When not hurtling down a ski slope, Bernhard Goelitz can be found heading up Micro Focus’s DACH[1] business region comprising Germany (Deutschland), Austria and Switzerland (Canton Helvetica). The DACH countries are all German-speaking, but there are still clear cultural and business differences within the region.
“It’s a mistake to think that because these countries all speak German they’re the same,” says Goelitz. “They’re not. Each country has its own characteristics. A simple example is that while they are German-speaking, in Switzerland people speak Swiss German. When written down Swiss German looks the same as High German; but when it’s spoken it sounds very different. This means we need staff who can speak and understand Swiss German as well as High German. In addition, we have to localise our offering so as not to seem like overbearing Germans, preaching or dictating to our Austrian and Swiss customers, because they like to be recognised as distinct and different,” notes Goelitz.
“On the other hand there are similarities in culture and approach”, he notes. “For example, people in the DACH region tend to be very correct, very precise. In the UK or US sales may be business or marketing driven. But in the DACH countries you cannot make a sale until you have proven that you have the best technology, a solid company, reliable and skilled staff and so on. There is a very formal sales process and customers are focused on technical excellence. Swiss customers, in particular, are very hard to win over, but they are also very loyal customers once they have decided to do business with you.”
Another characteristic of the DACH market – particularly the German market – is the dominance of SAP, which Goelitz sees as a fact of life and indeed an ‘on ramp’ to doing business. IBM also has a strong presence in Germany, and this introduces another balancing act. “Our relationship with IBM in Germany could be characterised as both competitive and co-operative, depending on the market. On the one hand we support them and bring value to their customers, but in some markets they perceive us as being competitive. It can be tricky but on the whole we enjoy a good relationship with IBM,” he says.
Goelitz says that one benefit deriving from membership of the European Union (EU) has been that it has created a common understanding in terms of the rules and regulations of how to do business that crosses country boundaries. The EU has also introduced a common currency in the form of the Euro. “The European Union has introduced one currency, common regulations and is also standardising the mode of doing business across Europe,” he notes. “Doing business in Germany and Austria – indeed across all EU countries – has certainly become easier, which is obviously very helpful for an international company such as Micro Focus. However, my region includes Switzerland, which is not in the EU. This means we have to deal with a different currency [the Swiss franc], customs and passport controls, and a different tax regime. This certainly creates more complexity.”
Goelitz notes that the focus on technology as a key part of the decision process in the DACH market means that it is very important for Micro Focus to deliver new and existing technologies that add value to their customers’ businesses. “A recent focus in our market, for example, has been looking at the use of Web services and service-oriented architectures (SOA),” he comments. “Overall I’d say the goals for my region are to provide strong customer support, a local presence and to continue to help our existing customer base by helping them increase the value of their IT offering. Our focus will continue to be very much on assisting our customers to identify and make use of new technologies, helping them stay ahead of the curve,” he says.
Goelitz, 45, is a Micro Focus veteran who is just about to enter his ninth year with the company. As manager of Micro Focus’s go-to-market operations across the DACH region, he is responsible for 35 staff who work from offices in Munich, Zurich and Dortmund. Goelitz lives with his wife and daughter in Munich, and in his spare time enjoys skiing and hiking, as well as travelling to Italy with his family.
[1] DACH denotes Deutschland, Austria and the Canton Helvetia.
