Acquisition training at ING

Last week, we had the pleasure of visiting ING for an engaging acquisition training. Together, we worked through a realistic case study, exploring how to effectively present a proposition. The session challenged us to think critically about communication, value creation, and tailoring a pitch to the needs of different stakeholders.

The practical insights and interactive discussions gave us valuable tools that we will certainly apply during our acquisition process in the coming months.

A big thank you to Joost, Frank (RPM alumni’s) and the ING team for hosting us and sharing your expertise. We truly appreciate the time and effort you invested in helping us develop these essential skills.

We look forward to putting these lessons into practice and hopefully seeing you again in the future!

RPM 2027 to Southern Africa!

 

Preparing for an international consultancy project takes more than just market research. Over the past months, our team of ten ambitious students has been developing both the professional and personal skills needed to support Dutch companies in exploring opportunities in Southern Africa.

As part of our preparation, we completed two valuable training sessions. During our acquisition training with Gé Seroo from Kenneth Smit, we learned how to approach companies professionally, structure effective acquisition calls, and confidently respond to unexpected situations. These practical insights have officially kicked off our acquisition phase. 

Alongside this, Laurent Hoeberigs guided us through an inspiring personality training focused on strengthening our team dynamics. By creating our own personal Splash profiles, we gained valuable insights into our individual strengths and areas for development. We also explored how to use feedforward to support one another and continue growing as a stronger, more effective team.

We would like to sincerely thank Gé Seroo and Laurent Hoebrigs for their engaging and insightful training sessions. Their guidance has provided us with valuable tools that will support us throughout the remainder of our project.

With these preparations we are excited to start connecting with Dutch companies interested in expanding to Southern Africa. From January until April 2027, our team will be on location, conducting market research, identifying business opportunities, and building valuable local connections.

Are you curious about what Southern Africa could offer your business? Feel free to reach out, we would love to explore the possibilities together!

Training session at 

Last October, our team had the privilege of engaging in a cascade training session hosted by Monitor Deloitte. This particular training proved to be an enriching experience, contributing significantly to our ability to approach our research endeavors and proposal development with a heightened level of critical analysis. We would like to express our gratitude to Tom Dortants (RPM-Alumnus) and Dieuwertje B. for delivering this informative training!

Network Events!

Last month, several team members went to network events. Jannes and Joep traveled to Rotterdam where they arrived at the Sparta Stadium Kasteel to attend the NLinBusiness.com International Business Day. The day was full of interesting knowledge sessions, including one on the ASEAN region, presented by Hans van den Born, a member of our Board of Advisors. Throughout the event, they engaged in productive discussions with several companies, which could benefit from our services.

Next to the event in Rotterdam, we had the opportunity of being part of the Netherlands Thai Business Forum in The Hague at the invitation of Sieb Hoogstra (Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce (NTCC). This granted Emmy, Isabelle, Sophie, and Otte the opportunity of presenting our Research Project to the people attending the event. Furthermore, we got to listen to interesting presentations from different perspectives about doing business in Thailand which will hopefully contribute to the quality of our research. The forum provided us a platform for networking and sharing insights. It was a pleasure to engage and meet with the people attending the event and gaining valuable connections.

Additionally, we were delighted to have several members of our Board of Advisors in attendance, affording us the possibility to engage with them. In conclusion, we want to thank Sieb Hoogstra once again for the invitation and the chance to showcase our concept. The Netherlands Thai Business Forum not only allowed us to introduce our concept but also paved the way for promising connections and, hopefully, collaborations!

Training session at ernst-young-ey-logo-png-transparent • Study Association Aureus

Reflecting on an informative training session at EY!

Last Friday, we had the privilege of learning from former RP members Hidde Bobbink, Bram Dijkman, and Anouk Buskens. We were welcomed at their office in Amsterdam and delved deep into enhancing our proposal strategies for optimal effectiveness. Their expertise provided us with fresh perspectives and strategies to elevate the quality of our proposals.

The session was not only a productive learning experience but also a lot of fun. We already look back at a great day. Thanks again Hidde, Bram, and Anouk for the informative and productive training!

Hopefully see you again next year!

RPM 2024 to Thailand and Vietnam!

 

 

This year’s team, existing of twelve students, is strongly motivated to meet the distinctive and particular requirements of Dutch businesses with international aspirations. We have been conducting in-depth study on Thailand and Vietnam for the past two months and after our first training from Kenneth Smit last week, the acquisition phase has officially started. Please get in touch with us if you’re interested in investigating potential for your company.

During this training given by Gé Seroo we acquired incredibly useful concepts for the acquisition phase. We were thought how to structure an acquisition call and how to deal with unexpectancies on the phone. We want to thank Gé for his helpful guidance and the fun and informative training!

Team departure is planned for the end of December 2023. Accordingly, from January to April 2024, the team is eager to investigate, explore and evaluate opportunities for your business in Thailand and Vietnam.

Data visualisation training at SeederDeBoer

Our team recently took the next step in the preparation for our research in Chile and Peru. SeederDeBoer invited us at their headquarters in Amsterdam for a data visualization training together with the board of UniPartners Maastricht. The training was amongst others provided by our alumnus Maurits van der Scheer. We focused on the selection of relevant data, the most effective visualization of this data, and techniques to highlight the most important message. Hence, we now have the tools to make clear recommendations based on our findings from our research in Chile and Peru.    

Afterwards, we were able to immediately put our new knowledge into practice by analysing a real data set and visualising our recommendations to our hypothetical client. 

