Interview with Sylvain Gionet, branch manager for Lumen
Sylvain Gionet is branch manager for Lumen, a distributor of electrical products. With 10 representatives reporting to him, he’s always on the go. Sylvain has only worked for two different employers in 23 years, and for good reason—he likes his job, and the sector too.
Tell us about your work.
I’m manager of the Lumen branch in Pointe-Claire. One-third of my job involves checking that operations are properly done: controlling material inflows and outflows, purchase orders, receipts. . . The remaining two-thirds are dedicated to tracking sales, implementing the business plan, coaching and managing the teams, and managing personnel.
How did you end up in this job?
After completing my education, I worked in a variety of sectors, including automobiles and transportation. But I really found my niche in electrical component distribution sales, in 1986. I started out at Union Electric, where I familiarized myself with the field. I moved on to Lumen in 1989, where I took care of inside sales for three years before becoming an outside sales representative.
I discovered and honed my talents in this area, and gradually started helping management run the branch. I became branch manager myself in July 1999.
I hope to eventually move on to regional sales manager, then industrial sales manager.
What are the advantages and drawbacks of your position?
The advantage is the freedom of being able to analyze situations and make decisions. The more skills you have, the greater the responsibilities. It’s a very stimulating job, with no time to be bored. There are also many opportunities for advancement. And of course, we are very well paid.
However, you have to have confidence in yourself. There is a constant pressure to deliver results. You always have to be on top of things, and keep in mind all the planning and budgets, both short- and long-term. We are answerable for our representatives, who often have strong personalities that have to be properly managed.
How do you recruit your representatives?
We have many ways of recruiting representatives:
First, we try to hire from the inside: an inside salesperson, for example, may be promoted to outside sales. Or another branch may send us a candidate who meets the requirements of the position.
Hiring can also take place via referral: a supplier may refer one of its employees.
Finally, as a last resort, we hire someone from the outside. But that person won’t necessarily be familiar with our products or market, so the process of breaking him or her in is longer and more difficult.
What advice would you give candidates?
It’s important to feel good where you are. You shouldn’t stay in a job just because of the benefits, location, or because the name of the company looks good on your CV. If the atmosphere is negative, you should get out, even if it means making sacrifices.
You also have to be able to adapt to the market, products and buying habits.
One last word of advice—don’t hesitate to follow training courses. There is always something to be learned, and for people with ambition, they are a precious asset for the future.