Cédric’s background is in electrical engineering, which is a real asset when you hold down a position of this kind in a company like CGE D.
Sonepar: How would you define the job of a counter salesperson?
Cédric Berthier: He’s the one who greets customers at the store counter, makes suggestions and moves customers to make purchases by giving a sales pitch and stressing the products’ positive technical features. In addition, the counter salesperson manages orders by preparing the items to fill them and highlighting their appeal on the premises.
Sonepar: Could you run down a typical day for you at the Nanterre branch?
C.B.: I open the store at 7.20 a.m. to put the products on display. In fact, I handle the logistics for batches from the central warehouse and I manage the invoice paperwork on delivery slips. Our first customers are there at 7.20 sharp! Independent contractors want to be served as fast as possible because of the morning traffic jams in Paris. I should mention that the merchandising side of the job has become increasingly important at the branch, since our products have to “rotate” from season to season. 3 or 4 new products are highlighted every two weeks. This past summer, air-conditioning equipment and fans were in the limelight, while lighting products are always among our most popular items as well.
I prepare product labels with no tax, I arrange for discounts, I check with our suppliers and negotiate over prices. I also fill in the cash statements that get sent to CGE D headquarters in Montrouge.
Sonepar: What’s the most common customer profile you get at your branch?
C.B.: The bulk of our customers are independent contractors, followed by companies, National Large Accounts and finally individual customers who were advised by our customers. We don’t run a self-service store, which means you have to be skilled at rapid response.
Sonepar: Can you detect a different kind of buying behavior among your customers? Do they make additional requests?
C.B.: What our customers want first and foremost is for products to be available immediately – speed is of the essence. Cost takes a back seat. Customers are increasingly impatient – they’re in a hurry to get to their worksite and beat the rush-hour traffic.
A the same time, small contractors show greater interest than before in having us show them new products and educate them.
Sonepar: Are you acquainted with all the items you stock, and do you get systematic training on all products?
C.B.: Yes, I’m acquainted with them all, thanks to the Elec* trade show, which I always attend, and to the new products I get from suppliers, not to mention the training sessions they organize at our branch for working with fire detection and alarm-style products. So I’m pretty much in the know!
Sonepar: How’s the on-the-job atmosphere in Nanterre?
C.B.: I must say that it’s a pleasure for me to work at the Nanterre branch. There’s a friendly atmosphere and a lot of team feeling.
Sonepar: In what direction what you like to see things change?
C.B.: I’d like to move on to sales manager position, but I have to admit that there’s a psychological barrier that I haven’t gotten past yet. When you’re a counter salesperson, customers come to you. When you’re a traveling technical sales representative, it’s the other way around – you have to drum up business, and that makes a big difference.
