The CEO’s Summer Work Experience

Although the calendar is turning towards autumn, the summer weather continues. My own summer holiday is still ahead of me, but I keep thinking about the experiences of the past summer. This summer, I had the opportunity to gain a closer view of working life at Jokiväri, not in the traditional sense, but by taking on the role of a salesperson in practice.

I gained plenty of experience while covering the duties of 2 Regional Managers and 1 salesperson. At Jokiväri, we want to serve a wide range of customer groups, so I had the opportunity to work with private customers, housing companies, businesses, and the public sector. During the summer, some tenders were won and others were lost. I also saw customer behaviour from many different perspectives.

I learned to appreciate customers who treat the bidder well, even when the quotation does not lead to an order. The small gesture of replying to an offer and saying thank you makes a big difference. On the other hand, I also noticed that not everyone does this. Sometimes communication simply stopped after the quotation had been submitted. What surprised me most was that this also happened with organisations that handle tender requests as part of their daily work.

I admit that, as someone who can be quick-tempered, I created a list of customers to whom I would no longer submit offers during my temporary assignment if there was no sense of mutual respect. Perhaps those whose roles I was covering would not have considered this the preferred approach, but it made decision-making easier when time was limited. Sometimes, you simply have to accept that if communication ends after submitting a quotation, the offer was not successful. However, I want to make sure that at Jokiväri, everyone receives a response and a thank you for their quotation, and when necessary, feedback on why it was not selected.

The summer passed quickly and at a hectic pace. The days were full of activity, and I gained a deeper understanding of Jokiväri’s operations across all areas of renovation construction. Together with customers, we looked for solutions, expanded our partner network, and made sure we could respond to their needs. The experience further confirmed that we do not need to know how to do everything ourselves when we have reliable professionals working alongside us.

I warmly recommend that everyone take the opportunity to experience different roles within their own organisation, in a real working environment and with a hands-on approach. It helps you understand the challenges employees face, whether they relate to time, systems, or expertise. The experience was extremely valuable. Although I have always appreciated our employees, experiences like this increase that appreciation even further.

Finally, I would like to thank our customers. Thanks to you, this CEO learned a great deal during the summer. Your flexibility and support made the busiest days easier. Thank you to everyone who makes our work easier. This gives us a strong foundation to continue moving forward together.

Mika
CEO