Preface: Marc Pugens was a client, later becoming a close friend and business partner. I first met Marc when he was running a large part of the sales organization in a joint venture with Ericsson and HP. He later went to manage EMEA Services Sales for HP. I remember, at the time, having some envy. He had managed and orchestrated one of the biggest deals in HP’s history. As I recall, it was a multi-year deal for somewhere around $4-5B. I had managed a few billion + deals in my career, but his dwarfed mine (Marc’s and mine were in the early days of selling massive multiyear service agreements to very large customers). I remember laughing with him, in the trade press, HP’s then CEO got much of the credit for the deal. She had been involved in many calls, but Marc put together the strategy and drove it to closure. On leaving HP, he joined me and we worked together on a number of our European clients. But the most fun I had was visiting he and his family in Crolles, playing golf in the Alps, strategy meetings in Chamonix, hiking and enjoying the food and mountains in Southeast France.
Between my own limited French and Google, here are his views. Hope I did a fair job in the translation.
Why So Interested In Selling?
A simple question which, however, raises quite a few subjects and leads to a lot of reflection when the primary sales function passes. In the light of my experience, sales has all the ingredients to develop the skills of a manager.
A good salesman and an important asset to the company (in addition to turnover/revenue, he is the one who puts the customer at the center of the company and guides the engineers to develop the product which corresponds to a market need and not to developers' fantasies).
Indeed in the sales operation there are several exciting and crucial phases:
Discovery of the market, new industries or sectors of activity, new design processes, manufacturing, etc.
The ability to understand the customer problem to be resolved and its impact in the company's systemic approach (impact on turnover, profit, actions, etc.)
The ability to move beyond the product or service to be "sold" to integrate it and highlight the advantages for the client's business (selling added value rather than solutions)
The creation of a partnership link for the benefit of the customer's success which generates loyalty
Brief summary:
Discover, listen, be a partner in the development and success of the client, capable of influencing the development of their business.
Provide the skills necessary to be a top gun Manager (empathy, decision-making, and strength of conviction)
Marc's original:
une simple question qui cependant pose pas mal de sujets et amène beaucoup de réflexion lorsque passe la fonction primaire de vente
A la lumiere de mon expérience la vente à tous les ingrédients pour développer les compétences d'un manager
un bon vendeur et un asset important à l'entreprise (outre le chiffre d'affaire c'est lui qui met le client au centre de l'entreprise et guide les ingénieurs pour développer le produit qui correspond à un besoin du marché et non aux fantasmes des développeurs)
en effet dans l'opération de vente il y a plusieurs phases passionnantes et cruciales
la découverte du marché, de nouvelles industries ou secteurs d'activités, de nouveaux processus de conception, fabrication ..etc
la capacité à comprendre le problème client à résoudre et son impact dans l'approche systémique de l'entreprise (impact sur le CA, bénéfice, actions,...etc)
la capacité de sortir du produit ou service à "vendre" pour l'intégrer et mettre en avant les avantages pour le business du client (vendre de la valeur ajoutée plutôt que des solutions)
la création d'un lien de partenariat au bénéfice du succès du client qui génère de la fidélité
Bref en résumé :
Découvrir, écouter, être partenaire du développement et succès du client , capable d'influer sur le développement de son entreprise
en sorte les competences necessaires pour etre un top gun Manager ( empathie , décision, et force de conviction)
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