Sales Leader of the Month with Mindit – Camilla Tillman and Johan Björklund at Gävle Energi

Leading a sales team is about so much more than reaching numbers. It's about creating a culture of commitment, customer focus and conscious development. At Gävle Energi, Camilla Tillman, Customer Service Manager, and Johan Björklund, Team Leader, have demonstrated just this.

Thanks to their efforts, the company has gone from being a traditional customer service organization to a more proactive and sales-driven team, where sales are no longer seen as something forced but as a natural part of everyday life. Through a training program together with Mindit, the team has now strengthened both the security and self-confidence in the customer dialogue, and the results speak for themselves:

• Increased initiative – More employees are taking their own initiative to call customers, identify needs and broaden the business. Those who were previously most skeptical of sales have now become more forward-thinking and solution-oriented.

• Goal-oriented and collaborative – The team triggers each other to think new things, shares more business with each other and sets individual goals to stay “on their toes”.

• Changed culture – Sales is discussed openly and is a natural part of the weekly meetings, where everyone contributes to improvements. A visible TV screen shows the group's and individuals' successes, which has led to increased motivation.

• Sales record – In September 2024, the customer service team hit its best ever result, clear proof that the change is having an effect.

“It's a tough market, but now we have an energy and commitment in the team that allows us to meet these challenges,” says Camilla.

Gävle Energi – An engine for sustainable development

Gävle Energi has been a driving force in the region's energy development for over 100 years. For them, it's about more than just electricity supply – it's about putting "energy into the right things" while strengthening the local community. With a focus on both fossil-free and renewable energy, they continue to develop sustainable solutions for the future.

As part of their development, they have also wanted to strengthen customer relationships and create a more proactive way of working. Here, Camilla Tillman and Johan Björklund have played a key role – focusing on moving the team from traditional customer service to a more consultative and value-creating dialogue with customers.

From customer service to a sales-driven culture

When Mindit began its collaboration with Gävle Energi in June 2023, the goal was clear:

To create a more selling culture.

This would be achieved by:

• Strengthen relationships with existing customers

• Broaden the energy business and identify new business opportunities

• Increase customer satisfaction through more active advice and sales

• Raise awareness, gain insight into tools and models on how to achieve success in communication.

Camilla and Johan were given an important role in this change effort. To get the entire team to adopt a more sales-driven strategy, they needed to work on both structures and the mentality of the group.

“In the beginning, there was a lot of resistance to sales. Many people saw themselves as customer service employees – not salespeople,” says Camilla.

But through a structured working method, training and a shift in mindset, change began to take shape.

Structured working methods and increased security in customer meetings

To succeed in the change process, Gävle Energi, together with Mindit, has implemented a number of strategies and tools.

An important step has been to clarify the structure of the customer meeting:

Clearer planning of customer meetings

• Greater focus on steering conversations and asking the right questions

• Better argumentation around customer benefit and service value

• Greater confidence in handling objections and closing deals

The result?

• More employees take the initiative to call customers and expand the business

• Those who previously had the greatest resistance have become more forward-thinking and committed.

• Sales discussions have become a natural part of the weekly meetings

• Sales record in September last year

Insights and the strength of differences

Another crucial factor has been that the team has begun to understand the strength of complementing each other.

Through a concrete tool combined with heightened awareness, one could begin to understand both one's own and others' working styles and how they can best benefit from their differences.

“We have realized that we don’t have to work the same way to be effective,” says Johan. “On the contrary – when we leverage each other’s different ways of thinking and acting, we become even stronger.”

This insight has not only helped the team understand their customers better – they have also become better at understanding each other.

Sustainable growth and future goals

Although Gävle Energi has already seen fantastic results, the journey is far from over.

In the short term, it is about further developing the sales processes and continuing to strengthen the team's confidence in customer dialogue. In the longer term, Camilla and Johan see great opportunities to further broaden the business and expand into more segments.

But the challenges are there.

The Swedish energy market is tough and is affected by increased competition, regulations and changing customer needs. At the same time, new construction has decreased, making the market for electricity networks and district heating more challenging than before.

“It's a tough market, but now we have an energy and commitment in the team that allows us to meet these challenges,” says Camilla.

Tips for other leaders who want to change their sales culture

When we ask Camilla and Johan about their best advice for others facing similar journeys of change, the answer is clear:

• Include everyone from the start. “If change is to last, the whole team must be on board.”

• Focus on small steps . “Change doesn’t happen overnight. Small adjustments in everyday life lead to big results in the long run.”

• Build a culture where selling is a natural part. “The more we talk about it, the less charged it becomes.”

• Practice practice practice. “Practice new tools concretely in everyday life between training sessions.”

• Dare to challenge old ways of thinking. “Many people have a preconceived idea of what selling is. For us, it’s been about shifting the focus from ‘selling’ to ‘helping and nurturing.’”

• Through fun competitions and rewards, we create energy and motivation. We have competed in everything from the most contracts to the longest conversations – and celebrate both small and big successes!

Gävle Energi's relocation – insights, results and next steps

Camilla Tillman and Johan Björklund at Gävle Energi are living proof that the right leadership and a clear strategy can transform an entire team. By combining structure, training and an inclusive culture, they have created a work environment where selling feels natural, where employees dare to take initiative and where customer dialogue has become more value-creating than ever.

Mindit is proud to be part of this journey – and we look forward to following Camilla, Johan and the team at Gävle Energi in their continued development!

Do you have questions about how a strong sales culture can drive your company forward? Contact us and we'll tell you more!