References

Collaboration where impact becomes visible.

I work with people, teams, and organizations in contexts where development needs to not just sound good, but change behavior, collaboration, or sales practice.

In short

Focus Institute has worked with Vodafone, 1&1 Versatel, Athlon, Linde, VIER and Bauwerk Parkett, among others. The contexts range from sales and leadership to management collaboration and organizational learning architecture across telecommunications, industry, mobility and technology.

Not trophies. But real working contexts.

I'm not interested in merely naming names, but in where development work actually needed to change something: in sales, leadership, teams, and organizational change processes.

Three working modes in detail

How development became concrete in different contexts.

Three examples of how development work was set up in different constellations: in sales, sales steering, and management collaboration. Observations rather than success promises.

Vodafone

Trainings became part of a development architecture instead of remaining isolated events. Sales reality, didactics and execution were connected within one logic.

Context: B2B sales in the SOHO channel, high demands on sales reality, didactics and execution in the field force and the indirect channel.
Task: Build a training and development logic for internal trainers, field force and indirect sales staff that does not consist of individual measures but works as a process.
Approach: Train-the-trainer for internal trainers, field force training, blended-learning elements, work with seminar actors, connecting sales reality, didactics and execution into one shared logic.
In Detail: Sales reality, didactics and execution were connected within one logic instead of treating training as an isolated event. Trainings became visible as part of a development architecture.
Format: Concept work · Train-the-trainer · Field force training · Blended learning

1&1 Versatel

Self-steering became actually usable in daily sales practice. The underlying enablement logic carried the tool, not the other way around.

Context: Sales steering and self-steering in a phase where employees needed clearer orientation and applicability in daily practice.
Task: Develop and implement an individual sales steering tool that does not just inform employees but enables them in their daily sales practice.
Approach: Concept development of the tool with a focus on clarity, orientation and application. Implementation as an enablement process, not as a pure tool rollout. Logic before mechanics.
In Detail: The tool was not at the center, but the underlying logic of enablement. Self-steering became connectable at concrete points of daily sales practice.
Format: Concept development · Implementation · Sales steering · Enablement

Athlon

Management collaboration gained a shared frame of reference. Leadership, alignment and operational connectivity were developed within one arc.

Context: Management team and sales managers in a phase in which leadership, shared alignment and organizational connectivity had to come together.
Task: Make collaboration and leadership effectiveness in the management team more resilient and connect it to operational sales leadership.
Approach: Coaching of the management team, organizational development with the entire management team, parallel training and coaching of sales managers. Multiple levels connected rather than treated separately.
In Detail: Leadership work, shared alignment and organizational connectivity were developed within one arc. Management collaboration gained a shared frame of reference.
Format: Management coaching · Organizational development · Sales management coaching

Sales & Sales Development

Where sales needed to be not just activated, but made more effective.

In these contexts, sales needed to become more effective in daily practice: in the field force, in leadership, in conception, and in execution.

Vodafone
Development and co-design of the training concept for the SOHO channel. Train-the-trainer for internal trainers, training of field force staff, and blended learning training for indirect sales staff, partly with seminar actors.
Linde
Training of sales managers for solution-focused selling in a complex environment. Focus on sales clarity, conversation quality, and effectiveness in demanding sales situations.
Bauwerk Parkett
Training and coaching of account managers and sales managers. Focus on sales effectiveness, conversation quality, and implementation in daily practice.
VIER
Training and coaching of sales managers. Work on leadership effectiveness, sales clarity, and implementation in a phase of high dynamics.

Leadership, Teams & Collaboration

Where leadership needed to give direction and collaboration needed to become more resilient.

Contexts in which accountability, management collaboration, and leadership work needed to be not just theoretically described, but become resilient under real conditions.

Athlon
Coaching of the management team, organizational development with the entire management team, and training and coaching of sales managers. Focus on leadership, shared alignment, and organizational connectivity.
VIER
Support in the change process when new companies were acquired and integrated into VIER. Work on leadership, integration, stability, and resilient collaboration in a phase of change.

Organization, Steering & Development Logic

Where development needed more than individual measures.

Contexts in which learning, steering, transfer, and development could not stand side by side, but needed to become effective as a connected logic.

1&1 Versatel
Development and implementation of an individual sales steering tool with the goal of enabling employees to effectively self-steer. Not just a tool, but a contribution to clarity, orientation, and daily sales practice.
Vodafone
Conceptual and operational work on a training and development logic in the SOHO context. This included train-the-trainer, field force training, blended learning, and the connection of sales reality, learning architecture, and implementation.
Athlon
Organizational development at management level with a focus on shared alignment, leadership effectiveness, and the development capability of the overall system.

Distilled feedback from collaboration

Anonymized observations from the contexts, not direct quotes, but condensed feedback from the respective collaborations.

Vodafone

“What made the collaboration special was the connection of sales reality, didactic clarity, and consistent implementation. It wasn't about standard training, but about a concept that was genuinely applicable in practice.”

1&1 Versatel

“What was decisive was not just the tool itself, but the logic behind it: enabling employees to actually use sales steering in daily practice for themselves. That's exactly where the difference lay.”

Athlon

“The collaboration in the management team was clear, structured, and at the same time close to our reality. It was not just about reflection, but about resilient development in leadership, collaboration, and organization.”

Selected Contexts

Common questions about references

What people often ask beforehand.

Which companies has Dirk Haeger worked with?

Visible reference contexts include Vodafone, 1&1 Versatel, Athlon, Linde, VIER and Bauwerk Parkett. Focus areas: B2B sales training, sales steering, management coaching, train-the-trainer, learning architecture and organizational development. Additional clients remain non-public on request.

In what industries does Dirk Haeger work?

The references span telecommunications, industry, mobility, technology, and complex services. What all contexts share is a high demand for sales, leadership, or organizational development. It's not the industry that decides, but what needs to concretely change.

What results has Focus Institute achieved with clients?

At Vodafone, trainings were established as part of a development architecture instead of isolated measures. The involved B2B sales team was internally recognized by Vodafone as the top in Germany. At 1&1 Versatel, self-steering became actually usable in daily sales practice because logic was placed before mechanics. At Athlon, management collaboration, leadership and operational connectivity were developed within one arc.

How long does a typical engagement last?

Single trainings last one to two days, coaching tracks usually three to six months. Learning architectures and train-the-trainer programs run six weeks to twelve months. Organizational development and transfer programs are often multi-year.

Does Dirk Haeger only work with large companies?

No. The visible references are mostly corporate and mid-sized contexts, but the work fits just as well for departments, individual teams, or smaller organizational units. What's decisive is the quality of the task, not the size of the company.

What formats were part of the reference collaborations?

Trainings, coachings, blended learning programs, train-the-trainer setups, conception work, organizational development, and transfer programs. The formats were each tailored to the impact question of the context. Not as a product from the catalog.

Are there further references not listed here?

Yes. Some collaborations remain non-public at the client's request. On inquiry, I name fitting additional examples when a context helps your situation. Premium discretion is standard. No client names without explicit clearance.

How does a collaboration at this level come about?

It starts with a free initial conversation for context and needs clarification. If it fits, a concept emerges with a clear impact question, dramaturgy, and transfer logic. Only then follows implementation. This way it becomes visible early whether the approach actually fits your situation.

Where this concretely continues

When you want to clarify what your context really needs.

An initial conversation helps to sort out the starting point clearly and determine the next meaningful step.

Schedule initial consultation