Meet Martijn Kleij – Seven Senders Connects Europe With Cross-Border Shipping
Today we have selected Martijn Kleij to take his interview. He is the Chief Sales Officer at Seven Senders.
First of all, how are you and your team doing in these COVID-19 times?
Well, like everyone, there was a period of adjustment, but as a tech-forward company, we had many tools and processes already in place to make a smooth transition from working in the office to working from home.
Tell us about you, your career, how you founded or joined this company?
My logistics background stems from my time at DHL Benelux. I started as Sales Director until taking on the role of Vice President Marketing & Retail, where I was responsible for marketing, pricing, product management, and the parcel shop network. Although I enjoyed working for DHL very much, I was also ready to take on new professional challenges. So, when the opportunity to join Seven Senders arose, I decided it was the right time to make a move.
The idea of joining such a fast-growing company and helping it expand across Europe and the rest of the globe was exactly the kind of adventure I was looking for. Meeting up with the two founders Thomas and Johannes, sealed the deal. I am happy to be part of a great team that drives our mission: to revolutionize cross-border shipping with our one-stop solution delivery platform. After just having celebrated my first anniversary with Seven Senders, I can truly say that it is a privilege to be part of this amazing company!
How does your company innovate?
Seven Senders connects shippers with their customers by providing end-to-end shipping from the warehouse to end customers Europe-wide via a 100+ carrier network. Our central API gives shippers access to our one-stop solution delivery platform with everything needed for seamless cross-border shipping, including a plug & play label solution, EU-wide digital claim management, tracking, analytics, returns, and much more.
We also help our customers serve the growing environmental awareness of consumers with our 7SGreen carbon-neutral shipping product. As the offsetting is done via Seven Senders, customers can choose whichever countries and carriers to offset shipping and transport-related carbon emissions.
How the Coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you Coping?
That’s an interesting question as, on the one hand, the pandemic helped accelerate growth for many of our customers in the e-commerce sector, which meant more business for us. On the other hand, global supply chains were severely affected, making our work more challenging. Yet despite the challenges, it was also a moment for us to demonstrate just how strong our delivery platform is.
For example, one of our key USPs is that we offer shippers more flexibility with our wide carrier network. Once a customer connects via one central API to our delivery platform, they gain access to all carriers and shipping services from a single source and with minimal effort. And this came into play as some carriers were turning shipments away due to lack of capacity at their distribution hubs. We, however, were able to find solutions for our customers by implementing alternative carriers and line hauls.
What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to navigate this crisis?
Internally, collaboration tools like Asana, Slack, and Zoom were, of course, helpful. I think we all discovered just how important daily contact could be, even if it’s via chat or a video call. It was also crucial to maintain the same close relationships and communication lines with our customers. Being in constant exchange was so important as the situation across Europe was changing fast. It was critical to have the right tools in place, like the analytics, tracking, and other KPI monitoring available on our delivery platform dashboard to monitor shipping performance to have the ability to react fast.
Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?
Our product is truly unique, so we don’t have any direct competitors. Right now, I can’t name any other company that provides the same 360 range of services for European cross-border shipping. And as we see e-commerce continue to boom, our business model only grows in relevance. Delivery is increasingly a top online purchase criterion, so our users, namely online retailers, need uncomplicated shipping and returns solutions to unlock the potential of the global e-commerce market.
Not only do we do that, but we also help shippers create an excellent, localized delivery experience tailored for each markets’ preferences by working with the best/most suitable local carrier. We will stay in the game because the Seven Senders delivery platform offers an overall advantage: a customer-centric, fast, efficient, and uncomplicated shipping workflow with an attractive price-performance ratio.
Your Final Thoughts
Many online retailers are aware that consumer habits are evolving due to the expectations set by big marketplaces like Amazon–especially in terms of delivery. And that’s not a bad thing. At Seven Senders, we help e-commerce retailers turn the delivery experience into a competitive advantage. Online retailers can create an Amazon-like post-purchase experience with tailored delivery options, the best local carriers, seamless tracking, notifications, and more by connecting to our platform.
There’s much potential in the European e-commerce market, and we don’t want any company to miss out because they think they can’t compete. We are ready to help all companies grow and expand; get in touch and ask us about a customized cross-border shipping strategy!
- Spokesperson: Martijn Kleij
- Company: Seven Senders
- Website link: https://sevensenders.com/platform/
