Interview with Hans-Uwe Köhler
Hans Uwe Köhler, born in 1948, is a speaker, trainer, and author, and in all three cases, he pursues his passion. Since 1984, he has been an expert member of the "CLUB 55," a community of European marketing and sales experts. He is the author of numerous books on his favorite topic: sales. In 2009, he published "I Always Thought I Could Fly," a biographical novel in which he recounts his mother's life during the turmoil of the post-war period.
In 2005, the BDVT awarded Köhler the Award of Excellence in Communication for his work. In 2007, TÜV Süd confirmed his customers' satisfaction with a rating of 1.1 – in the same year, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the German Speakers Association for his life's work.
Guido Neuland: Mr. Köhler, I gather from your CV on your website that you have been giving lectures on marketing, management, and sales techniques since 1972. What did you actually do before that? Or is that a secret?
Hans-Uwe Köhler: No secret – I am a trained dental technician, then responsible for sales in Germany's largest dental laboratory and managing director of the same.
Guido Neuland: Your last spectacular event was the "sales marathon" at the Zollverein Coal Mine in Essen. Up to 362 "starters" had the opportunity to experience a 12-hour sales event in a truly exciting location. How did you manage to ensure that both you and the participants mastered this "long haul" without any problems? Perhaps that really is a mystery?!
Hans-Uwe Köhler: No – it's quite simple: my energy carries me first, and then of course the participants. The fact is, not a single starter left the hall early until 10:00 PM. You just have to be able to "imagine" it. Most trainers and participants can't imagine it and therefore don't have the energy – they're already tired at the start and end up not being in the game long enough.
Guido Neuland: Following this event, you promised each participant 42 weeks of online coaching. That's quite an ambitious goal – how do you plan to achieve it?
Hans-Uwe Köhler: I'll just do it.
Guido Neuland: I had to chuckle when you signed your last message to me with HULK. Of course, those are your initials, but it also stands for the green mutant from Marvel Comics. Is that perhaps your source of energy? I don't mean that you were once irradiated, but rather that you don't close yourself off to any area and instead draw inspiration from the totality of impressions?
Hans-Uwe Köhler: Of course I'm "radiant"! I'm beaming all day long! It's always the same question: "Why are you always in such a good mood?" Because I focus on this point every single day.
Guido Neuland: What comes after the "sales marathon"? You've certainly set the bar high. Can you top that?
Hans-Uwe Köhler: The sales marathon takes place annually – and I'm going to top my own event. You can count on it. Just a few more weeks, then it starts.
Guido Neuland: As a "sales trainer," what is your stance on the topic of quality? Would you sell a product you weren't convinced of? After all, it's commonly said that a good salesperson can sell anything, including your grandmother.
Hans-Uwe Köhler: Selling your grandmother isn't a problem; you just have to make the devil a good offer. Seriously though: A salesperson has to be able to sell "everything" in the first place, because the process is completely transparent and comprehensible. Selling is a craft. Period. Even so, it gets difficult. As a trainer, I refused to work for slot machine arcades and cigarette manufacturers. But now for a borderline case: I trained engineers in selling gas turbines. A very mundane product. However, these things are also installed in tanks, among other things! So what now?
Guido Neuland: Do you do the shopping yourself, or do you let your wife do it? What do you pay attention to when you do it?
Hans-Uwe Köhler: We always clarify beforehand whether we're going shopping or practicing. The fact is, I've become completely spoiled as a customer or guest. It's become an occupational hazard.
Guido Neuland: Physical activity is important to you. I understand you've taken a fencing course and also enjoy seeing the world from a bird's-eye view. How important is this balance in your life?
Hans-Uwe Köhler: I practiced Japanese fencing – Kendo – for ten years. But – I'm not looking for a balance, but rather enrichment.
Thank you very much
You can find out more about Hans-Uwe Köhler, his books and his events on his website: