Germany's underestimated growth gap: When top products meet weak sales

Xpert Pre-Release

Available in 27 languages 📢

Published on: November 4, 2026 / Updated on: November 4, 2026 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Germany's underestimated growth gap: When top products meet weak sales – Creative image on the topic, with AI: Xpert.Digital

Germany's growth gap: Why strong products alone are not enough

Good technology, too little business? Those who only wait for inquiries are handing new customers over to the competition

Orders are not coming in: Why companies should take a closer look at their sales strategy

German companies develop machines, components, and software that are in demand internationally. However, technical strength doesn't automatically translate into new customers and profitable growth. Those who fail to strategically promote their services in the market, clearly communicate their benefits, and systematically cultivate potential customers risk missing business opportunities. Especially when demand is weak, it becomes clear whether a company is actively cultivating its market—or primarily relying on incoming inquiries and existing customers. This isn't about making empty promises, but about combining technical expertise, customer understanding, and sound business arguments. The following article shows where companies can miss out on growth, how to organize effective sales, and why good products alone are no guarantee of success.

Those who wait to be discovered leave the market to others

Germany boasts companies whose technical expertise is in demand internationally. They develop high-performance machinery, precision components, sophisticated software, and specialized services. However, there is no automatic link between technical excellence and economic success. A superior product does not necessarily generate sufficient demand. A good solution is not purchased simply because it exists. And a company does not automatically gain new customers just because it reliably serves its existing ones.

This is precisely where a weakness in business lies, one that often receives too little attention in discussions about location costs, bureaucracy, and innovation: the ability to systematically develop new business relationships and profitable revenues from existing expertise. It's not about simply selling more aggressively, but about better connecting market understanding, visibility, customer engagement, technical consulting, and compelling arguments for economic benefits.

The thesis of a general weakness in German sales, however, requires nuance. There are internationally outstanding German sales organizations. Likewise, individual company experiences do not support the conclusion that sales departments are understaffed in the majority of all companies. Reliable macroeconomic comparative data for such a statement is lacking. Nevertheless, a structural risk pattern can be described: Companies can highly professionalize their technical and administrative processes, while active market development remains dependent on individuals, established relationships, and chance inquiries.

The economic consequences are significant. Those who fail to communicate their market performance effectively may create potential customer value, but only partially realize it. Sales, therefore, is not merely a secondary packaging of the actual product or service. It is one of the functions that transforms performance into added value in the first place.

Lack of orders is not just a cyclical problem

The importance of this distinction is illustrated by the development of industrial demand. In October 2025, 35.5 percent of the industrial companies surveyed by the ifo Institute reported a lack of orders. Across all sectors, the figure was 36.9 percent. While such figures primarily reflect the economic situation, not the quality of individual sales organizations, they clearly demonstrate the pressure on active market development.

A company can suffer from a lack of orders even if its sales force is professional. If customers postpone investments, financing costs rise, or markets collapse, even a high-performing sales team cannot simply compensate for the lack of demand. Similarly, a lack of price competitiveness can render technically compelling products and services economically unattractive.

Conversely, it would be wrong to explain every decline in orders solely by external factors. In a weaker market, differences between sales organizations become more apparent. Companies with a broad customer base, compelling value propositions, and continuous new customer acquisition have more options than companies that primarily wait for incoming inquiries.

Therefore, the crucial economic distinction is between market volume and a company's own market share. A company cannot easily change a shrinking overall market. However, it can influence which customer groups it reaches, how early it is involved in investment considerations, and how convincingly it presents its own contribution to the customer's profitability.

A sober analysis therefore doesn't just ask why fewer orders are being placed. It examines where demand is being lost: in brand awareness, during initial contact, in technical evaluation, in financing, or immediately before the decision.

Why internal order grows more easily than external market effects

Administration has a unique characteristic within a company: its tasks are immediately visible. Invoices must be processed, personnel matters resolved, regulations adhered to, and reports prepared. If these tasks are neglected, problems quickly become apparent.

Lost customers, on the other hand, don't appear in any standard cost accounting. An order the company never knew existed leaves no record. An investment that didn't consider its own operations doesn't automatically show up as a loss. This allows the organization to systematically prioritize internal security over external development.

This does not mean that administration is superfluous. Internationally active industrial companies, in particular, need reliable commercial, legal, and organizational structures. The blanket statement about excessive bureaucracy overlooks the fact that some indirect functions mitigate risks and enable operational performance in the first place.

