Sales Leader of the Quarter June 2026 – Intoit Travel Group

How nine independent companies create a common direction in their businesses

How do you create a common direction in how business is run in an organization with nine independent companies, their own leaders and different ways of working?

Niklas Engstrand, CEO of INTOIT Travel Group and recently appointed as Sales Leader of the Quarter by Mindit, leads a group of entrepreneurially driven companies within customized travel experiences.

For him, the answer wasn't about bringing everything together in a common sales process. Instead, it was about creating a clearer structure for how customer dialogue is actually carried out on a daily basis.

The only question was how to do it in practice.

From variation to a clearer direction

INTOIT is a group of entrepreneurially driven companies within customized travel experiences, where each company is run independently with its own responsibility for the business.

This also means that working methods have naturally differed both between companies and between individuals. At the same time, there was a clear focus on sales in the organization.

The challenge was not in the will, but in creating a more shared understanding of how the business should actually be run. To lift sales from something diffuse to something concrete and developable.

This became particularly clear in two parts of the process. First, in the needs analysis, where we did not always get all the way to understanding the customer's actual driving forces.

Partly in the closing stages, where deals were not always pursued all the way to a decision.

The result was variation in quality and business sometimes losing momentum, despite the fact that both competence and ambition were in place.

The focus was not just on understanding what works in theory, but on translating it into everyday behavior, in every customer meeting. Because that's where the real impact is created.

How customer meetings changed in practice

The shift that INTOIT has made is not about standardizing what is sold, but about creating a common focus on how business is actually conducted in dialogue with customers.

In practice, this means a more consistent approach to the meeting. From the start and agenda to needs analysis, next steps and conclusion.

“It's about taking a clearer responsibility in the dialogue – not just presenting a proposal, but actively leading the customer forward in the process,” says Niklas Engstrand.

A concrete change is visible in how business is conducted at the end of the process. Where previously it could stop at a proposal, today there is a clearer direction towards decisions.

For example, it could be about booking a decision-making meeting rather than a follow-up meeting, a small adjustment that creates a completely different focus in the deal.

The change is also noticeable in the companies:

“Today, we are much more aware and structured in our customer meetings. We always work with clear agendas and ensure a concrete next step, which means that the dialogue never stops. We often book the next meeting immediately, a simple change that has had a big impact for us.”

— Karin Bohlin Sauce, CEO, Hummingbird Meetings & Events

This type of approach not only makes the process clearer internally, but also creates a more professional and cohesive experience for the customer.

A change that is built over time

Creating a common way of working is one thing. Making it work in everyday life is another.

For INTOIT, a crucial part has been to work with continuity. To follow up, remind and ensure that the working methods are actually used in daily work.

The responsibility does not lie centrally, but with each company and each leader. This means that the change is built locally, and that it is actually used in everyday life.

“The effect is not only visible in individual deals – but in how the organization works over time,” says Niklas Engstrand.

More people take active responsibility in customer dialogue, they dare to drive the business forward, and there is a clearer awareness of how meetings are actually carried out. This also means that more people in the organization contribute to sales, not just those who have it as a stated responsibility. The result is a more consistent customer experience and a stronger direction in how business is run, regardless of company or individual. “Don’t underestimate the internal work that is required. It’s not just about implementing an effort, it’s a lot of work to actually change how you work,” says Niklas Engstrand.

When lead times in the deal are shortened, more deals are clearly driven to the next step and decision, the company becomes less vulnerable to individual differences. This creates a clearer and more stable decision-making process throughout the deal. Which in turn leads to a more predictable pipeline over time and in practice a new way of working. Once that work takes hold, it is no longer about an individual change.