-Jake, the sales director for the US corporation, will take over as field sales manager in March.
-The primary goals are to 'reclaim 15% of sales' and 'reclaim 60% of market share.'
Spreading the "Zero to One" spirit throughout the company
t'order (CEO Kwon Seong-taek) entered the tabletop ordering market in 2019 with the launch of its ordering platform service. Its integration with various services, including POS, mobility, advertising, reservations, and robots, creates powerful synergies. Leveraging accumulated order and payment data, it supports customers in making better decisions, ultimately aiming to complete the digital transformation of the entire restaurant industry.
T'order's greatest competitive advantage lies in its POS integration technology. Its technology is integrated with numerous POS vendors, allowing users to simply install T'order and start using it immediately, without having to replace existing POS systems. Furthermore, since its founding, the company has maintained a zero-PG fee policy, maintaining a policy of not charging any additional fees beyond the monthly fee. Stores that agree to advertising receive a discount on their monthly fee in the form of a payback program.
Currently, approximately 300,000 t'order tablets are installed nationwide. Stores that have adopted t'order have seen an average 133% increase in monthly sales and an 85% reduction in labor costs required for order processing, resulting in tangible business improvements.
t'order was selected as a Baby Unicorn 200 incubation project company in 2022. In 2023, it received the Presidential Citation for Job Creation and was selected as a potential Unicorn, and was certified as a Youth-Friendly Small and Medium Enterprise. In 2024, it received the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award at the Korea Startup Culture Awards. Furthermore, it was officially recognized for its technological prowess and social contribution by receiving the Grand Prize for Global Excellence and the DATA-STARS award from the Ministry of Science and ICT.
t'order's cumulative payment volume has surpassed 10 trillion won. As of the third quarter of 2025, it boasts over 500 billion won in monthly payments, over 20 million monthly orders, and over 35 million monthly users, accounting for 55% of the table order market share. Going forward, t'order plans to expand beyond the traditional restaurant industry to include bowling alleys, kids' cafes, and golf courses, as well as expand its service offerings to include CCTV integration products.
Building an outbound sales team and hiring sales expert Jake Lee.
t'order has been actively expanding its outbound sales team since March of this year, strengthening its field-focused approach. Outbound sales refers to a sales strategy where a company proactively contacts potential customers to secure sales opportunities. This contrasts with inbound sales, where customers initiate inquiries with the company.
Why is t'order, which has maintained its industry leadership and steadily secured customers, strengthening its outbound sales?
When market share exceeded 60%, brand awareness was high, and inbound marketing, where owners contacted us first, was sufficient. However, the market atmosphere has recently changed. Competition has intensified with the entry of large platforms into the table ordering market. This has given owners more options. The economic downturn is also a factor. With the restaurant closure rate rising and the overall economic downturn, owners have begun to postpone the introduction of table ordering.
Accordingly, t'order established an outbound sales team in March of this year and put Director Jake in charge of field sales.
We met with Jake Gross, Director of the t'order headquarters located in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and heard in detail about the background behind strengthening outbound sales and future plans.
Director Jeon has a unique background. After graduating with a degree in accounting in Australia, he chose a career in sales, defying his parents' wishes. Starting out as a salesman, he ran a consulting firm for small and medium-sized businesses for five years before joining t'order in October 2023.
Former Director Jeon was tasked with improving t'order's inbound sales performance and raised its sales target achievement rate from 40% to 70%. Recognizing this achievement, he was offered the opportunity to establish a US sales organization in early 2024. After transferring the existing business to the co-CEO, he joined t'order's US subsidiary as Sales Director. Having established a strong sales foundation in the US, Director Jeon returned to Korea in March of this year to lead the outbound sales team.
Jake's reputation as a salesman is spreading through word of mouth in the industry.
"Thankfully, the industry seems to be looking favorably on me. Many people are coming to me to learn my sales approach. My sales-related posts on LinkedIn have received more attention than expected, leading to an increase in interview applicants. I've also been receiving a lot of requests to lecture at universities recently."
The former director personally oversees all candidate interviews. I asked about the hiring criteria.
"We look at people, not resumes. It doesn't matter if you don't have sales experience. Rather, we prefer those with a sense of urgency and a genuine desire to excel. Anyone who wants to challenge themselves in sales is welcome. Whether you're feeling stuck within your current limitations, wanting to break through them, or desperately needing to grow and learn, we're all welcome."
t'order plans to expand its outbound sales team to more than 100 people by the second half of this year.
"Sales revenue increased to 15% and market share recovered to 60%."
The outbound sales team primarily targets regional markets. While t'order's brand awareness is high in Seoul and the Gyeonggi area, locals tend to be conservative and averse to outsiders, making online marketing alone ineffective.
So what is the goal of outbound?
"I'm currently responsible for about 10%, but my primary goal is to increase that to 15%. Of course, I'm not trying to take over from other organizations, like inbound, but rather, I'm aiming to increase my share as we grow together."
I also asked about the ultimate goal of outbound sales.
"Our goal is to make t'order available in all stores. Realistically, our priority is to increase our market share back to over 60%."
