One project, one team

Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to support Lanulfi Moulds Srl in an export development project launched within Export Booster, the initiative promoted by Confindustria Vicenza – FarExport desk – and co-financed by the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce.

Twelve half-days of work, three operational phases and, above all, a team that truly made the difference.

Because if there is one thing this project clearly shows, it is that internationalisation works when the whole company is involved and export development becomes a team effort.

The three-phase method

Phase 1 – Selection of target markets

After analysing the sectors served by Lanulfi and studying import-export flows for moulds, together with a benchmark of the main competitors, we identified a shortlist of priority sectors and markets.

Phase 2 – Identification of customers and operators

The second phase focused on researching and segmenting OEMs, subcontractors and system integrators potentially interested in moulds and semi-finished products.

This led to the creation of a qualified operational database, using Matchplat, agentic AI platforms and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Phase 3 – First contact and LinkedIn activity

The third phase involved first contact by email and LinkedIn, using personalised messages, again supported by AI platforms.

In parallel, we worked on the optimisation of both personal LinkedIn profiles and the company profile.

From the spreadsheet to the first “yes”

The real strength of the project was the way the different phases were connected with the right people.

Based on the priority countries identified during Phase 1, targeted research was carried out. Once the prospects had been extracted, Martina Corà, Key Account at Lanulfi, assessed each company using an internal system developed by Lanulfi called Rate for Prospect — R4P.

Only after this evaluation did the company move to action.

Following a discussion with Marco Lanulfi, CEO and Sales Director, Martina started the first contact, either by email or through LinkedIn.

This double step — internal screening plus CEO validation — ensured that every outgoing contact was focused and credible, avoiding the classic “mass mailing” approach that too often wastes time and damages reputation.

First results: quotation requests from companies that did not know Lanulfi before

The prospect research did not remain on paper. It became a structured visit plan.

Every month, the sales team dedicated one week to one of the priority countries, scheduling on average three meetings per day with new potential customers.

Prospects showing interest were invited to a presentation meeting. And several of them accepted.

Marco did not wait for things to happen. As soon as a contact became warm, he was ready to take a plane and meet the company in person.

The result?

The first requests for quotation have already arrived from companies that, only a few months ago, did not even know Lanulfi existed.

In parallel: training that changes the organisation

While the market development work was moving forward, Lanulfi also carried out a training programme on artificial intelligence.

The training involved Martina and Marco, but also other people from the sales area and beyond.

It was not a separate training course, detached from the rest of the project. It was part of the same path.

It helped the company rethink parts of its sales organisation, introducing tools and working methods that will remain in place even after the consulting support has ended.

Why it worked

✅ Method first – markets, prospects and contacts were selected with clear criteria, not by intuition.

✅ The CEO was directly involved – Marco’s validation before each first contact ensured commercial consistency.

✅ Proactive follow-up on selected prospects – contact, meeting request, visit, NDA, RFQ.

✅ Integrated training, not isolated training – AI was introduced as a daily working tool, not as a separate initiative.

✅ The internal team was involved – the consultant supported the process, but the company did the real work.

My sincere thanks to Martina and Marco for the energy and professionalism they brought to this project, and to Confindustria Vicenza, the FarExport desk and the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce for making this type of project possible, including from an economic point of view, through Export Booster.

💬 What about you? Have you already tried combining training and sales development within the same project?

Let me know in the comments.

Pier Paolo Galbusera