ITS was retained on a search for a France based optoelectronics and photonics component manufacturer, who were looking to enter a new market with their new technology solutions. The target market was Infrared (IR), which is a highly niche segment. Our client was looking for a Sales Director, already knowledgeable and experienced in the IR field to develop new business from the ground up.
The challenge was to find someone in a very limited market, it became apparent that there are few companies operating in IR components, and therefore the pool of likely potential candidates with the experience they desired was going to be limited.
Our approach was to really understand the IR market, to uncover all of the manufacturers, suppliers, competitors, and integrators. To deep dive in into the technology, our customers target applications and uses cases, and collaborating closely, we were able to identify and create a strong target list of potential candidates.
Once the strategy had been defined, we then began to make our approaches, reaching out to the best fitting 100 prospective candidates across France.
Over 12 weeks, we spoke to and successfully engaged with 70 credible salespeople all with some exposure to Infrared or Photonics. We provided continuous regular detailed feedback on their competitors teams, which gave the client a deeper insight into the market, competitor strength and how their sales teams are rewarded.
The result, they hired a key person from their competitor and arguably one of the most experienced Sales Directors in Infrared France. It transpired that this candidate was known to us from previous work in the photonics markets, and they were also the very first person we had approached about the opportunity.
