“C-levels don’t respond on LinkedIn.”
Well… that’s just not true.
A few months ago, I sent Bas van der Veldt a quick message.
Just a casual coffee invite. Nothing big.
And guess what?
He replied.
Sure, he didn’t have time, but I did get through to him.
And that’s the whole point.
So I thought: this is the moment.
“I’ve got some exciting AI tools for your sales team. Who should I talk to?”
His reply:
“We’re always interested in AI tools. I’ll forward you on.”
That’s how simple it can be.
No funnels.
No 30 follow-ups.
No long-winded pitch.
Just one person sending a message to another.
Even at the highest C-levels, it works.
And just like that, I found myself at Bernard-Paul Hakkenberg’s office.
If you’ve ever been to AFAS Software: it’s truly an experience.
You walk in like you’ve stepped into a sci-fi movie.
A hologram of Bas greets you.
A digital mouse runs across the floor.
Your eyes don’t know where to look first.
Our meeting was just as great.
Brainstorming about the sales team, AI, and the future.
AFAS is eager to learn about AI, so the conversation flowed.
And then I even got to visit AFAS Live.
That took a bit longer – Karolayne had to pick the right show first 😉
But we made it happen, and it was amazing.
AFAS, thank you for the hospitality and your openness.
It’s always a pleasure to brainstorm with you.