In short, we look back at yet another insightful day and feel even more prepared for our work in Chile and Peru. Thank you Maurits, and everyone else at SeederDeBoer for a wonderful day in your beautiful office!

Consultative framework training at

Last Friday, our team had the pleasure to receive a training from SKIM decision behavior experts at their headquarters in Rotterdam. The training, which was provided by RPM alumni Joyce van Heeswijk (RPM2009) and Mayke Harkema (RPM2020), focused on the formulation of concrete business objectives into a research proposal with multiple research questions. Furthermore, we were taught to prepare the interviews for our field research in Chile and Peru and afterwards structure our findings into a professional consultancy report.

We would like to thank Joyce and Mayke for the great afternoon with valuable information and tips.

Visualisation training at ernst-young-ey-logo-png-transparent • Study Association Aureus

Our team recently received a visualisation training from EY consultants and RPM alumni Anouk Buskens, Bram Dijkman and Hidde Bobbink. We were welcomed at their office in Amsterdam and practiced to effectively and professionally structure our research proposals and final reports in PowerPoint. The new skills are already being implemented as our Logistics and Public Relations team is creating new proposal and report templates. We already look back at a great day. 

Thank you Anouk, Bram and Hidde for a fun session with great new insights! 

Sales training at

Two weeks ago our team traveled to Amsterdam for a sales training! We are delighted that we are able to travel safely again since government regulations protecting us from the pandemic have been lifted. 

The training was offered by Willem Wijnakker, member of the RPM2016 team and currently employed at Lepaya. Because of Willem’s familiarity with the project, he was able to provide us with valuable insights and tips on the acquisition process. Willem showed us the importance of prospecting, spending time on prospecting significantly increased our success-rate. Additionally, the training taught us how to build trust during a telephone conversation, which led to an increase in our overall confidence during a call. On behalf of the entire team I would like to thank Willem for his useful advice and hospitality!

Webinar Life Sciences & Health Industry Peru

Last month, our consultants attended a webinar on business opportunities for Dutch companies in the Peruvian Life Sciences & Health Industry. This online session focused on the results of a market study commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Peru. The webinar presented us with some valuable insights into the sectors of discussion:

  • The Peruvian healthcare market is expected to grow with an annual rate of 6%;
  • The Peruvian government plans to increase its healthcare spending as it prioritizes this sector in its national policies;
  • Peru has a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, promoting easy business;
  • Several hospitals are planning to improve medical equipment in oncology;
  • The decentralization of Peruvian healthcare sectors requires new medical equipment and knowledge;
  • Many medical devices are imported. Currently, Germany has a significant market share;
  • Peru is shifting toward the digitalization of its healthcare system.

This webinar showed many opportunities for Dutch companies in the Life Sciences & Healthcare sector. Research Project Maastricht can help you identify what these chances and market developments mean for your company specifically. If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities in Chile or Peru, don’t hesitate to contact us!

RPM 2023 to Chile and Peru!

This year’s team, existing of twelve students, is extremely driven to meet the unique and specific demands of Dutch firms with global ambitions. After spending two months conducting extensive research on Chile and Peru, we are now starting our acquisition period! If you are interested in exploring opportunities for your business, please contact us and we will help you connect worlds.

Team departure is planned for the end of December 2022. Accordingly, from January to April 2023, the team is eager to investigate, explore and evaluate opportunities for your business in Chile and Peru.

Acquisition and call training by

During our preparation period, we welcomed Gé Seroo from Kenneth Smit in Maastricht for an acquisition and call training. The training taught us how to structure an acquisition call and how to deal with unexpectancies on the phone. The lessons learned are highly valuable in our acquisition period and now our team is ready to kick-off!

We want to thank Gé for his helpful guidance and the fun session!

Interview training at

On Friday, we received a training session from Alise and Rik about the do’s and don’ts of interviewing. The main takeaways are how to structure questions, where to look for answers, and most importantly, learning to properly prepare! Unfortunately, covid struck again and we were forced to organize the training online. However, on the upside, we have another great zoom-group pic. Thank you Rik and Alise for your insights!

RPM’s focuses on sustainable business

In light of the COP26, which is transpiring these two weeks we want to attribute our piece to the puzzle that is tackling climate change. With experts and partners, we are busy setting up research methodologies to help Dutch companies get a better understanding of the progress of their partners in our target countries.

In order to collect data on how Dutch business culture perceives the challenges facing us, want to ask you: What does sustainability mean to you?

This survey will help us create the knowledge of what drives you and your business, and will only take a few minutes.

Thank you!

 

Case study market entry

Last Friday, we were welcomed at the KPMG office in Amstelveen to examine a case study on market entry. The team learned different methods to structure problems and find answers in a step-by-step manner. ‘Keep it simple’, ’think before you act’, and ‘end in mind’ are principles we will not forget in our own research. Thanks, Ko de Wit and Jelle Jochems for the informative and fun session!

RPM and SDG Align for sustainability!

Sustainability is increasingly important from a business perspective. With the EU mandating sustainability reporting, it has become vital to assess and improves companies’ policy towards Sustainable Development Goals. At RPM, we want to discover what themes are most important to Dutch businesses, in order to provide tailored assessment and strategic development advice.

Therefore, Research Project Maastricht has partnered together with the award-winning tool of SDG Align to help companies assess their economic, societal and environmental impact. We want to ask you: What does sustainability mean to you?

This survey will help us create the knowledge of what drives you and your business, and will only take a few minutes.

Thank you!