A good business deal doesn't start with an offer, but with understanding the customer
Kateřina, if you had to introduce yourself in a way other than just your job title and a few lines from LinkedIn—what should we know about you?
I’m the kind of person who needs to be on the move—both physically and professionally—but who also needs peace and quiet and time to myself. I find fulfillment in discovering new possibilities, pushing my own limits, and occasionally stepping out of my comfort zone on purpose. In my free time, you’ll most often find me on a bike, on skates, on skis, or somewhere in the mountains. But I also love to slow down sometimes, immerse myself in water, focus solely on my breath, and tune out the world around me for a moment. I’m fascinated by what the human body is capable of and how much influence we ourselves have on how we function. I specialize in functional breathing; I’m a certified Buteyko Method instructor, and I’m interested in the connection between mindset, diet, exercise, cold exposure, and breathing. I enjoy discovering all the things we can influence ourselves and how small changes can transform the way we feel and function. I think this approach is reflected in my work—in my proactive attitude, my willingness to learn, and my search for new paths.
What led you to this particular business? And what do you still enjoy about it, even after all these years?
I got into sales by chance. After graduating from college, where I majored in secondary education, I was looking for a job outside my field while still wanting to put my skills to use. I found a job at an international company where I actively used English every day and sold conference registrations around the world over the phone. I gradually transitioned from telemarketing to face-to-face sales, and I haven’t returned to my original profession yet. What I’ve always enjoyed about sales is the combination of working with people, seeking out opportunities, and creating something new. I see it primarily as the ability to understand the other party’s needs and find a solution that makes sense for both sides. I enjoy its dynamism—every customer, every situation, and every challenge is different. And I’m always delighted when an initial conversation gradually builds into trust and a long-term partnership.
How do you think business has changed in recent years? What factors determine whether a company can win a customer’s trust today?
Customers today have much more information and options than they did in the past. That makes it all the more important for them to have a partner who can understand their situation, ask the right questions, and help them choose a path that will truly benefit them. In my opinion, trust is built through open communication, expertise, and the ability to deliver on our promises. It’s also important to be able to admit a mistake when something goes wrong, take responsibility for it, and look for a solution instead of turning a blind eye to the problem. And, of course, to be able to say that something doesn’t make sense, even if we could profit from it.
You serve as the sales director at Integriq. What was your vision when you took on this role, and what do you hope to bring to Integriq’s sales department?
I joined Integriq eager to build something in which I could actively participate from the very beginning. My goal is to grow the business while working together to identify our unique position in the market and find ways to deliver real value to our customers. We’re at a stage where we’re building on our experience and expertise and looking for the best way to combine them into meaningful solutions. I want to bring energy, a systematic approach, and, above all, a collaborative mindset to the business. It’s important to me to start with what the customer needs to solve, and only then look for ways we can help them achieve that.
Integriq is built on the integration of technology and business. How important do you think it is to be able to talk to customers not only about technology, but above all about what benefits it will actually bring them?
As far as I’m concerned, this is absolutely essential. For me, technology is a means of making it easier for companies to operate and helping them move forward. It can save them time, streamline processes, provide access to important data, or help them better protect their operations. But if we don’t know what problem we’re solving and what we want to achieve, we can easily create more complexity instead of real value.
That is precisely why it is important to bridge the gap between business and technology. It is essential to understand business needs while also knowing what possibilities technology offers—and where its limits lie.
In your opinion, what should the ideal relationship between a business partner and a customer look like? Where do you draw the line between a “sale” and a true partnership?
For me, a partnership begins when both sides stop viewing the collaboration as just a single transaction and start looking for solutions that work in the long term. The customer should know that they can speak openly with us, that we listen to them, and that they can rely on us even when things don’t go according to plan.
For our part, we must be prepared to take responsibility for our share of the work, communicate openly and honestly, and sometimes even suggest a solution different from the one the customer originally proposed. I consider a successful business outcome to be, above all, a situation where the customer is happy to return because they know that our collaboration is meaningful and that they can rely on us.
From a business perspective, where would you like to take Integriq in the coming years? What would you like customers to think of when they hear the name Integriq?
I would like Integriq to become a partner for our customers—one that can integrate technologies into a functional whole and translate their potential into concrete business results. At the same time, I want customers to see real people behind the Integriq brand, to know the people they’re working with, and to know that they can rely on their expertise and approach.
We want to identify the true value of technology and combine it in ways that make sense for each specific customer. Our goal is to build a company that people associate with expertise, trust, an open approach, and the ability to see things through to a functional result—so that they turn to us not only with a clearly defined request, but also when they’re still figuring out the right path to take.
And to wrap up on a slightly more personal note: What makes you feel at work that what you’re doing is meaningful?
What gives me the most satisfaction in this line of work is when a customer sees that our collaboration is yielding tangible results. When the solution we deliver works, it makes their day-to-day work easier and helps move their business or organization forward. And when a customer continues to turn to us in the future because they see us as a trusted partner, it confirms to me that our collaboration has long-term value.
It’s just as important to me that we’re building Integriq together and have the opportunity to influence what kind of company it will become and what it will offer our customers. I enjoy exploring new paths, drawing on my experiences, and gradually giving things a clear direction. Whether at work or in my personal life, I like it when people can move forward in small steps and see concrete results behind them.
