Sales & Business Development
Sales & Business Development
Sales & Business Development
Winning growth in a buyer‑led, AI‑accelerated market
Winning growth in a buyer‑led, AI‑accelerated market
Winning growth in a buyer‑led, AI‑accelerated market
The challenge for today’s commercial leaders is to generate efficient pipeline, sell the way buyers want to buy, and scale AI all while tightening governance, partnerships and outbound standards.
The challenge for today’s commercial leaders is to generate efficient pipeline, sell the way buyers want to buy, and scale AI all while tightening governance, partnerships and outbound standards.
The challenge for today’s commercial leaders is to generate efficient pipeline, sell the way buyers want to buy, and scale AI all while tightening governance, partnerships and outbound standards.
The Leadership Challenge for Sales Executives
Leading analyst houses point to a consistent agenda for CSOs and CROs: unify the commercial engine (sales–marketing–CS) around one strategy, make the sales organisation more adaptable, and simplify seller roles to remove friction so teams can execute with speed. Meanwhile, buyers have shifted decisively to digital and self‑serve even for large, complex purchases; it is expected that more than half of large B2B purchases will be processed through digital self‑serve channels, and recent surveys show rising comfort with high‑value remote/self‑serve transactions. Your go‑to‑market must meet buyers where they are, omnichannel by default.
With over a decade of experience in recruitment, I help professionals and leaders take the next step in their careers. My goal is to build meaningful connections that create real value and lay the foundation for long‑term growth. Today I am proud to be the Managing Partner of Michael Illert Executive Recruitment and share this passion with an incredible team spread across the BeNeLux and DACH region. From here we serve our clients across Europe and the UK. While we believe in leveraging the latest technology, we hold one fundamental principle at heart: human connection and understanding will always be at the core of executive search.
The Leadership Challenge for Sales Executives
Leading analyst houses point to a consistent agenda for CSOs and CROs: unify the commercial engine (sales–marketing–CS) around one strategy, make the sales organisation more adaptable, and simplify seller roles to remove friction so teams can execute with speed. Meanwhile, buyers have shifted decisively to digital and self‑serve even for large, complex purchases; it is expected that more than half of large B2B purchases will be processed through digital self‑serve channels, and recent surveys show rising comfort with high‑value remote/self‑serve transactions. Your go‑to‑market must meet buyers where they are, omnichannel by default.
With over a decade of experience in recruitment, I help professionals and leaders take the next step in their careers. My goal is to build meaningful connections that create real value and lay the foundation for long‑term growth. Today I am proud to be the Managing Partner of Michael Illert Executive Recruitment and share this passion with an incredible team spread across the BeNeLux and DACH region. From here we serve our clients across Europe and the UK. While we believe in leveraging the latest technology, we hold one fundamental principle at heart: human connection and understanding will always be at the core of executive search.
The Leadership Challenge for Sales Executives
Leading analyst houses point to a consistent agenda for CSOs and CROs: unify the commercial engine (sales–marketing–CS) around one strategy, make the sales organisation more adaptable, and simplify seller roles to remove friction so teams can execute with speed. Meanwhile, buyers have shifted decisively to digital and self‑serve even for large, complex purchases; it is expected that more than half of large B2B purchases will be processed through digital self‑serve channels, and recent surveys show rising comfort with high‑value remote/self‑serve transactions. Your go‑to‑market must meet buyers where they are, omnichannel by default.
With over a decade of experience in recruitment, I help professionals and leaders take the next step in their careers. My goal is to build meaningful connections that create real value and lay the foundation for long‑term growth. Today I am proud to be the Managing Partner of Michael Illert Executive Recruitment and share this passion with an incredible team spread across the BeNeLux and DACH region. From here we serve our clients across Europe and the UK. While we believe in leveraging the latest technology, we hold one fundamental principle at heart: human connection and understanding will always be at the core of executive search.
