In this blog, you will get to know Alexander Lange: our first employee in Germany! Alex has been part of the BuyBay family for over a year now – the perfect moment to reflect on what has been going on in the last 12 months. How has he experienced working (remotely) for a Dutch company? What were his highlights? And what is his crucial learning after one year working as a Business Development Manager? You are going to find out!
As a Business Development Manager, Alexander is responsible for building and growing the partner network in Germany. His job is not only about ‘hunting’ for new partners but rather about growing the BuyBay brand within Germany through all kinds of activities.
Alex is a firm believer in business that serves a purpose for the greater good. Working for a Dutch company excited him because of the no-nonsense culture, the lack of hierarchy, the direct communication style, and the personal relationships Dutch people build with their colleagues. Add to that BuyBay’s expansion plans and the challenging but exciting task of leading the expansion as its first Business Development Manager – courageous Alex took the jump.
One year later, Alexander can be proud of what he has achieved. We invite Alex to take us through his first year’s highlights at BuyBay and choose the top 3, which is not the easiest thing to do. “It is difficult for me to pick just three highlights because it was such an interesting experience so far. From the first day, I was given the responsibility and trust to find my way of establishing BuyBay in the German market. But if I had to choose, I would say my three highlights are:”
“My first four weeks at BuyBay were fascinating. On the one hand, I was able to have an impact in my role from day one by picking an office location in Germany and introducing a new prospecting strategy that I knew from my previous job. At the same time, I was a complete newbie when it came to our product and solution, which forced me to learn quickly. The wave of support and interest by everyone in the company overwhelmed me. Until today, the whole BuyBay team has been the most positive surprise to me. Every BuyBay’er is an expert in their field and makes an effort to support everybody else. Experiencing this team spirit in the challenging circumstances of Covid-19 and multiple lockdowns impressed me even more.”
“Signing a partner is always a good feeling. But with BuyBay, I immediately felt that we were really solving a problem for the company and that it also had a positive impact on the environment. I love the challenge of continuously optimizing a partner’s performance by diving deeper into the details. It gives me pleasure when I discover an opportunity for growth, fight hard to make it a reality, and see a smile on a happy person’s face. With BuyBay, I experienced more of these moments in the first year than expected.”
“Before I joined BuyBay, I worked for a company that sold a software solution. The first few months, BuyBay also felt like something immaterial because I was at home trying to convince partners of our services. But when I first visited our warehouse, reality hit me. Hundreds of colleagues work every day on rescuing products that otherwise could have gone to waste. Our operational processes are so smart in design, and the warehouse’s spirit was as positive as in our headquarter. Every person believes in our mission and contributes to reducing waste in E-Commerce. Seeing the thousands of products and how we treat them made me finally realize what important work we do. Since that day, I have been even more committed and in love with my job.”
Alexander and his team had a very eventful first year and successfully expanded BuyBay to the German market. But more than that, he was able to position our mission in the German E-commerce industry. As an expert guest in multiple webinars, an author in industry-leading magazines, and a speaker at industry events, Alex inspired other companies to find a more sustainable approach to deal with their returns.
Are you inspired and ready for a challenge? Join the German team in the quest to reduce waste in the German E-commerce sector.
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