Why I became a fan of 2dehands.be?

Normally, last week I would have hada client meeting with 2dehands.be, which just opened a new office in Brussels. Plans changed though, since they were still settling and thinking how they would organize things.

Having discussed the ins and outs of a research project we’re setting up, I asked the logical question: “How are things going in your Brussels office?†I assumed to hear a boring explanation about difficult deliveries of office material, teething problems of the building and a bad atmosphere because of the lack of a good coffee machine. Instead I heard an adventurous story about a brand that beliefs in its core, connects with its users and 2 employees that try to become conversation managers.

Michiel van Deursen, founder of 2dehands.nl and his colleague Aldine Reinink so strongly believe in the good services of their own platform that they decided to buy 2nd hand goods from website visitors. Crossing the whole country, they’ve already furnished their office with a desk, a lunch table with 4 chairs, a lamp and some other basic goods.

During their tour of Belgium, they grasped the opportunity to connect with their customers. By listening to their stories, experiencing the interactions between buyers and sellers themselves, and by coming back at them with answers on questions they’ve asked, Michiel and Aldine have started to write a nice story that soon will be shared on the world wide web. For them, it’s not about working in the weekend and picking up furniture late in the evening. It’s about an attitude they have and the marketing philosophy they follow.

I love to see a company that is practicing what she preaches. I was not a big fan of 2dehands.be, but after meeting Michiel and Aldine, I immediately joined their fanpage, looking forward to the stories they’re about to share with us!