Problems arise when the allocation of attention and resources no longer aligns with the growth strategy. Those who want to tap into additional markets but allocate neither time for customer development nor resources for market research and communication are setting a goal without sufficient prerequisites.

The appropriate benchmark is therefore not a universal ratio between sales and administrative staff. What matters is whether sufficient qualified capacity is available to serve the actual addressable market. A manufacturer with a few major customers requires a different structure than a supplier with thousands of potential customers. Product complexity, international reach, and service requirements also influence staffing needs.

When the sales team is busy but not developing customers

A sales department can be fully utilized and still not contribute enough to growth. This happens when it primarily prepares quotes, coordinates delivery dates, forwards complaints, and manages existing orders.

These activities are important. They secure revenue, customer satisfaction, and repeat business. However, they do not replace the systematic development of additional customers or applications. Those who only manage day-to-day operations do not automatically build the business opportunities of the coming year.

The crucial distinction, therefore, lies between capacity utilization and effectiveness. A full calendar says little about whether enough new, economically viable projects are being generated. Likewise, a high number of submitted proposals does not prove that the company is developing attractive market opportunities.

Sales management must therefore examine how time is actually being spent. If experienced account managers spend a large part of their work week on internal inquiries or multiple data entries, the problem may not be a lack of motivation, but rather an organizational issue.

An effective solution can be to divide tasks more clearly. Standardized order processes require different handling than complex investment decisions. Technical preliminary assessments demand different skills than developing new business contacts. Not every reduction in workload requires additional staff; often, simply clarifying responsibilities frees up more usable sales time.

The passive aspect is not the input channel, but the lack of control

The term "passive sales" often describes an organization that primarily reacts to inquiries. This is risky as a long-term growth strategy. However, it would be too simplistic to dismiss every incoming inquiry as mere administration and therefore not sales.

A qualified inquiry can be the result of years of market work. Articles, recommendations, search engine presence, events, and positive customer experiences can generate demand without a salesperson having made an immediate call. Professionally nurturing such an inquiry is also a demanding sales task.

The relevant question, therefore, is not whether the contact originates from outside or from the company itself. The crucial factor is whether there is a controllable system behind it. Are the right target customers being addressed? Are new contacts being generated regularly? Are economically promising inquiries being identified? Is there a clearly defined next step?

A truly passive organization is one that cannot answer these questions and largely leaves its business development to chance. It may know how many proposals have been written, but not why certain companies even inquired or why others never appear.

A high-performing sales force therefore combines proactive outreach with targeted demand development. It doesn't simply wait for customers to be ready to buy, but rather helps them recognize a problem earlier and better assess a possible solution.

Technical sales is indispensable, but not self-explanatory

In industrial markets, technical expertise is not an obstacle to sales, but often a prerequisite. Without a solid understanding of performance data, interfaces, safety, and operating conditions, a complex solution cannot be offered responsibly.

The weakness arises when technical features are confused with decisive purchasing arguments. A customer doesn't simply buy a higher cycle rate, more precise measurement, or an additional software function. They decide on the impact on their production, their costs, their risks, and their future operational capability.

A good sales pitch therefore translates technical specifications into operational contexts. Higher system availability can improve delivery performance. Easier operation can reduce training requirements. An open interface can facilitate future expansions. Which effect is actually relevant depends on the specific customer.

The idea of a rigid sequence, where a general salesperson first convinces the client and then a technician clarifies the details, is too simplistic. In some projects, technical credibility is crucial from the very first contact. In others, a business problem must first be identified.

Successful technical sales integrates both perspectives. It combines in-depth technical knowledge with the ability to understand priorities, decision-making processes, and economic expectations. What's needed is not less technology, but rather a better integration of technology into the customer's investment logic.

People make decisions, but sympathy is no substitute for an investment

Trust plays a crucial role in business transactions. Those who intend to operate a system for many years don't just evaluate technical specifications. Accessibility, reliability, and the quality of cooperation also influence their decision.

The simplistic notion that people fundamentally buy from people first and only then products only partially explains industrial procurement. Companies don't buy in a vacuum of personal relationships. They have to manage budgets, meet requirements, and justify their decisions to other stakeholders.

