22 October 2021

The technical sales representative: a light beacon for our customers

"It's so much more than just an administrative job," says Eline De Laere. She is clearly enthusiastic when she talks about her job. "Especially the diverse range of tasks, the expertise and the fun group of colleagues makes it no ordinary challenge."

But what does a technical sales representative do exactly? “It always starts with the request from a customer,” says Eline. “We get an email with a sketch or specifications, or a phone call asking for a quote. That’s the first step of a whole ordering process that we go through together with the customer.”

From simple requests to challenging tender requests

“To be able to make a good quotation, you obviously need to have a good knowledge of all the products,” Eline explains. “And we can also count on the lighting architects and our engineer Stijn to assist us with additional technical information, so that we can make a competitive quotation with a precise price calculation.”

Having the right attitude to learn quickly is just as important at Multiline as having experience in the lighting sector.

“Experience in the lighting sector is obviously a plus for this job, but having the right attitude to learn quickly is just as important,” she continues. “Here you have the opportunity to learn everything step by step ‘on the job’. From the relatively simple quotations for the private customers of distributors, to the more complex and challenging quotations that have to be made on the basis of specifications.”

Thinking creatively together with the customer

“Making quotations is fortunately not band work,” says Eline. “We have to think carefully about what specific solution we are offering to the customer. Often it has to be exactly what they ask for, but sometimes we can recommend variants that also meet their requirements.”

“With the right expertise and with the right flexible mindset, you can then come up with surprising solutions, something our customers really appreciate,” states Eline.

A job with variety and responsibility

“After the quotation has been approved and the customer places an order, we are still part of the process as technical sales representatives,” says Eline. “We make the production drawings and enter everything in our ERP system, after which the entire order is checked by the production manager. That quality control after each step is firmly ingrained in the processes here at Multiline.”

“As a technical sales representative, you have an overview of the entire sales process: from quotation to production to delivery.”

“Any improvements or adjustments can as such still be suggested from our production department,” says Eline. “And then we get a production and delivery schedule, with which we can inform the customer when they can expect their order. With this program, we can consult the status of an order at any time, so we are always the go-to person for the customer.”

Working at Multiline means ending up in a close-knit team

“The best thing about the job, besides the fact that it is never boring here, are the colleagues and the management,” says Eline enthusiastically. “We work in a landscape office with a very open atmosphere. If you have a question, you can just ask it out loud and someone will definitely answer it. But we also have ‘quiet rooms’ where you can go if you want to continue working on urgent quotations in a quiet environment.”

 “Working at Multiline is just great. You learn a lot here and between colleagues there is an open and social atmosphere.”

“Laughter can be heard in our offices every day, humor is important,” nods Eline. “We are a very close-knit group that supports each other when necessary. Communication is also very direct with short lines, even with the management, which is, of course, typical of a family business. That is a huge advantage and also has a motivating effect because your opinion is taken into account.”

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