Twenty Years, Five Companies, One Trusted Platform

Raimond van het Reve, Sales Director and Country Manager at KPS in the Benelux region, has been working with Aurora Live for over 20 years and across five different companies. His focus at KPS is on connecting with decision-makers in the retail, fashion, and wholesale sectors. Through Aurora Live's virtual 15-minute meetings and executive events, Raimond has built a structured, repeatable approach to opening new doors and growing qualified pipeline.

In a Nutshell

CHALLENGES

• Reaching the right people at KPS's ICPs efficiently
• Valuable time is spent on prospecting and chasing, rather than selling

IMPACT

• 90% of Raimond’s meetings with Aurora Live resulted in a follow-up meeting
• 4–5 new qualified contacts reached in a single morning of virtual 1-to-1 meetings
• Contacts Raimond made 20 years ago are still his contacts now

A Partnership That Followed Him Across Five Companies

Raimond's first Aurora Live event took place during his time at IBM — a face-to-face executive day that left a lasting impression. As he moved through roles at Fujitsu, SAP, and Oracle, he kept the partnership going. When he joined KPS in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he reconnected with Aurora Live.

Aurora Live's format had shifted; 15-minute 1-to-1 meetings had moved online via Microsoft Teams. As someone who values personal, face-to-face connection, Raimond was initially hesitant. But he gave it a try.

"I got new contacts, new opportunities with new prospects and created business."

Making Every 15 Minutes Count

On Aurora Lives platform partners can view executive profiles, read about their current priorities, and request meetings with the most suitable contacts. The meetings are then booked by Aurora Live. No cold calls. No chasing. Executives set aside time in their schedules for Aurora Lives meetings, and are engaged when they come to the conversation.

Even though the format has moved from in-person to online, over two decades, Raimond has developed a clear methodology for making the most of each of those meetings. He invites the prospect to introduce themselves first, then delivers a short, natural elevator pitch about himself and KPS. From there, he moves into two or three targeted questions — prepared in advance for each job profile he might be speaking with, whether that's a CMO, a supply chain director, or an IT manager.

The final minutes of every session have one purpose: securing a follow-up. Raimond aims to book the next meeting before the call ends, not simply exchange contact details and hope for a response.

"Don't oversell yourself because you won't sell anything in those 15 minutes. What you can sell is yourself and the first impression of the company you're working for."

The approach consistently delivers results. Raimond estimates that 90% of his speed date sessions have led to a follow-up meeting.

"Working with Aurora Live saved me a lot of time because in one morning I can get introduced to five new companies immediately."

A Long-Term Partnership, Not a Quick Fix

Raimond is direct about what Aurora Live is and what it isn't. The value of the service is in the quality of the connections it surfaces and the speed at which it surfaces them. Sustaining those connections over time, across multiple follow-up meetings, is where pipeline is actually built.

He has seen this play out across 20 years. Connections made through Aurora Live a decade or more ago have remained relevant as both Raimond and his contacts have moved through different companies and roles. Aurora Live has been a constant across all of them.

"The main reason why I'm still working with Aurora Live, nowadays for KPS, is they can still offer me the right connections to the companies I would like to cooperate with to generate new pipeline for KPS."

*The insights have been edited for length and clarity.

About KPS

KPS is Europe's leading consultancy for retail and wholesale, with over 25 years of experience, 90+ awards and a focus on measurable impact. Combining strategy, process, and technology consulting across ERP, customer experience, finance, and logistics, KPS helps companies build future-proof operations that drive sustainable growth. Headquartered in Munich, KPS delivers projects across Europe for B2B and B2C companies of all sizes.