A likeable contact person can facilitate access. However, they cannot permanently compensate for missing certifications, inadequate performance, or an unacceptable operational risk. Conversely, a technically strong offering can fail if the provider communicates unreliably or fails to convincingly secure its implementation.

The economic function of trust lies primarily in reducing uncertainty. Before signing a contract, the customer cannot fully verify every subsequent service. Therefore, they evaluate references, response time, professional consistency, and how critical questions are handled.

Professional sales therefore build trust not through mere proximity, but through verifiable reliability. This also includes setting boundaries. A supplier who openly addresses unsuitable applications can appear more credible than a competitor who unhesitatingly approves every requirement.

Quality must be proven and economically assessed

German companies can benefit from a well-established reputation for quality. However, this does not mean that every customer automatically expects outstanding quality or will accept any price for it.

Quality is initially a vague, umbrella term. It can encompass precision, durability, process stability, documentation, delivery reliability, or serviceability. Which dimension is decisive for a purchase depends on the specific application. For one customer, maximum accuracy is essential, while for another, the same level of accuracy would be an expensive overachiever.

Sales must therefore answer two questions: What quality does the customer actually need, and what are the economic consequences? A longer lifespan is only a strong argument if it aligns with the planned usage period. A higher degree of automation is only convincing if the organization can use it effectively.

International comparisons also change the argument. A promise of origin alone is not enough if other providers combine acceptable performance with lower prices, shorter delivery times, or easier integration.

The most convincing position, therefore, is not to claim to be fundamentally better. It demonstrates in which relevant aspects your own offering has a tangible advantage and for which customer group this advantage is worthwhile. This also protects against a sales practice that tries to sell every product to every customer.

The dangerous comfort of supposed indispensability

The belief that there's no way around a particular company is especially risky. A strong market position can reinforce this perception for years. Existing customers order regularly, technical contacts are familiar with each other, and competitors seem less threatening.

However, indispensability is not a permanent characteristic. Customers can change applications, simplify specifications, standardize processes, or adopt alternative technologies. Even a product that is a leader within its current category can lose relevance if the category itself changes.

Herein lies a difference between technical and economic substitution. A competitor does not have to surpass all performance characteristics. It may be sufficient to solve the customer problem adequately and more economically in a different way.

Self-confident companies therefore need a structured form of skepticism. They should investigate why potential customers don't buy, what requirements are changing, and what alternatives customers are actually considering. Lost projects are sources of information in this context, not merely unpleasant deviations from the plan.

Market leadership remains valuable. However, it becomes more resilient when it is understood as the result of ongoing customer proximity and not as an entitlement to future orders.

Why a hidden champion doesn't have to become a mainstream brand

The term "hidden champion" doesn't necessarily refer to a company with poor visibility. It refers to specialized market leaders that may be little known outside their industry but hold a strong position within their target market. Being unknown to the public and invisible to relevant customers are two different things.

The comparison to a widely known football club is therefore only of limited help. A manufacturer of specialized industrial components doesn't need to be known to the general public. It needs to be present among the companies and professionals who need, recommend, or provide technical approval for its products.

A company can therefore remain hidden from the public eye and still be excellently marketed. This reticence only becomes problematic when potential customers in new regions, related applications, or among the next generation of decision-makers are also unaware of the offering.

The strategic task, therefore, is not to eliminate the hidden at all costs. It is to examine the limits of one's own public awareness. Is the existing reputation sufficient for the desired expansion? Is the expertise also understood outside the existing network? Is the company even considered when new problems arise?

A champion doesn't need everyone's attention. He needs the attention of those whose decisions will determine his future market position.

🎯🎯🎯 Data-driven B2B industry hub as a quasi-in-house solution

The quasi-in-house solution: How Xpert.Digital closes operational gaps in B2B marketing and sales – Smart Content-Driven Business - Image: Xpert.Digital

Xpert.Digital is a data-driven B2B industry hub led by Konrad Wolfenstein . The company acts as an external, quasi-in-house solution for industrial partners, closing operational gaps in marketing, content, and sales – without requiring additional resources on the client side.

More information here:

The quasi-in-house solution: How Xpert.Digital closes operational gaps in B2B marketing and sales – Smart Content-Driven Business

Decision-making processes in B2B sales: Multiple decision-makers, different justifications

Visibility is a way to access the market, not a competition for visitor numbers

In industrial business, a small, precisely targeted audience can be more valuable than a large general public. If only a few hundred companies worldwide are suitable for a specialized solution, the number of website visitors is not a sufficient measure of success.