Michael Illert
Managing Partner & Founder
Michael Illert
Managing Partner & Founder
Michael Illert
Managing Partner & Founder
Sales is the Beating Heart
Sales is the Beating Heart
We know that long‑term success isn’t just about “hitting the number”; it’s about building a repeatable growth system, from first touch to long‑term expansion. We specialise in identifying and securing Sales & BD leaders who turn strategy into predictable pipeline, higher win rates and durable customer value.
We know that long‑term success isn’t just about “hitting the number”; it’s about building a repeatable growth system, from first touch to long‑term expansion. We specialise in identifying and securing Sales & BD leaders who turn strategy into predictable pipeline, higher win rates and durable customer value.
What separates market leaders from followers
What separates market leaders from followers
They serve the buyer’s preferred journey at enterprise scale. Winners design for omnichannel and self serve (digital + remote + in person) and prove value earlier in the cycle. They move GenAI from pilots to impact. The best teams use AI to enrich data, prioritise accounts, draft proposals, summarise calls, forecast risk and fuel enablement. Salesforce’s State of Sales finds teams using AI are more likely to grow revenue. They respect the new rules of outbound. Deliverability and compliance now shape performance. They govern AI use responsibly. In Europe, the EU AI Act brings staged obligations and broader high risk regimes from 2026. Commercial leaders should ensure vendor compliance and clear internal guardrails for AI assisted selling.
They serve the buyer’s preferred journey at enterprise scale. Winners design for omnichannel and self serve (digital + remote + in person) and prove value earlier in the cycle. They move GenAI from pilots to impact. The best teams use AI to enrich data, prioritise accounts, draft proposals, summarise calls, forecast risk and fuel enablement. Salesforce’s State of Sales finds teams using AI are more likely to grow revenue. They respect the new rules of outbound. Deliverability and compliance now shape performance. They govern AI use responsibly. In Europe, the EU AI Act brings staged obligations and broader high risk regimes from 2026. Commercial leaders should ensure vendor compliance and clear internal guardrails for AI assisted selling.
Five core areas which drive enablement and innovation across Sales & BD
Sales & Commercial Leadership
Sets the growth agenda, aligns Sales, Marketing and Customer Success behind a single commercial strategy.
Sales & Commercial Leadership
Sets the growth agenda, aligns Sales, Marketing and Customer Success behind a single commercial strategy.
Sales & Commercial Leadership
Sets the growth agenda, aligns Sales, Marketing and Customer Success behind a single commercial strategy.
New Business & Account Acquisition
Build sales engines that create quality pipeline and progress multi‑threaded deals using AI‑assisted research and outreach.
New Business & Account Acquisition
Build sales engines that create quality pipeline and progress multi‑threaded deals using AI‑assisted research and outreach.
New Business & Account Acquisition
Build sales engines that create quality pipeline and progress multi‑threaded deals using AI‑assisted research and outreach.
Strategic & Key Account Management
Expands share‑of‑wallet via executive alignment, co‑innovation roadmaps and outcome‑based success plans.
Strategic & Key Account Management
Expands share‑of‑wallet via executive alignment, co‑innovation roadmaps and outcome‑based success plans.
Strategic & Key Account Management
Expands share‑of‑wallet via executive alignment, co‑innovation roadmaps and outcome‑based success plans.
Partnerships, Channels & Ecosystem
Builds partner‑led routes to revenue enabling hyperscaler co‑sell to compress cycles and ease procurement.
Partnerships, Channels & Ecosystem
Builds partner‑led routes to revenue enabling hyperscaler co‑sell to compress cycles and ease procurement.
Partnerships, Channels & Ecosystem
Builds partner‑led routes to revenue enabling hyperscaler co‑sell to compress cycles and ease procurement.
Revenue Operations, Enablement & Commercial Excellence
Aligns data, processes, and tools; strengthens forecasting, pricing, and sales productivity.
Revenue Operations, Enablement & Commercial Excellence
Aligns data, processes, and tools; strengthens forecasting, pricing, and sales productivity.
Revenue Operations, Enablement & Commercial Excellence
Aligns data, processes, and tools; strengthens forecasting, pricing, and sales productivity.