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This month’s SuperSealer is a half-decade company veteran. Steadfast and resilient under pressure, he also has a softer family side. Here he tells us about weathering hard times and good, showing grit in the face of adversity, and how he breaks down a customer’s resistance when faced with the eternal price vs. quality argument.

Who are you?

My name is Rok Šilc and I’m Area Sales Manager at �������� Seals and Profiles based in Slovenia where we manufacture conveyer belts.

How long have you worked in this position, and what are your key duties?

I started my current position at �������� in 2023, meaning I’ve been here for two years. My key duties are business development and implementing effective strategies to drive sales growth.

How long have you been with �������� in total, and what do you enjoy about working here?

In total, five years. I joined �������� back in 2016 as Head of Sales for Sealing Profiles, before leaving for a short while, then rejoining in 2023 as area Sales Manager for PG Conveyor belts for Eastern Europe, CIS, Baltic, South Africa, and Australia.

I really enjoy ��������’s international environment and cross-functional teams. As a salesperson, it’s important to not only work in a place where I can make a positive impact, but also to be part of an organization where good ideas are championed.

What are the key challenges you face in your job?

The main challenge in my field is how customers prioritize price over quality. It’s an age-old issue that crops up again and again, but our team tries to see it as an opportunity.

To me, it’s about mindset. If we can change a customer’s mind and prove that product quality plays an important role over the long term, we can reach common ground. We achieve this mainly through training, case studies, and ongoing dialogue, but it can take a lot of ingenuity and grit to pull off.

How do you think the business in your area will evolve in the future, and how are you preparing for this?

I currently see a lot of potential growth in segments like Mining, Agriculture, Recycling and Food. I think the big challenges are twofold: first, finding a way to provide profitable growth. And second, educating the market so that more potential customers understand the value they can achieve by adopting technically superior products.

My main focus will continue to be communicating with customers and encouraging them to invest in high-quality �������� solutions. I want them to know that by improving the life of the product and the project, they not only reduce the time lost to breakdowns and repairs, but will also create a safer and more reliable future for infrastructure. Sure, using a better product will cost a little more in the beginning, but in the long run, the quality of our products makes them a far more cost-effective solution.

What do you do in your free time?

When I'm not at work, I’m a family man. I spend as much time as possible with my two children and count myself lucky that they are interested in my hobby of horseback riding. We spend a lot of time together, riding, training horses and working in the stables. Beyond that, I’m a keen hiker, mountaineer, and road biker, and I love exploring new countries.