Visibility becomes relevant when it increases the likelihood of being considered in a concrete decision. For this to happen, content must address the questions of the target customers. What difficulties arise during modernization? Which investment risks are underestimated? What prerequisites must be met before automation?

Technical communication serves an economic function here. It reduces search effort and helps potential customers assess their situation. At the same time, it shows whether a provider truly understands the application or is merely describing their products.

Such a presence is established through multiple channels. These include personal contacts, industry events, trade publications, search engines, professional networks, newsletters, and increasingly, AI-powered information services. The key is not to utilize every channel simultaneously, but rather to understand the information pathways of the relevant target group.

The measurement should therefore be closer to the business. Contacts from defined target companies, specific follow-up questions, invitations to expert discussions, and inclusion in supplier comparisons are all of interest. Reach remains a possible interim indicator, but it is not yet proof of economic impact.

The customer switches channels; the company must not lose the connection

The coexistence of personal and digital contacts is no longer a fringe phenomenon. The international B2B Pulse survey from 2024 surveyed 3,942 decision-makers from 13 countries. Respondents used an average of ten contact channels during the buying process. Among the most frequently used were company websites, personal sales contacts, and video conferences. The results describe international patterns and are not necessarily a representative measurement of exclusively German industrial companies.

The operational consequence is nevertheless clear: customers don't think in terms of the responsibilities of marketing, sales, and back office. They expect information to be consistent and for questions that have already been answered not to have to be asked again with every contact.

A prospective customer might first read a technical article, later request technical documentation, and then have a personal conversation. If these steps aren't internally linked, the company loses context. The customer then experiences not a guided development process, but a series of uncoordinated individual contacts.

Digital services do not fundamentally replace personal consultation. They can prepare for it, reduce its workload, and supplement it in areas where the customer wishes to work independently. Conversely, a competent consultation can clarify uncertainties that cannot be resolved with general information.

The real modernization lies in connectivity: Every contact should meaningfully facilitate the next one.

Digital sales channels are economically relevant, but not equally suitable for every product or service

The importance of digital sales is also evident in Germany's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In 2024, these companies generated a total of €306 billion in revenue through digital sales channels. This represented a nominal increase of eleven percent compared to the previous year, while overall SME revenue rose by approximately two percent. Around 868,000 companies, or 22 percent of all SMEs, achieved such revenue. The survey encompassed various sectors and digital sales channels, not just industrial online shops.

These figures refute the notion that digital distribution is primarily a matter of private consumption. However, they do not prove that every complex investment decision should be fully automated.

A spare part with a clearly defined specification is sold differently than a custom-designed production system. For standardized products, availability, price, and ease of ordering may be paramount. For complex projects, application clarification, integration, and risk assessment are often more important.

Digitalization should therefore be differentiated according to process type. Standard business can be more heavily automated, while projects requiring extensive consultation should receive targeted personal and technical resources. This does not devalue sales, but rather enables a more economically efficient use of its skills.

The key metric is not the degree of digitalization itself. What matters is whether customers can more easily find the right offer and whether the company improves its service costs relative to its business value.

Only when technology is invested does it become a purchasable product

A technically compelling product becomes economically viable when its benefits can be quantified in a verifiable way. A general statement about efficiency gains is not sufficient for this.

A simplified example illustrates the difference. If a solution costs €240,000 and, under realistic assumptions, reduces annual net operating costs by €80,000, the initial payback period is three years. This provides a preliminary estimate, but is not a complete investment calculation.

Additional factors to consider include implementation costs, training, maintenance, downtime risks, financing, and the timeline of savings. Residual value or additional revenue may also be relevant. Most importantly, it must be determined whether the anticipated savings will actually translate into cash flow.

A theoretically saved working hour, for example, does not automatically translate into a corresponding cost reduction. It might simply free up capacity for other tasks. This can be economically valuable, but it must be evaluated differently than an outright eliminated expense.

Good salespeople develop such calculations together with the customer and make assumptions transparent. They don't sell the most attractive number, but rather a reliable relationship between investment, operational change, and expected result.

The biggest competition is often the inability to decide

In complex projects, a supplier is not only competing with other companies. They are also competing with the possibility of postponing an investment or foregoing it altogether.