"The inefficient task of opening the door of the heart"
The former director explained the fundamental difference between inbound and outbound customers. "Inbound customers are already open to the idea and reach out with the intention of 'let's give it a listen,'" he explained. "Outbound customers, on the other hand, have no intention of listening in the first place. Therefore, 'selling' is an inefficient practice." He emphasized, "However, ultimately, decision-making is human, and it's precisely this inefficiency that moves people's hearts."
Ultimately, outbound sales is all about winning people's hearts and minds. I also asked how to do that.
"Many human touches are used to open hearts. If the owner is busy working alone, we offer to help. At first, they tell you to 'go,' but then, because it's urgent, they accept you. After helping you for a day or two, we explain the order, saying, 'Just imagine if we weren't here. Business wouldn't have been so bad, right?'"
While this approach may seem inefficient, the former CEO emphasizes that this is the essence of sales.
"Many startups sit in their offices, collect data, and quickly close contracts, rather than meeting customers in person. But the reason we visit stores in person is because ultimately, decision-making is done by people."
The outbound sales team is at the forefront of delivering the company's message to customers. What message does t'order primarily deliver to customers?
"Many table ordering companies are POS companies. They often try to sell you something like, 'We'll give you table ordering for free, just use our POS.' However, it's difficult to excel at both POS and table ordering simultaneously. Because we focus solely on table ordering, we can create a customer-friendly UI/UX. We actively promote this point."
'Transfer Order' is a program that supports stores that have suffered losses while using other table order companies to switch to t'order.
"Problems have arisen as many companies have entered the table-order market. Many companies enter the market thinking it's easy, only to find they can't handle it. These companies initially attract customers with low prices, but over time, they often lose contact or disappear altogether."
Table ordering is a service that requires ongoing management. It requires technology updates, menu modifications, and troubleshooting. If the vendor doesn't respond, the store is left helpless. Transfer Order is a service that helps these stores. t'order covers the penalty fees associated with their existing vendor, allowing them to transition to t'order without financial burden.
Transfer orders go beyond simply attracting customers and also serve to restore market trust. With the entire table order market facing distrust due to poorly performing companies, t'order is a differentiation strategy that demonstrates its position as a "trustworthy partner."
Spreading the "zero to one" spirit throughout the organization
The outbound sales team's role is directly linked to sales. However, its impact extends beyond mere numbers. The feedback and diverse insights gleaned from customers in the field are directly transmitted throughout the entire company.
"The phrase you should avoid the most in a sales environment is 'That won't work.' But the outbound team is demonstrating the 'It works when you try it,' and this is spreading positive energy throughout the company."
Whenever meaningful results are achieved, they are shared in the internal communication room. Former Director Jeon said, "I want to show that we're all growing together. Outbound isn't just about doing well on its own; inbound and channel sales are also creating synergy together."
T'order's strengthened outbound sales efforts go beyond simply expanding its sales force, signifying the revival of its "Zero to One" spirit. (Zero to One, a concept popularized by Peter Thiel in his book of the same name, represents an entrepreneurial spirit that reshapes the future. Successful companies do not rest on their laurels, but aim to lead the market by offering unprecedented value through bold ideas and vision.) While T'order is an IT company armed with technology, it's also a strategy that reaffirms that ultimately, moving people's hearts is the core of business.
"I've always lived my life by constantly challenging myself and achieving results. I think this natural tendency has been reflected in the outbound sales team and throughout the t'order organization."
Sales is about finding the intersection between customer and company success.
We asked a former executive with 12 years of experience in sales to define outbound sales.
The former director responded, "It's about finding the intersection between customer and company success." This starts with a fundamental critique of existing sales approaches.
Former CEO Jeon criticized the illusion of customer-first principles, saying, "It's hypocritical to say you only care about the customer." He pointed out the reality that employees who claim to care only about the customer end up quitting if it doesn't benefit the company or themselves. Conversely, he argued that pursuing only the company's profits is also unsustainable.
Intersection means finding a point that benefits both parties. Even if the owner demands "100% profit," if the company cannot survive, it will ultimately be unable to provide continued service. Conversely, if a company only pursues immediate profits, it will ignore the reality that it must accept losses.
The key is sustainability. "If you lean too far to one side, it might seem good in the short term, but it won't last. If it doesn't last, even if it was initially sincere, it could eventually turn out to be false," said former director Jeon.
Therefore, he emphasizes that salespeople should not be mere salespeople, but rather consultants who mediate the interests of both parties. To achieve this, he emphasizes, "You must have a deep understanding of yourself, which will in turn enhance your understanding of the other party."
Former CEO Jeon's "intersection" is about finding a point where both sides must compromise. It doesn't mean complete satisfaction, but rather a realistic compromise for a sustainable relationship. Ultimately, sales should be viewed not as a simple transaction, but as a long-term partnership.
As competition in the table-ordering market intensifies, the success of t'order's "people-centered" strategy is expected to garner even more attention. The former director's gaze revealed a genuine pride in sales. We anticipate hearing the answers t'order is seeking in the field and the next story they will write with their 100 new colleagues.
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