Sales Leader of the Quarter March 2026 – Vpk group

When behaviors become business-critical – Johan Nyström leads the shift at VPK

When sales manager Johan Nyström is named sales leader of the quarter with Mindit, it is because his leadership has created clear shifts in how VPK works with customers. In the dialogues, in the preparations and in the joint responsibility for the deal. Together with marketing manager Therese Johansson, he is driving a journey where sales and marketing not only collaborate, but build a joint working method that lasts over time. VPK Group develops sustainable packaging solutions in corrugated cardboard. Read more about the company's move from intention to consistent behavior in everyday life.

This case study describes how VPK Group, together with Mindit, developed its sales and marketing approach. Through a shared sales process and continuous training, the organization has created clearer behaviors in everyday life and strengthened the business dialogue with customers.

From intention to everyday behavior – that's how the journey began

Johan's commitment to sales development has grown over many years. He has previously worked both as a salesperson and with responsibility for developing the salesperson's working methods. When he joined VPK, he saw the need to create a consensus on how to meet customers - and why certain behaviors are particularly important.

In collaboration with Mindit, a common sales process was formed, adapted to VPK's market and customers. It has become a common thread that provides direction, a common language and clear support in the onboarding of new employees.

"This gives us a common thread – this is how we want to work. We speak the same language now," says Johan.

Roles that drive value

The change journey has also made the roles clearer. The sales team works in closer dialogue with the market, which is responsible for creating the right conditions, a strengthened brand, clear communication and a clear picture of VPK's offering. Sales takes over and drives the customer dialogue, but with a better basis and a more elaborate structure, says Johan.

The development department has been given an important role in value-based sales. When the dialogues are less about price and more about value creation, their expertise becomes central. They can concretize the effects for the customer and contribute to the deal being taken earlier and more proactively.

Therese describes the everyday effects: "You notice that more people think the same way now. It becomes easier to collaborate and easier to understand what the customer needs."

Training, feedback and follow-up

One of the biggest changes is how the team trains. Role-playing, scenario exercises and reviews of actual customer cases have become more natural and less charged. Feedback is no longer something you give “when needed”, but happens continuously and with a clear intention, to strengthen both the individual and the group.

Buddy systems and second opinions mean that more people are involved in each other's development and reduce the risk of tunnel vision in important business situations. The team reviews both what worked well and what can be strengthened before the next customer meeting.

The common sales process is used every week, in planning, preparation and follow-up.

“The course is just the starting point,” says Johan. “It’s in everyday life that we build on.”

Mindit's contribution – structure, courage and movement

Mindit has played a central role in the development journey, says Johan. Trainer Amelie Lagerqvist plays a vital role in educating, inspiring and supporting the team during the development journey. By combining a customized sales process with practical tools and ongoing training, the team has taken steps that are both visible and felt in everyday life.

Structure: The shared process makes it easier to onboard, plan, and stay on track. Everyone knows what is expected and how to move a deal forward.

Courage: Through role-playing and active training, the team has been challenged to try new things and dare to break old patterns without prestige. This has opened up more insights and faster movement.

Long-term: The follow-up from Mindit, combined with internal routines, ensures that the change lasts over time, even when the pace is high.

“This gives us a common thread and a common language to work with,” says Johan. “It makes a big difference.”

What are the challenges today and how are you working on them?

“The biggest challenge is to keep up when everyday life takes over,” says Johan. “We address this by focusing more on preparatory work, clear expectations and joint team reviews for larger customer cases.”

Therese highlights that the training with Mindit also provided an important insight: that everyone thinks differently, internally and externally, and that this understanding improves customer dialogue.

Johan's advice to other leaders

Johan summarizes the development work in two important lessons:

Make feedback an everyday occurrence. When you dare to be clear and supportive at the same time, the transition happens faster.
Build in training. A course is not enough; development requires time, focus, and repetition.

His advice to other leaders is clear: prepare carefully, plan for follow-up from the start, and build the team's capabilities together with sales, marketing, and development as one team.

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