CELEBRATING - Jan Stenholm Dafo

We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Jan Stenholm, one of our valued resellers, who has played a key role in the success of the VR Fire Trainer. As Jan now moves on to new adventures, we want to thank and celebrate him for everything he has contributed from his dedication to customers, to his passion for developing and promoting the VR Fire Trainer.

Before he leaves, we asked Jan a few questions about his journey, the highlights, the challenges, and his best advice for others.

What have you enjoyed the most?

There have been many highlights, but a few stand out.

First, working at Dafo with fantastic colleagues in a friendly, open environment. It’s a place where you genuinely look forward to coming in, which makes it easy to stay motivated and focused on your work.

It’s also been incredibly exciting to introduce a completely new solution to the market that truly makes a difference. Seeing VR used for training on such a large scale with hundreds of trainers educating thousands of people worldwide, has been amazing. I’m not sure there’s another B2B VR solution in the world that has achieved something similar. The VR Fire Trainer helps people overcome hesitation towards VR and shows how practical and effective it can be.

Working with Vobling has also been a highlight. They’re an agile, collaborative team, and our close dialogue on product development has been both productive and enjoyable. Dafo has been the perfect partner for them, curious, open to new solutions, and quick to act thanks to short decision paths.

What has been the most challenging?

For me personally, it’s been managing everything at once. As a new solution, we initially lacked internal support functions, which was natural since the product didn’t generate revenue at the start. Over time these have fallen into place, but in the beginning I handled everything - sales, prospecting, order processing, support, purchasing, and training.

What are you most proud of?

I’m proud of introducing the VR Fire Trainer to such a wide variety of organizations. Many customers, used to traditional training methods, were hesitant at first. But once they tried VR, most were convinced - and some even found it more effective, for example when compared to using a CO₂ extinguisher on a traditional fire pan.

I’m also proud of building strong customer relationships. Our clients know Dafo is always available, solution-oriented, and ready to help. It’s a truly pleasant and rewarding industry to work in, and I’m still happily surprised by how professional and friendly everyone is in fire safety training.

What’s your top advice for selling the VR Fire Trainer? Maintain high activity levels, but also show genuine respect for the experience of those who’ve worked in fire training for years. Be attentive, honest, and well-prepared.

When demonstrating the VR Fire Trainer, invite colleagues who are less familiar with equipment to try it - it shows how accessible the solution is. Offer to take part in customers’ safety days and trade fairs, and bring creative ideas to move partnerships forward.

Finally, always keep your promises. Respond quickly with quotes and follow-ups, agree on next steps, and check in after delivery and training - ideally on a regular basis.