{"id":57454,"date":"2025-10-31T13:20:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T10:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/?p=57454"},"modified":"2025-10-31T13:31:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T10:31:28","slug":"high-performance-diplomacy-and-customer-care-the-power-of-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/high-performance-diplomacy-and-customer-care-the-power-of-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"High performance, diplomacy and customer care: the power of connection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A meeting between ETB, Olympic Champion Sharon van Rouwendaal and Ambassador Joep Wijnands in Istanbul<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the heart of Beyo\u011flu, the vibrant cultural centre of Istanbul, stands the Consulate General of the Netherlands, a place that has symbolised cooperation between the Netherlands and T\u00fcrkiye for a century. Behind its monumental fa\u00e7ade on the famous \u0130stiklal Caddesi, a special encounter unfolds. In a room where history and collaboration meet, three people sit down for a conversation: Naci Ero\u011flu, CEO of ETB, Sharon van Rouwendaal, two-time Olympic champion in open water swimming, and Joep Wijnands, Ambassador of the Netherlands to T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation takes place shortly before the AquaChallenge in Marmaris, of which ETB is a proud sponsor this year. What follows is a dialogue about dedication, collaboration and humanity, values that sport, diplomacy and ETB share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power of perseverance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top-level sport is about more than winning, Sharon knows this better than anyone. Her career, marked by Olympic medals in Rio, Tokyo and Paris, is the result of years of discipline and determination. Not the peak moments, but the constant effort define her success, a champion with endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mindset perfectly mirrors ETB\u2019s philosophy. In customer relations too, success is not about excelling once, but about delivering consistency day after day. \u201cSustainable results come from focus, teamwork and ownership,\u201d says Naci. \u201cIt\u2019s that same high-performance mentality we pursue at ETB, together and for our clients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning and moving forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharon speaks calmly about pressure, expectations and criticism. She smiles, \u201cIf people talk about you, positively or negatively, it means you\u2019re doing something that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a grounded perspective on success that resonates within ETB. For Naci, challenges are not obstacles but opportunities to grow. \u201cTransparency and growth go hand in hand. Feedback is part of progress, it helps us stay sharp and improve together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In sport, diplomacy and customer care, the same rule applies, progress is never a straight line. It\u2019s about falling, getting up and moving forward, with confidence in the direction you\u2019re heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting across borders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ambassador Joep Wijnands brings another perspective to the discussion. As a diplomat, he experiences daily how connection forms the foundation for collaboration between countries, cultures and people. \u201cSport is a universal language,\u201d he says. \u201cIt connects people regardless of background or culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ETB shares that belief. As a company that builds bridges between the Netherlands, T\u00fcrkiye and other Western European countries, ETB believes that true partnership begins with respect, empathy and understanding. \u201cWhether it\u2019s customer relations, teamwork or partnerships,\u201d Naci adds, \u201cit always comes down to the human connection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High performance in customer contact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where athletes strive for personal bests, ETB employees aim to deliver exceptional customer experiences. It takes the same dedication and focus. As Sharon puts it, \u201cYou don\u2019t win a race on race day, you win it in the hundreds of days before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no different at ETB. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to make a difference, through attention, empathy and professionalism. The small moments are what make the biggest impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology with a heart<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation turns to technology. In both sport and customer service, data plays an increasingly important role. Sharon uses analysis and sensors to improve her performance, but she ultimately relies on her intuition. \u201cData can tell me my stroke is perfect, but only I can feel whether the rhythm is right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naci nods in recognition. \u201cWe use AI and data to enhance processes, but empathy and humanity always come first. Technology helps us understand what\u2019s happening, but it will never replace the warmth with which we do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because in the end, a customer doesn\u2019t remember what the system did, but how we made them feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The essence of progress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of the conversation, there\u2019s a sense of mutual recognition. High performance, diplomacy and customer care have more in common than it might seem. Each revolves around discipline, teamwork and the belief that success truly counts when it\u2019s shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ambassador Wijnands sums it up perfectly, \u201cWhether you\u2019re an athlete, a diplomat or an entrepreneur, no one achieves success alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Naci concludes with words that capture ETB\u2019s essence,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t aim to excel just once, but to create lasting value for our clients, our people and society. Every day a little better, with joy, transparency and genuine attention. That\u2019s our high-performance mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A meeting between ETB, Olympic Champion Sharon van Rouwendaal and Ambassador Joep Wijnands in Istanbul In the heart of Beyo\u011flu, the vibrant cultural centre of Istanbul, stands the Consulate General of the Netherlands, a place that has symbolised cooperation between the Netherlands and T\u00fcrkiye for a century. Behind its monumental fa\u00e7ade on the famous \u0130stiklal…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57451,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-1","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57454"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57456,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57454\/revisions\/57456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etb-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}