Turning around a stalled market entry — and scaling sales 8×
An international company had bet big on Finland but sales had stalled. Mika was brought in to lead the turnaround — rebuilding the commercial engine around a repeatable sales model and hands-on team leadership, and turning it into a profitable operation that runs on its own.
The challenge
An international company had entered the Finnish market and invested a significant amount — but sales hadn't taken off as planned. The setup was there: a country manager, a sales manager and around 10 salespeople. What was missing was a sales model that actually worked and could be repeated.
What Mika did
- Built a working, repeatable sales model from the ground up
- Led the team hands-on — the right coaching, targets and daily rhythm
- Turned sales around completely within three months
- Scaled hiring in step with capacity — office by office
- Systematised recruitment so the model could run without him
- Prepared a local sales manager and MD to take over
The result
Within three months the numbers had turned. Over the following 3–6 months the team grew to 25 full-time reps and a dedicated coach — as many as the office could hold — with sales up roughly 8×.
By 6–12 months a new office housed 40 full-time reps plus 20–40 part-time reps in the evenings, backed by 2–3 sales coaches — and recruitment was underway for a local sales manager and MD ready to run a fully repeatable sales and hiring model.
Why it matters for you
Today mySafety is firmly established in Finland and runs a profitable business — and it could easily have gone the other way. That's what a company investing in the Finnish market is really buying: a sales engine that works, scales, and keeps running long after the interim leader has moved on.
What people say
Mika is full of finnish sisu sales force! He has a solid analytical mind and is educated in the fields of B2C and B2B — truly understands the psychology of sales. He has my warmest "selling" references!
It is not often you meet someone who understands sales and the psychology around it on every level in the sales organisation the way Mika does. His knowledge when it comes to sales, combined with his excellent management skills, makes him an extraordinarily good sales manager in any sales-oriented organisation.
He worked under my leadership in Finland… being responsible for Sales and Partnerships in the B2B2C subscription business. He is a well-organized and trustworthy team player, delivering on his promises and according to plans. I can highly recommend him to any corresponding positions in the future.
Mika was my superior when I made a career swap from IT to sales. He demonstrated how to introduce new service innovations to market and exceed sales goals by leading a truly motivated team. Despite a financial crisis, Mika's leadership proved that a newly founded business can succeed in Finland when the entire team focuses on success… I strongly recommend Mika when there are ambitious goals to deliver.
Mika är fokuserad och målmedveten samtidigt som han har en hög psykologisk förståelse om människor och hur man leder en grupp att prestera efter uppsatta visioner och mål. Ger mina varmaste rekommendationer till Mika!
Mika on päättäväinen ja hyvin tavoitehakuinen ihminen, jonka kanssa työskentely on hauskaa, energisoivaa ja tuloksellista! Mikan periksiantamattomuus näkyy ratkaisukeskeisenä toimintana ja vahvuutena löytää keinot päästä eteenpäin voittajana haastavienkin tilanteiden edessä. Suosittelen Mikaa lämpimästi!