Martin Střecha on Automotive and Working at BizMachine

Martin Střecha certainly doesn't lack drive and enthusiasm. He joined BizMachine in 2019, and his passion for data has brought more than 120 clients into his currently managed portfolio. He constantly looks for new ways to use data to solve their business questions or problems. His inspiration comes from BizMachine's founders, who maintain close, daily contact with the sales team. “From the very beginning, I was captivated by their pragmatic, consultative approach. I learn from them every day. Each one is different, and thanks to the fact that there aren't multiple layers of managers between us, our collaboration is smooth and very beneficial for my professional growth,” he says.

Read the interview to learn what his work as a salesperson at BizMachine looks like, and how a passion for data can help crack more than one business mystery.

You've been at BizMachine since 2019. Is there something about the work here that you still enjoy just as much?

Data. I'm fascinated by data. I'm someone who can't help but dig into information, their interconnections, and what can be found in data. The interconnectedness of data from various, seemingly unrelated sources can be brilliantly used to solve business questions, approximate an idea or proposition. It allows you to find unconventional ways to solve various problems that arise in B2B sales using insights from these connections, or simply helps prioritize opportunities. I love finding unexpected connections in data. Sometimes I'll tirelessly search for and obtain data that isn't commonly available and connect it in new ways. For example, right now we're looking for ways to use data from company vehicle technical inspections and the addresses of inspection stations where they go to determine in which regions a company actually operates. This is key information if you're looking for business opportunities in a specific region.

How many clients can you manage with this passion for data?

Right now I have about 120 clients.

Wow, 120. Isn't that a bit much?

At BizMachine, as a salesperson, I can choose the industry or field that interests me. And then it's much easier to find clients in a specific industry and expand your portfolio. I'm primarily passionate about automotive. And when you enjoy a specific domain, finding clients in it comes naturally. Especially when, as a salesperson, you can use the same tool you offer to clients. You get to know Prospector (our online company database) through daily work, and then you're not selling software to your clients. You're recommending something you know yourself. That alone makes a visible difference in the client relationship. When I add my love for data to that, the results are simply guaranteed. Sometimes I'm so surprised by data insights that I wonder how companies managed to function without them. So I keep looking for more and more companies that could benefit from our data in a given segment. This enthusiasm is then visible during client communications, which helps a lot. And of course, there are also many clients who recommended other clients. We also have dealer networks. BMW grew to 10 dealers, Peugeot/Citroën to 30 dealers, and Volvo to 12. So I can use similar data multiple times, but for maintaining relationships, it's really a borderline number. Good thing I enjoy it so much (laughs).

I want to be sure that I'm delivering the best possible solution to the client, not a half-finished product. If I were to look back on my work from the future, I'd want to see that I followed through on everything and did absolutely everything I could to bring them the right solution that helps their business.

Do you have a mentor you learn from?

All three Martins who founded BizMachine. I've picked up, or learned through hard work on projects with them, something different from each one. I admire how quickly they can evaluate a situation and propose the right solution without beating around the bush. They're straightforward with clients. They have a very pragmatic, consultative approach. Plus, we're really in daily contact. They're here with us, sitting next to us, there aren't multiple layers of managers between us — we simply talk about work together and collaborate normally. I learn from them every day. Their hands-on approach was one of the things that helped me decide to choose BizMachine four years ago when I returned from England.

Can you be a bit more specific about what they taught you?

Martin Lucky taught me to approach clients openly and without excessive sales jargon. Always ask the client well about their situation, the needs they want to address with data, and their expectations for the output. Communicate openly with the client about what we can and can't do, what works and doesn't work from our experience. Martin Nepraš can open new, potentially interesting business topics with clients at exactly the right time. It's a natural, organic opening of conversation where he tries to propose new paths to interesting and new opportunities right during the call. And Martin Ondáš showed me that as a salesperson at BizMachine, I'm simply not selling a product. We offer a comprehensive service and partnership to the client, and our Prospector tool and data are just parts of how we deliver that service. This perspective allows me to go broader in conversations with clients. I learned that there's more than one solution. And this approach has helped me a lot in my personal life too.

Did you gain this through working with them, or did you have internal training?

Mainly through that close collaboration. I could shadow them at work, and through that, I adopted or verified the effectiveness of many approaches. Sometimes we'd also practice and rehearse specific client conversations together. That really opened my eyes and moved me forward. Martin Lucký kept emphasizing during those sessions that we don't call clients to show off something we don't have, put on a show, or twist words to make them like us. We'll have much happier clients when we think about what they need, not how to make them like us. And that helped.

After all these years, has your work changed in any way?

In the beginning, I was basically just cold calling and looking for potential customers. Now I have my own portfolio of clients that I'm building relationships with, and I really enjoy that. But my goal is still the same. I want to be sure that I'm delivering the best possible solution to the client, not a half-finished product. If I were to look back on my work from the future, I'd want to see that I followed through on everything and did absolutely everything I could to bring them the right solution that helps their business.

It's clear that clients are important to you. Do you have a good relationship with all of them?

I think so. We want clients to see us as their partner. We guarantee an outcome that brings success for both sides. It's more time-consuming and more expensive, but the result is truly worth it. Overall, I'd say it's also one of the great benefits of BizMachine. It gives you the opportunity to communicate with great companies that are receptive to what we do. And because we deliver something that helps their business, they like us, want to talk to us, and we're a relevant partner for discussing their business — not just salespeople whose company they have to endure once in a while.

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We want clients to see us as their partner. We guarantee an outcome that brings success for both sides. It's more time-consuming and more expensive, but the result is truly worth it. Overall, I'd say it's also one of the great benefits of BizMachine. It gives you the opportunity to communicate with great companies that are receptive to what we do.