Meet Maxim Sanctorum

Maxim started at AQUALEX in 2014. But to be honest, his hiring was a bit of a gamble. Aside from a brief experience selling Herbalife products, he was still green behind the ears. And AQUALEX was looking for someone who could deliver results immediately.

Competitive Sports Mentality

What convinced AQUALEX at the time was Maxim's competitive sports attitude: ambitious, hard-working, goal-oriented, and driven by an unstoppable urge to improve. Like a sponge, he absorbs feedback, tips, and new insights to integrate them immediately into his sales approach.

Four years and a wealth of experience later, he was ready for a new step. In 2018, AQUALEX first offered him a challenge as a part-time regional sales manager for the Netherlands.

Open Conversations

After open HR discussions, Maxim made it clear that he preferred working with large clients. The result? He became a key account manager and also took charge of the internal training on the AQUALEX sales method.

The explosive growth of AQUALEX led to several shifts within the sales team in 2021 and 2022. First, Maxim took over the B2B team as team leader. Recently, he made the leap to sales manager of the entire sales team.

Everything is Training

Currently, he supports about fifteen account managers. And not in a directive manner like in many companies. Rather, he focuses on coaching, helping people take steps and quickly improve in their roles.

To achieve this goal, AQUALEX organizes a variety of professional training sessions. Moreover, Maxim's role is entirely focused on helping others advance. He is continuously available for questions and advice, goes out on the road several times a year with the account managers, and even the monthly sales meetings primarily serve as training sessions.

Of course, sales figures are discussed in the sales meetings. But the main focus is on learning: one to one and a half hours of training on a specific aspect of the sales methodology, followed by a round of sharing experiences and addressing problem situations with the entire team. After all, you also learn from each other.

Not by the Book

“AQUALEX places a strong emphasis on training and coaching because people here enjoy a lot of freedom,” says Maxim. “Marketing and sales assistants provide the leads. But it’s up to you how you turn them into customers. That’s why we primarily seek entrepreneurs—people who can handle freedom, enjoy taking initiatives, and like to try new things.”

Asking Questions, Engaging, and Uncovering

Being sociable and having a smooth conversation are certainly important assets for a salesperson. “But the most important thing,” Maxim emphasizes, “is being able to listen well. To do that, you need to ask questions—open-ended questions—so the other person can talk.” Those who excel in this and smartly engage can uncover the customer's problems and the implications of those problems. This way, you can ultimately propose a solution that perfectly addresses their issues.

Maxim Personally

• Maxim recently got married and has just become a father to Camille.
• He lives in Rumbeke, a district of Roeselare.
• He is passionate about athletics and was a multiple Belgian champion in his youth, especially in long jump. Once, he even crowned himself European champion among twelve-year-olds. The former sprint star is now preparing for a marathon.
• As a hobby cook, he enjoys cuisines from all over the world, but he prefers to prepare a Flemish classic: beef stew with Rodenbach beer.
• He is also a wine lover, but he enjoys having beers with his friends as well. Always at the bar, of course, because that's where the most interesting conversations happen.
• Motto: Work beats talent when talent doesn’t work enough. With hard work, you can go far, even in sales.
• Favorite Vacation Countries:** Italy and Spain. He says the flavors suit him better than those of France, for example.
• He enjoys listening to Dutch-language music, both Flemish and Dutch. But he also likes hip-hop giants like Eminem and 50 Cent.