There’s a story I’ve carried with me from a different era in my career, one that still makes me smile. I was working at Pitney Bowes, it was truly a fantastic company to work for. We had a dynamic sales team, and our focus was on the Benelux region, a territory that gave me room to grow, hustle, and shine.

What We Did and What I Loved

We weren’t selling just boxes or licenses. We were helping companies manage their information securely and efficiently. I found meaning in that.

Our solutions included:

• Document management software
• Specialised high-volume printers
• Security destruction equipment, especially after Intimus came into the picture, adding a powerful layer of physical data security to our portfolio

I enjoyed speaking to clients about problems they didn’t even realise they had, then solving them. It was more than sales. It was solution-building.

The Sales Culture: Structure with a Purpose

Our Sales Manager was strict, and I respected that. He expected discipline, structure, and accountability.

• Every sales rep had to phone in from the company phone at the beginning and end of each day.
• Office hours were non-negotiable, we were expected to be present and performing.
• We were an inside sales team covering a wide geographic range, not an easy feat.

But here’s where the story turns.

Trust That Grew Over Time

I always showed up, on time, fully prepared, targets in sight. And slowly, something shifted:

• I no longer had to call in. That might seem small, but in our environment, it was a big deal.
• I was hitting my monthly targets consistently, even as we were still building from scratch.
• The Sales Manager began to trust me more, and that trust became the first reward.

That trust snowballed.

The Real Rewards

Bit by bit, I started getting the best leads, premium accounts from Belgium and the Netherlands. That was a game-changer. With better leads came better conversations, bigger deals, and a growing confidence in my own abilities.

Then something even better happened.

Promotion: Field Account Manager, Rotterdam

It wasn’t a massive leap in title or pay, but it meant the world to me at the time:

• It was a recognition of my hard work.
• It gave me more autonomy and respect in how I handled my accounts.
• It showed that what I was doing mattered.

I still remember how proud I felt updating my email signature that day.

A Different Way of Working

While most of the team had to log 25 calls, 10 emails daily and report them, I didn’t. Why? Because I was trusted to do the work without constant oversight.

• I was using our CRM systems better than anyone else.
• I was asked to administer both Archie and Netsuite, tools that became central to our success.

When Intimus Joined the Club

The addition of Intimus added a whole new dimension. Now we weren’t just offering software and printers, we were providing complete information security. My pitches evolved. My ideas sharpened. The clients got more value, and I started to think even more strategically.

Looking Back And Ahead

Eventually, I left Pitney Bowes for a full software role, that’s a whole other chapter. But the lessons, the recognition, the rewards? I’ve carried those with me.

And today, after analysing Targitr, I see the same principles at play:

• Build from scratch
• Deliver results
• Earn trust
• Be rewarded

This reminds me of those early Pitney Bowes days, where hard work wasn’t just expected, it was recognised.

Sometimes the best rewards aren’t just money or titles, they’re the small freedoms, the extra trust, the best leads, and the feeling that you’re really seen.