Barry's team started with an analysis: who are our ideal customers and where are the biggest opportunities?” Koen explains. “Together, we created a list of the right target audience and then Barry started making calls and scheduling introductory meetings.”
What sets Barry apart according to Koen is not only their lead generation, but also their guidance. “We are not natural salespeople at Arkoni. Barry really helps us to sharpen our sales process. In previous sales conversations, we always ended with: ‘Let us know what you think.’ Now we are learning how to secure a follow-up appointment and how to maintain control. These are valuable insights.”
The initial results are promising. “We wanted 24 introductory meetings in three months – and we achieved that. In fact, we have already gained the first new customers from these meetings.”
De eerste resultaten zijn veelbelovend. “We wilden 24 kennismakingsgesprekken in drie maanden – dat is gelukt. Sterker nog, we hebben al de eerste nieuwe klanten uit deze gesprekken gehaald.”
