FLORIAN 2026: Two Sales Reps, One Trade Show, and Surprisingly Good Leads
Sometimes it’s worth just hitting the road—even without high expectations. That’s exactly what our CEO Matthias Brinkmann and Peter Prowinsky from Ergo-Tec GmbH had in mind when they jointly founded FLORIAN 2026 in Dresden.
The trade show for firefighting, civil protection, and disaster response took place from October 8 to 10. At first glance, this isn’t necessarily the typical setting for medical technology and the mobile treatment chair TheraSwitch from Ergo-Tec. Nevertheless, the two wanted to find out what contacts and opportunities might arise there. They had brought the TheraSwitch with them so they could demonstrate it if anyone was interested.
Two salespeople are better than one
What made the trade show visit special? Their collaborative sales efforts. Matthias and Peter weren’t just out there together—they worked as a well-coordinated team. Sometimes one would take the lead in the conversation, and sometimes the other. Each was able to tell his own story, contribute his strengths, and complement the other. This led to conversations that unfolded quite naturally, without a rigid script or a traditional sales pitch. And on top of that, it was really fun to walk through the trade show together.
After all, sales aren’t just about good arguments; they’re primarily about people striking up conversations with one another.
A particular highlight was meeting an exhibitor from Nuremberg. We hit it off right away, the conversation went great, and we quickly set up a meeting. The funny thing was that, at that point, neither of us knew exactly what the other was offering.
But why not? Sometimes a personal connection is the best starting point for a potential collaboration. We’ll see how it goes during our next conversation.
Collecting contacts is good. Following up with contacts is better.
In addition to the face-to-face meetings, we naturally didn’t neglect our sales routine. New contacts were entered directly into the respective CRM systems on-site. After all, what good is the best conversation at a trade show if the contact information then disappears somewhere on a scrap of paper?
The follow-up is already underway: This week’s agenda includes scheduling appointments and following up on the discussions. After all, the actual sales work often doesn’t begin until after the trade show.
Another positive side effect was the time we spent together away from the hustle and bustle of the trade show. About three hours on the way there and another three hours on the way back—plenty of opportunity to exchange thoughts, discuss ideas, and get to know each other better. Spending time with customers is especially valuable to us. It builds trust, strengthens collaboration, and often sparks ideas for which there’s little room in the day-to-day routine of a project.
Quality Over Quantity
For Matthias and Peter, FLORIAN was a manageable but thoroughly rewarding trade show. The focus wasn’t on the number of contacts, but on the quality of the interactions. Their visit together demonstrated once again that you don’t always have to set out with a specific expectation or a ready-made sales plan. Sometimes the best opportunities arise precisely when you approach people with an open mind.
And when you work well as a team, have good conversations, and have fun together, the trip is worth it in more ways than one.
Many thanks to Peter Prowinsky and Ergo-Tec GmbH for a successful day at the trade show. We look forward to our next events and, of course, to our next sales tour together!
Curious now?
Our contact persons will be happy to help:
Matthias Brinkmann
+49 911 47494949
brinkmann@twobe.de
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