Inside Personio: 4,000 B2B New Customers in 1 Year – with VP Sales Oliver Manojlovic

About this episode

Personio is now valued at more than 8 billion euros and reportedly acquired over 4,000 new customers last year alone. But how do you build a sales organization that delivers such numbers?

Oliver Manojlovic, VP Sales at Personio, provides concrete insights into building a sales organization with more than 100 employees in the latest Sales Bakery episode. The conversation was moderated by Syntinels founder and CEO Florian Dostert.

From 7 to Several Hundred Sales Professionals

The scaling of Personio's sales organization is impressive: from originally 7 employees, the team grew to several hundred sales professionals. This transformation required systematic processes and a well-thought-out strategy.

"The key lies in finding the right balance between structure and individuality," explains Manojlovic. While processes are essential for scaling, the personal touch in B2B sales must not be lost.

The Right Hiring Strategy for Sales Teams

A central success factor is identifying the right sales profiles. Manojlovic emphasizes that not every salesperson is suitable for every type of sales. In B2B, specific characteristics and qualifications are crucial.

Personio's sustainable hiring strategy is based on clear criteria:

• –Professional competence and industry experience
• –Customer-oriented mindset
• –Motivation for long-term customer relationships
• –Team skills and cultural fit

Structured Onboarding as Foundation for Success

Successfully "ramping" new salespeople is a science in itself. Personio has developed a structured onboarding program that systematically guides new employees toward their goals.

This isn't just about product knowledge, but about understanding customer problems and developing an authentic sales approach. Onboarding is an investment that pays off in the long term.

Sales Culture Based on Real Customer Value

A healthy sales culture doesn't emerge by itself. At Personio, genuine customer value is at the center of all sales activities. This philosophy permeates all levels of the organization.

"We don't sell for the sake of selling," says Manojlovic. "Every deal must make sense for both sides." This attitude leads to more sustainable customer relationships and reduces churn rates.

Seamless Transition to Customer Success

An often overlooked aspect in sales is the transition between Sales and Customer Success. At Personio, this process has been optimized to ensure customers receive seamless support.

The close integration between departments ensures that customer expectations are set correctly during the sales process and implementation proceeds successfully.

Processes vs. Individuality in Sales

One of the biggest challenges when scaling a sales team is balancing necessary processes with individual salespeople's working styles. Too much structure can limit creativity, while too little leads to chaos.

Manojlovic explains how Personio found this balance: clear frameworks and guardrails provide guidance while leaving enough room for personal sales styles.

Personio's "Sales Supply Chain"

Particularly interesting are the insights into Personio's "Sales Supply Chain" – a systematic approach to lead generation, qualification, and conversion. This structured approach enables maintaining quality even during rapid growth.

The insights from this episode show: successful sales scaling isn't coincidental, but the result of well-thought-out strategies, right personnel decisions, and a customer-oriented culture.