From the customer's perspective, waiting may seem sensible. The existing system is still functioning, implementing a new solution ties up personnel, and future demand is uncertain. Even an objectively advantageous offer must therefore weigh against the effort required for implementation and the risks involved in making the decision.

Sales teams shouldn't be too quick to dismiss this reluctance as a lack of courage. Often, a sufficiently clear comparison between the costs of action and the costs of inaction is missing. Which disruptions will persist? Which bottlenecks will worsen? What additional expenses will arise from continued operation?

Hypothetical risks should not be artificially dramatized. A sound comparison uses comprehensible scenarios and areas of uncertainty. It also shows under what conditions an investment would not be advisable at present.

This transforms sales into a tool for supporting decision-making rather than simply creating pressure to close the deal. This quality can be crucial, especially during long investment cycles, because the customer is not only selecting a supplier but also has to implement change internally.

Several decision-makers need different justifications

An industrial purchase is rarely a decision made by a single individual. Production, engineering, purchasing, management, IT, and finance personnel may have differing requirements. An argument that convinces one group does not automatically answer the questions of the others.

Production, for example, is interested in stability and usability. IT checks interfaces and security requirements. Purchasing considers prices, contract terms, and delivery capability. Finance assesses capital commitment, cash flows, and risks.

A sales team that focuses solely on a single enthusiastic technical contact may therefore overlook crucial aspects of the decision-making process. While the contact may be convinced, they might lack the budget or the approval of other departments.

Professional customer development therefore clarifies the decision-making process early on. This includes not only questions about names and roles, but also about the internal decision-making process. What documents are required? What objections are foreseeable? What prerequisites must be met before approval?

The task is not to serve each person with a different story. All stakeholders need a consistent overall picture that answers their respective questions. This is precisely where the connection between technical expertise, economic reasoning, and organizational understanding becomes apparent.

Without a measurement logic, sales performance remains a matter of impression

An effective sales organization needs key performance indicators (KPIs), but not necessarily as many as possible. What matters is whether the selected metrics accurately reflect the economic relationship between activity, business opportunity, and results.

The number of conversations held, for example, is only of limited significance. A conversation with an unsuitable prospect generates effort but no corresponding progress. Similarly, a high volume of proposals can be misleading if the projects being handled are predominantly unrealistic or unprofitable.

A more helpful approach is a comprehensible, multi-stage development: from identifying the right target company, through a qualified need, to a viable project, and finally to a profitable contract. Clear criteria should apply to each stage.

A simplified example illustrates the importance of the transitions. If 100 qualified initial consultations result in 30 concrete projects and nine of those in contracts, the overall conversion rate based on the initial consultations is nine percent. If the conversion rate of projects into contracts improves from 30 to 40 percent, all other assumptions remain the same, and twelve contracts are generated instead of nine.

This calculation is not a general industry benchmark. It illustrates why improvements in a specific area can be more valuable than indiscriminately increasing contacts. The prerequisite remains that order value, margin, and support effort are also taken into account.

Growth without margin is no proof of successful sales

Revenue is visible and easy to communicate. However, what is economically crucial is the profit contribution remaining after product-related costs and additional support expenses.

A large order can be unattractive if it involves high discounts, custom developments, complicated approval processes, and extensive after-sales support. Conversely, a smaller, standard order can make a compelling contribution with minimal effort.

Therefore, sales should not be solely focused on closing volume. If variable compensation only rewards revenue, it can encourage behaviors that are detrimental to the company's bottom line. A salesperson might then achieve their target, while production and service bear the economic consequences.

Better management links growth with price quality, contribution margin, customer potential, and realistic delivery capability. Payment terms are also part of this. A nominally profitable project can trigger significant financing burdens if the company has to make long upfront payments.

This also changes the selection of target customers. Not every reachable customer is a worthwhile customer. Strategic sales consciously decides where a company's capabilities offer a viable economic advantage and where it is better to forgo business.

Organization and language must point in the same direction

Sales culture is also reflected in everyday language. If internal discussions focus primarily on products, offers, and prices, customer problems and decision-making progress can be overlooked.

Changing the language alone doesn't change an organization. Simply saying "sales opportunity" instead of "request" doesn't mean you've understood any additional need. What matters is whether the terminology leads to clearer questions and better action.

