WijnSpijs is a well-known premium restaurant and food experience concept from the Netherlands. After building a strong presence in the Dutch market, the company is now preparing to expand into Germany.
To make this expansion successful, WijnSpijs needed more than just another sales hire. They needed their first Sales Manager for Germany.
This person would play an important role in building the company’s presence in a completely new market, connecting with restaurants, understanding the local gastronomy landscape, and helping bring the WijnSpijs concept to German customers.
Why this hire in Germany was important
Entering a new market always comes with a unique set of challenges.
For WijnSpijs, Germany represented an exciting growth opportunity. But to turn that opportunity into real market presence, they needed someone who could combine sales experience, industry understanding, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
The role was especially important because the new Sales Manager would be one of the first people representing WijnSpijs in Germany.
That meant the candidate needed to be able to work independently, build trust with potential partners, and communicate closely with the leadership team in the Netherlands.
On top of that, the setup was fully remote, which made trust, ownership, and strong communication even more important.
The challenge
The goal was not simply to find someone with sales experience. WijnSpijs needed a candidate who could:
- Understand the gastronomy and restaurant industry
- Build relationships with restaurants in the German market
- Work independently in a fully remote setup
- Thrive in a highly entrepreneurial environment
- Collaborate closely with the leadership team in the Netherlands
- Help establish the company’s presence in Germany from the ground up
This combination made the search very specific. The ideal candidate needed to bring the right industry understanding, but also the motivation and ownership required to help build something new.
Our approach and the results
We started with a deep-dive briefing to understand WijnSpijs’ business model, company culture, expansion plans, and expectations for the German market. Together, we defined what the ideal candidate profile would look like, not only in terms of sales experience, but also in terms of mindset, communication style, independence, and industry fit.
Instead of relying only on traditional job postings, we combined two recruiting channels:
Active Sourcing
We directly approached candidates with relevant sales and gastronomy experience who matched the specific requirements of the role.
Targeted Performance Marketing campaigns
We supported the search with targeted campaigns to reach candidates who were open to new opportunities and interested in the restaurant and food experience space.
Throughout the process, we focused strongly on quality. In our pre-screening calls, we evaluated not only the candidate’s sales background, but also their motivation for the role, their understanding of the gastronomy market, and their ability to work independently in a remote and international setup.
This allowed us to present candidates who were not only qualified on paper, but also truly aligned with WijnSpijs’ expansion goals.
The result: The right match for our client
Within just 4 weeks, WijnSpijs successfully hired their first Sales Manager for Germany.
The new Sales Manager is now helping the company prepare its German market launch and WijnSpijs is getting ready to launch its first Restaurant Tour this summer.
For us, the best part of the project was the feedback afterwards.
The CEO shared:
And the candidate told us:
“Thank you for making this match possible. It’s going really well and they show a lot of trust in me!”
Conclusion: Hiring the first Sales Manager in Germany
Hiring a company’s first Sales Manager in a new country is more than filling a vacancy. It is a strategic step towards market expansion.
For WijnSpijs, this hire means having someone on the ground who understands the German market, can build strong restaurant partnerships, and can help turn their expansion plans into reality.
With a focused search strategy, a clear candidate profile, and the right combination of Active Sourcing and Performance Marketing, we helped WijnSpijs find the right person for this important first step into Germany.
Looking to hire your first Sales Manager in Germany?
Get in touch and we will help you find the right talent to grow your business.
