Are you considering applying to the Assently & Verified team for a sales role? Awesome – we are happy to see you here! We decided to ask our Account Executive Joni Rannikko about his experiences: what it’s like to work as part of our Finnish team.
Joni started in our team at the end of 2022. His first year with us had quite a revolutionary start, when big changes took place in the company. Assently's merger with the Nordic startup Verified changed a lot of things. The merger has increased the number of potential customers and expanded the product range offered to customers.
"Sales work in our team is well structured – it is very clear how we do sales today, and the work is managed accordingly with the right KPI’s. All stages of sales such as prospecting and contacting are a big part of my everyday work", Joni says.
As a sales professional, our sales playbook helps you a lot in getting familiar with our common ways of succeeding in sales work. Still - there’s room for finding your own style and ways of succeeding.
"However, I also have my own style of building cases, talking with clients, contacting prospects in a targeted manner, and guiding clients consultatively", Joni says.
“Our ICP has become more specific, and it determines well who is the most effective to contact.”
Joni has many years of experience from SaaS sales, as well as the banking sector – that also is one of the key ICP’s for Assently and Verified.
“With the merger with Verified, our ICP has become more specific, and it determines well who is the most profitable to contact. The sales work is very self-directed and entrepreneurial, you create the customer relationships yourself from the beginning”, Joni says.
Joni’s most important tools are of course the CRM system, phone, Linkedin and laptop. What’s more, the right KPIs also work as important tools, as the purpose of them is to help and support sales.
“There are different backgrounds and preferences of doing sales in our team, but when the common KPIs are built, acting according to them will do well. A lot of activity is required from everyone, but it's easy to determine whether you're heading in the right direction.”
Great sales management and practices lead to everyone having an opportunity to quickly get up to speed. Also, there’s a great team ready to support you while you strive for success.
“It may take a while to get in full swing with your own portfolio, but at the same time, it is also possible to gain quick successes. It feels motivating”, Joni says.
"Verified’s and Assenlty's SaaS products are the best engines that build success for our business growth in the market. For example, no one else has such a broad product like Verified's anti-money laundering (AML) focused product", Joni says.
“I can truly focus on systematically building long-term customer relationships and meeting the customers’ needs with great solutions.”
Assently's product focuses on e-signing and smart forms, and Verified's anti-money laundering products complement each other well. A wide customer base and products that can solve versatile problems for them, make it possible for you as an Account Executive to easily get to talk with potential customers.
"For me, there is absolutely no need to do big miracles. I can truly focus on systematically building long-term customer relationships and meeting the customers’ needs with great solutions", Joni says.
Digital tools focused on anti money laundering are becoming a must-have in companies, rather than just business-supporting tools. Still, in many companies AML processes are in progress and there is a lot of need for our products when the responsibility for AML is shifting more and more to the companies themselves.
"The focus of our sales team is strongly on selling Verified's product in the Finnish market right now. From what I’ve seen is that companies have a lot of processes to develop in how to prevent money laundering and how to solve and carry out supervision regarding that. This is exactly what our tool is for”, Joni explains.
Our sales team's work requires adopting expertise regarding the topic, anti money laundering. According to Joni, this knowledge will only be useful to him professionally in the future.
“Of course, this requires your own interest in the subject and the field”, Joni says.
In the future, Assently's and Verified's products will complement each other, and the whole sales team can sell all of them to meet the customers' needs.
“Assently has a really good, small and efficient team. The best parts of the team are the clear roles and the fact that you can get support from everyone. The whole team in general, also at Verified, is really nice. I haven't had a lot of contact with the Nordic Verified team myself yet, because the merger is still ongoing, but it's been super nice. In Finland, the small teams have already united, and it has gone smoothly!” Joni says.
“I definitely want to be involved in this international growth journey. I believe that for future team members as well, it means good opportunities to develop according to everyone's own interests.”
According to Joni, there are of course certain differences in the company cultures and ways of working between the merging teams. For example, there is still a lot to do in building common processes. For example, common reporting methods have been developed recently.
"Sales work also has a fair compensation. As an Account Executive, you have the opportunity to earn well. When the product is good, the sales process is in place, and other important things are being developed better and better, success does not require impossible magic tricks from you."
Joni is excited by international expansion and the possibilities that follow from the merger of Verified and Assently.
"I definitely want to be involved in this international growth journey. I believe that for future team members as well, it means good opportunities to develop according to everyone's own interests. An international group aiming for relatively fast growth is a really great place to learn and develop as a professional. My own focus in my career is business development and sales and especially in these fields of expertise, this international growth journey is an exciting opportunity.”