Instead of simply asking about the status of the offer, management can clarify what problem the customer wants to solve and what is currently preventing a decision. Instead of attributing a lost order solely to price, it should be examined whether the economic difference was clear or whether the offer actually met the customer's needs.

At the same time, a culture is needed in which unpleasant information can be shared. If critical feedback is seen as a personal failure, projects are assessed too optimistically and difficulties become apparent too late.

Realistic customer management is therefore more valuable than an artificially polished overview. It enables early decisions regarding resources, support, and priorities.

AI can improve sales efforts, but it cannot replace a missing strategy

Digital tools and artificial intelligence can support numerous activities: structuring information, summarizing meeting notes, preparing content, or making internal knowledge bases more easily accessible.

However, the economic benefit depends on whether it reduces a specific bottleneck. If the target customer selection is unclear, a faster tool might only result in more unsuitable communication. If customer data is unreliable, erroneous information will be processed more quickly.

General digitalization activity is not synonymous with a modernized sales organization. According to the KfW Digitalization Report for SMEs 2024, 35 percent of companies had completed digitalization projects in the preceding three-year period. This figure encompasses a variety of projects and, in itself, provides no insight into the quality of their sales processes.

For practical application, a clear sequence is therefore recommended: First, the economic purpose is defined, then the process is organized, and only then is the appropriate tool selected.

Confidentiality, data quality, and human review require special attention. Technical statements, economic calculations, and promises made to customers must not be adopted from automated suggestions without verification. Credibility remains a scarce resource even when texts can be generated almost without limit.

A sales reform begins with diagnosis, not with knee-jerk reactions

A fundamental improvement doesn't necessarily have to begin with a major reorganization. A more sensible approach is to start with an inventory of specific business processes.

This includes analyzing won, lost, and undecided projects. Which customer groups were particularly profitable? Where was the support effort disproportionately high? Which inquiries didn't match the offering? Which promising companies haven't been reached at all?

Simultaneously, it should become clear how sales time is used and where handovers between marketing, engineering, back office, and service fail. Often, the most effective improvements lie at these interfaces and not in the performance of individual people.

This diagnosis allows for limited changes to be derived. A company can initially focus on a clearly defined customer segment, revise its value proposition, and introduce binding rules for project qualification. The impact is then evaluated based on realistic timeframes.

It is important to distinguish between early and late results. New, relevant discussions and better-qualified projects can become visible sooner than revenue. With long investment cycles, it would be wrong to measure change solely by completed orders after just a few weeks.

The real task is to make technical strength economically effective

The debate about sales must not lead to a blanket devaluation of German companies or a devaluation of technical expertise. Germany does not need a widespread culture of exaggerated promises. Sales that create expectations the product cannot meet merely postpone problems.

However, it is equally insufficient to rely on the quality of one's own offering and wait for demand. Technical excellence must be translated into a decision that is understandable to customers and economically sound.

This includes adequate staffing, clear responsibilities, targeted visibility, and actively developing suitable customers. Equally necessary are realistic investment calculations, reliable technical advice, and the willingness to recognize market changes without overestimating oneself.

The crucial dividing line, therefore, does not lie between engineers and salespeople, or between personal and digital sales. It lies between an organization that merely processes existing demand and an organization that understands its market and systematically develops future business.

Those who take this task seriously don't need to be known everywhere or win every contract. They need to become relevant to the right customers, demonstrate their own value, and reliably generate profitable business. This is where an entrepreneurial growth reserve lies that neither better products nor more favorable conditions can replace.

📈🚀 From visibility to trust 👀🤝 Your scalable path with Xpert.Digital

From visibility to trust: Your scalable path with Xpert.Digital - Image: Xpert.Digital

In industrial B2B, sustainable business relationships rarely emerge overnight. They develop step by step – through visibility, professional relevance, recurring touchpoints, and growing trust. Xpert.Digital's 4-stage model addresses precisely this: It offers a structured path that begins with a manageable entry point and can evolve into deeper collaboration in business development if needed.

Instead of relying on loud marketing promises, this model puts the relationship at the forefront. Companies start with clearly defined, easily calculable measures and then decide, based on their own experience, how far they want to expand the collaboration. A key factor for this undisturbed trust-building process: The platform completely avoids annoying advertising ads, so the editorial focus remains solely on the companies' expertise.