Sell It Program: building your sales career in a global public company

Sell It: building your sales career in a global public company

Frederick Persson, CEO of Prysmian Group Central Eastern Europe, joins us to discuss training and mentoring program for new employees.

Remember “Sell me a pen”, the task asked of Leonardo di Caprio’s character to perform in The Wolf of Wall Street? Well, that’s not the kind of movie you’ll find at Prysmian if you’re looking for a world class career in global sales.

For us, selling is much more than just a persuasion technique. Prysmian became a world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industries through something else – committing every single day to helping its customers around the globe face truly challenging projects. From linking countries with submarine interconnections, to cabling the tallest buildings on earth, developing the 5G mobile network or bringing broadband to the outermost region on our planet – we get to provide some of the best engineering and systems solutions by having a highly capable team. This team is first when proposing the most qualified and technologically advanced products and services on the market or yet to be invented.

To that end, Prysmian has conceived an innovative program aimed at hiring talented sales professionals to be trained at the highest level and then put on a path offering numerous opportunities for personal growth in sales capacities across the Group. Launched in 2017, Sell It is a 3-year intensive training program designed to assist new sales staff to grow and develop, while learning to apply their skills in the field and within the framework of the Prysmian Group culture and values from day one.

Sell It offers staff specific mentoring programs, with the goal of creating meaningful relationships with role models, senior staff and coaches for further career advancement.

The program starts with one month of local on-boarding, developed in the regional facility where new employees will be based. “The Sell It program in itself also gives access to the global community, adding a broader perspective than most sales roles I have come across in my lifetime. Our customer base is quite interesting as well. There are a lot of fascinating people and projects out there.” explains Frederick Persson, CEO of Prysmian Group Australia and New Zealand.

After the local on-boarding experience, the new sales force takes part in a 2-week orientation at the Prysmian Milan Headquarters. Here, they’ll meet with Prysmian top managers, discover the global HQ, and also have the opportunity to meet some of the main customers of the Group, discussing the strengths and what can be improved in the relationship with Prysmian. Then, they carry out a 2-week training at the Global Sales Academy – Milan, in partnership with SDA Bocconi Business School, and in other locations worldwide.

SELL IT PEOPLE

What participants say about SELL IT?

Discover more about the Prysmian SELL IT experience by our sales and ambassadors.

Read full interviews

Who we are looking for

What kind of candidates is Prysmian looking to invest in, to take part in their Sell It program? The ideal applicant should hold a degree in Engineering, Chemistry or Economics, and should have spent at least three years in the commercial sector of industrial or retail companies. Persson offers his perspective:

“If I were to state which are the main requirements for applicants, I’d say passion and stamina. Passion for customers and stamina for themselves, to really run with their professional path and leave their mark on a global company. Being able to take on the downside of day-to-day business operations and successfully solve problems that arise is the nature of work in any industry. Handling challenges and rising to the occasion in tough times is not only an asset at Prysmian, but in life in general.”

Frederick Persson

CEO of Prysmian Group Central Eastern Europe

What about those looking to further develop their careers in sales within the Prysmian Group? Persson offers three suggestions for those wishing to join Sell It:

“Spend time with your customer – every second spent on making power points for coworkers is a moment that a competitor is spending knocking on your customer’s door. Understand your customers’ issues, since even the greatest project will be worthless if the customer didn’t ask for it. If they do not see the value, they will not pay for it – so don’t waste time on things that do not drive your business. And above all, have fun! Joy in business is underrated – potential clients can pick up on your vibe much more than people realize. If people enjoy themselves while working, it is contagious – and spreads to your colleagues and the people you have the pleasure to serve.”

We want to invest in sales professionals eager to grow in our global company.

Embrace the blue and become a part of it!

Click here for further information on Sell It.