“Hope is not a strategy.”

What does a single sales call really cost? According to Dr. Axel Johann, Sales Manager at Promega Corporation, the answer might surprise you: “Sometimes several hundred or even thousands of euros!” The reason? Successful customer acquisition takes hours of strategic research, preparation, and—most importantly—clarity.

In late March, participants of the Startup Elevator Saxony-Anhalt gained exclusive access to high-level sales insights during a dedicated workshop hosted by experts from Promega, a global leader in biotechnology.

 

 

The Power of a Valid Business Reason (VBR)

At the core of the workshop: the Valid Business Reason—a concrete, customer-centric rationale for why a potential client should take your call. Without a clearly defined benefit and relevance, even the most energetic outreach can fall flat.

“Why should someone give you their time?” That’s the question every founder needs to answer—strategically, authentically, and with empathy.

 

Insights from Sales Professionals with Decades of Experience

The workshop featured contributions from:

 

• • Dr. Axel Johann, Sales Manager
  • Dr. Thomas Klünner, Strategic Account Manager
  • Dr. Andrea Liedmann, Senior Account Manager

Together, they offered a deep dive into real-world sales experience, covering topics such as:

 

• • Sales vs. Selling: What’s the difference?
  • Understanding customer psychology
  • The SPIN selling technique
  • Structuring the first customer call
  • CRM tools and strategic follow-up
  • Negotiation management
  • Building long-term customer relationships

 

Top Takeaways for Founders

One of the key learnings?

“Hope is not a strategy.”

Founders need a well-defined sales approach—built on planning, targeting, and genuine customer value. The Promega team provided founders not only with tools and methods, but with a mindset shift: Sales is not persuasion—it’s connection with purpose.

 

About Promega

Founded over 40 years ago and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, Promega Corporation is a pioneer in molecular biology, cell biology, and genetic analysis. Its technologies support cutting-edge research in life sciences, diagnostics, and forensics. Beyond products, Promega shares its know-how to support early-stage startups, contributing expertise to those shaping the future of biotech and beyond.

 

 

Next-Level Sales Starts with the Right Questions

At the Startup Elevator Saxony-Anhalt, we empower founders not only with funding access—but also with real-world business skills. The Sales Masterclass with Promega was a prime example of how deep industry insight can transform startup growth.

Interested in joining our next batch? Applications for the next Startup Elevator cohort open in June.

Learn more about our program and how we prepare you for investors, customers, and scalable growth.