“Sales has taught me not to listen just to respond, but to listen to truly understand.”
In our Friday Five, we ask five questions to our special guest. The Silver Lining? There isn’t one. We range from a look behind the business scenes to insights into our guest’s personality. From MobieTrain employees to beloved customers or topic experts, anything goes. Sometimes sweet as pie, sometimes razor-sharp, always with the aim of learning from each other.
Today’s Guest: Jesse Bosselaar
Jesse is our Account Executive in The Netherlands.
In this interview, you’ll find out why active listening is basically a Jedi mind trick for Jesse and which myth about salespeople you should toss overboard. You’ll also discover why Jesse might just become your Uber Motorcycle Rider (and where that love for motorcycling comes from).
Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered what MobieTrain and bitterballen have in common—you’re about to find out.
1. What’s the best sales advice you’ve ever received, and do you actually follow it?
“I’d say it’s something simple but hugely important: you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. The better you listen, the more you learn. The better questions you ask, the better answers you get—and the better you’ll be able to help.”
“But it isn’t always easy. As salespeople, we’re wired to solve things. The very first moment we hear something, we jump on it like, Hey, we can fix that! But how can you really help someone if you don’t fully understand them first?”
The art of active listening, right?
“Exactly! Active listening and asking open-ended questions are Jedi mind tricks. You wouldn’t believe how well it works to just repeat someone’s last two words as a question. People start opening up immediately. Besides that, you’d be surprised how often someone walks away from a conversation thinking they had a great talk with you—even though all you did was ask some questions.”
“It’s a trick I use at work all the time, but also in social gatherings. It makes a huge difference.”
Is it something you had to learn, or did it come naturally?
“Oh, I had to learn it, for sure. Active listening isn’t easy—or at least, it didn’t come naturally to me. I got my first sales job at 15, and I’m 32 now, so I’ve been in the game for a while. But the further I progress in my career, the more I realise how crucial active listening is. Sales has taught me not to listen just to respond, but to listen to truly understand. Those are two very different things.”
You get to pick one superpower to help you in sales. What do you choose?
“Haha! Well, let’s stick with the listening theme: I’d love to have five times bigger ears—or maybe even an extra pair. Just as a metaphor, of course! There’s always more to learn when it comes to active listening.”
“If I need to pick a more conventional one, I’d love to be invisible or a fly on the wall in board meetings from our prospects. Though… that might be a bit like cheating. Let’s keep that open for debate.”
“You wouldn’t believe how well it works to just repeat someone’s last two words as a question. People start opening up immediately.”
2. What’s a common sales myth that you think is completely false?
“A lot of people still picture salespeople as smooth talkers who just push their product or service on you. And sure, that stereotype exists for a reason—because some people do sell that way.”
“Here’s the real problem: there are plenty of people with ‘sales’ on their LinkedIn profile or business card who aren’t actually doing real sales. Maybe I should even flip it around—there aren’t that many people with ‘sales’ on their business card who are doing it properly.”
“For me, it’s almost a personal mission to destigmatise sales. We’re here to help, to ask the right questions—not to annoy people. The best compliment a prospect or client can give me? Telling me that the way I approached them didn’t feel like sales at all. That’s when you know you’ve taken on more of an advisory role.”
Maybe there’s another stereotype linked to that. Can an introverted person be good at sales?
“Yes, with a capital Y. 100%. Introverts tend to be better listeners, and good listeners tend to ask better questions. Sure, social settings might drain their energy rather than recharge it, and they might not love presenting on a big stage—but that’s fine. Sales isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room.”
“I see sales as directing an orchestra. It’s not about you—it’s about making sure everything comes together in the right way.”
3. If you weren’t in sales, what completely different career would you have chosen and why?
“I’ll probably surprise you with this one—I’d say a taxi driver. I love driving, and I love having conversations, and as a taxi driver, you get to do both. As simple as that!”
I wasn’t expecting that! I know you love motorcycling, so I thought you’d say MotoGP driver.
“Well, obviously, anything that has to do with racing would have been the dream. Though my dad always says I could pass for a GP rider when I wear the kit—just as long as I’m not actually riding.”
“To be honest, this is a tough question for me because sales has always been written in the stars. My dad used to take me to a lot of company events from a young age—giving me little sales challenges, like: Go ask the visitors why they’re here. Try to learn as much as you can about them.”
“So, you could say the seed was planted early on. But if that hadn’t been the case? I guess a taxi driver wouldn’t be too far off. Maybe I can still be one of the first Uber Motorcycle riders!”
“For me, sales has always been written in the stars. My dad used to take me to a lot of company events from a young age—giving me little sales challenges.”
4. If you could take your motorbike on a road trip, where would you go?
“Hmm, my bike isn’t really built for long road trips. For me, it’s more about the road than the landscape. I ride a sporty motorcycle because I love speed and leaning into corners. I don’t have the time—or the mental capacity—to take in the scenery while riding like that. Otherwise, MobieTrain would be down one colleague.”
“But if we’re talking about dream rides, I’d love to tear up a few laps on the Mugello track in Italy, the Phillip Island circuit in Australia, or The Isle of Man. Those are the holy grail of track riding—the ultimate playground for someone like me.”
Is it just the riding, or are you also into the technical side?
“My passion is definitely twofold. I love the maintenance, the modifications, and the technical side of motorbikes. Unlike cars, there’s so much you can do yourself. Most of the modifications I make are performance-based—making the bike faster, sharper, or just more fun to ride.”
“You have to be a bit of a geek about it, though. But I’ve been like that since I was a kid. I was always working on my go-karts and scooters, tweaking and maintaining them. It’s just a hobby and part of the fun.”
What’s more thrilling— closing a big deal or racing on a track?
“Pfoe! That’s a tough one. Closing a big deal is fulfilling, but it doesn’t give me an instant adrenaline rush. It’s more of a process—it builds up over time.”
“Riding my motorbike, though? That’s pure adrenaline. It’s immediate. The rush kicks in the moment you twist the throttle. I wouldn’t compare them; they both give amazing feelings, just in completely different ways.”
5. You like food. If MobieTrain was a Dutch snack, which one would it be?
“Bitterballen. It’s all the goodness of a croquette, just in a smaller, bite-sized form. That’s exactly what we do at MobieTrain—we serve learning in digestible, bite-sized portions. Basically, we’re the bitterballen of workplace learning.”
Do you want to read more MobieTrain articles and Friday Five interviews? Check our blog: https://www.mobietrain.com/blog/.
