People at Purple: Niklas' Journey from Sales to Business Development

Niklas, how did you end up at Purple?

I had been keeping an eye on you for a while. After university, I looked around but there wasn't a suitable position at the time. A few years later, I remembered that I always thought Purple was a cool company and applied for a Customer Success role. That didn't pan out, but my application was forwarded to the Sales team. Kevin then convinced me to start with him. I was skeptical at first because I didn't really want to go into classic sales. But the role was designed so that it wasn't just typical sales tasks. It was also hands-on work. After a few months, I was completely sold.

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How has your role evolved since then?

I was introduced to tasks pretty quickly that go beyond classic sales, more in the direction of sales operations: preparing customer meetings, building demo apps and creating demo Purple Hubs. I still do that today and really enjoy it. I loved the variety from the start. It wasn't just the typical tasks. I also got to do some low-code work to show customers in advance what their app could look like. That went down really well and still does. Over time, more and more areas of responsibility were added, such as partner management. There are always new topics to explore.

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You also worked as a project manager for a while. How did that come about?

Exactly, I got to take a detour into Purple Projects and support a few customer projects. That was one of my most exciting experiences because I was more or less thrown in at the deep end and simply had to take ownership. For example, I managed the apps for Motorpresse as project manager and was fully involved with the product and the client. It was a very positive learning experience for me.

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What does a typical day look like for you now?

I lead the initial conversations with potential customers, handle requirements engineering and manage follow-ups. Sometimes I join customer workshops too. Then I prepare demos, configure apps and hubs, and run training sessions so our leads can get to know the system before they become customers. Internally, I coordinate with the team to assess risks with leads. On top of that, there's the entire proposal process: creating, sending and negotiating offers. At the end, I manage the project handover from sales to project management, both internally and together with the customer. And then there are the partnership topics: regular exchanges with partner companies, setting up partner contracts, attending events and scouting for interesting leads in the market.

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What works particularly well in initial customer conversations?

Being authentic. Showing what we've achieved in the past, who our customers are and which projects we've delivered. And giving potential customers a roadmap for how they can work more effectively in the future. It's not just about selling our product. It's about giving customers good advice and sharing our experience.

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Is there a project that's particularly close to your heart?

Galedia was always a great project for me because I was involved from start to finish and I'm still in regular contact with them. You see how something that started with the first conversation and initial requirements gathering grows from a small seedling into something that eventually goes live. Those are the moments that make me proud.

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Do you enjoy working with Purple as a tool?

I really enjoy it. That's actually what brings me the most joy: having a tool that I genuinely like using myself. And of course it's also exciting because you can contribute to making the product better here and there. Feedback from customer conversations flows directly into the product's development.

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What do you find particularly valuable about the company culture at Purple?

Since becoming a father, I really appreciate the flexibility. I reduced my hours and it wasn't a problem at all. Having some time for care work alongside the job is very important to me. And then of course the colleagues. You can always nudge someone and say: I need a quick hand with something. Those are the two things that make me genuinely happy to work here.

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What advice would you give new colleagues starting at Purple?

At the beginning, I sometimes found it challenging to be thrown in at the deep end. But ultimately it was a great learning experience to just take the leap and get things done. You can always count on support. If something doesn't work out, it's usually not a big deal, and you do better next time. So my advice: don't hesitate to approach your colleagues with questions. That's what I did.

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Niklas' story shows that careers at Purple rarely follow a straight line, and that's exactly what makes them exciting. From sales to project management to partner management: if you're open to new things and willing to take on responsibility, you'll find the space for it here. If you're looking for a workplace where you can grow and develop in many directions, check out our careers page.

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