Libaan Youssef - 2024-05-14T13:13:30.279Z

"When you're happy at work, you're also happy in life"

– Libaan Youssef, Marketing Automation Specialist

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2024-05-14T13:13:30.279Z

Meet Libaan

The guy who loved sales but hated being on the phone. He’s found his sweet spot in marketing and reveals how his 15,000 colleagues are like a safety net.

min read

Hey Libaan, your speciality is automating marketing processes. Please can you explain…what exactly is marketing automation?

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"Of course! Everything that's automated behind the scenes within marketing – that's what I work with. I always try to hit the leads or the targets to the right person, at the right time with the right message. For example, if you sign up for a newsletter, I’m the guy who sends you the email with information that is relevant to you.”

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Great explanation! And how do you do your job? Are there different levels to it?

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“Yes, somebody might just watch a webinar and give their email to hear more about the product. Others are ready to buy. They know everything about the software and just need to make the decisions. In marketing terms, you would say that across the marketing funnel, they can be cold or warm or somewhere in between. So wherever you are on this funnel, I try to hit you with the target that you need at this time. We live in a busy world. You look at something and then forget it five minutes later. So it's about being top of mind.”

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“I’ll talk to my colleague Sebastian, and I'll be like ‘hey, let's try this out’. We coordinate with these and those people and boom, we're ready to execute”

You’ve said you like the environment in the company, and to be on top of everything relevant. What do you enjoy the most about your job?

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“There are many nice people within the company that you can learn from and who are motivated to help you develop at the same time. The company’s developing all the time, so it’s a short way from idea to execution. Let’s say I stumble upon a new trend. I’ll talk to my colleague Sebastian, and I'll be like ‘hey, let's try this out’. We coordinate with these and those people and boom, we're ready to execute. Instead of in a bureaucratic company, where it could be ‘we have to get acceptance from this manager and then his leader and then have to get signed off by this person as well’.”

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Yes, and before you know it, the trend is over! That’s great though, we love a quick and easy go-to-market process. What sparked your interest in marketing?

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“I think what got me into marketing was that I loved sales, but I hated being on the phone. So I thought, ‘Where can I combine selling a product but without being on the phone every day and talking to people?’ With marketing campaigns and marketing in general, you can do big projects and easily analyse the results and data fast, so you can see ‘okay, this works and this doesn't’.”

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“There’s a lot of knowledge sharing across countries and companies. It’s like a safety net. I can go directly to the top management and ask about their opinion”

Love your passion, Libaan! And what attracted you to Visma in the first place?

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“I think although Visma is established, it doesn't feel rigid. It's not just coming to work, doing your work and then leaving. You also have fun with your colleagues, you learn and develop. I've developed a lot by joining a more established company that has thought leaders within the different companies that can help you, saying ‘We've been in this situation before. Maybe you should try to solve it like this’. There’s a lot of knowledge sharing across countries and companies. It’s like a safety net. I can go directly to the top management and ask a question or ask about their opinion. Everyone can have a say in everything if they want to.”

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Many companies like saying you’re a part of a family. Is that really how it feels? What’s the atmosphere at Visma like?

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“It’s a warm atmosphere and not just a workplace where you come and leave. You engage with people as well. There are a lot of events and social activities within the company. We play padel and football, we have board game Fridays and movie evenings. Sometimes people go watch football together or work out together. We have a lot of focus on company health. So there's both a running club and a bike club. They also told me that there is a counter strike event, but I haven't been invited yet, so I’m a bit disappointed. But yes, there's stuff for everybody. Visma is a big community, but then there are small communities within that community.”

How do you find your work-life balance? Are you given the freedom to manage your work?

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“Yes, there’s a lot of freedom here. Of course, there are deadlines, but it's up to you how you meet them. An example is Ramadan, where I’m fasting for 30 days. I know that sometimes my energy level can change, especially at the beginning of Ramadan. I have to structure my work so it fits my energy levels, maybe take some naps in between and then do the work that I have to do. I have the freedom to structure that as I want, as long as I'm hitting deadlines and reaching my targets. I'm not only ‘Libaan, the marketing automation specialist’ – I have a life outside of work as well. Which means that all my interests or projects outside of work never conflict with work, since Visma gives me the freedom to structure my schedule and emphasises how important it is to have a good work-life balance. When you're happy at work, you're also happy in life.”