ITW Christophe Chabaud / (French sales representative for OLOW)
In addition to expanding the distribution network, the sales team preaches the gospel everywhere for us. They represent the image of the brand and its values … We love working with the good old-timers, the guys who have a real history and a lot of exciting things to talk about. After the interview some time ago with Fabio Raffaeli, the boss of our Italian distribution company, we wanted to bring you an interview of Christophe Chabaud, the pillar of No Stress agency, our French sales office.
Hi Christophe,
How are you?
Pretty good!
It’s the off season period which means a few hours at the office each day answering emails, the phone and keeping in touch with our customers!
You must be busy with appointments and setting up the showrooms, how do you feel the next season is going to be?
Actually my trip has been planned and most of my showrooms have already been booked but when, like me, you cover 3/4 of France, you have to be super organized and nothing should be left to chance …
For the next season I’m not overly worried and I don’t ask myself billions of questions. During this economic situation, I get the job done with a clear head, and in my opinion, we can continue the good work with not too many problems.
So if you had to sum up a season on the road with just some figures…. (Km, hotel, sandwiches, appointments, showrooms, liters of petrol etc ….)
30,000 km done during the last season, a good hundred nights in a hotel, 145 appointments incurred between showrooms and shops, when it’s not a super tuna Dona at the total station its Mc Donald, hundreds of liters of coffee guzzled on the road and with customers as you know the “little welcome coffee” cannot be refused!
What motivated you to work for OLOW at the start?
A mixture of different elements …
I had heard many stories of your first sales trip with your bin bags and unusual look that came out of nowhere!
In addition to this, you have the insistence of Mathieu who had contacted me several times and finally it was a given on that day!
Will you tell us when and how you got into the thick of it?
By chance and as always through various meetings …
Basically I was on my way a career in tennis after studying sport, I also played a lot of music … not too much time was spent studying I have to admit!
But at 19 years old I met a grandma floral dress style salesman and it was a revelation for me.
He quickly became my “mentor” and taught me how to be a Sales Representative. In the market “ten quid you repack ‘ after, some diverse experiences in the Paris Sentier and here you have it…. a real seller!
After this training period, in the 80s there was the boom of surfwear and soon I managed to integrate into this community where actually really I had no connections
Collaborating with RUSTY SURFBOARDS, I managed to find the emerging brands and I stayed with them for more than 12 years.
After, I wanted more and I began to look for a license with the European brand “action board” (without speaking a word of English of course) and I signed with SPLIT then AMBIGUOUS for a period of 15 years.
An incredible adventure but physically exhausting, this ultimately led me to stop everything before a major burnout.
In 2011, I created NO STRESS AGENCY and since then, everything is all good.
In recent years, what patterns have you observed in the brands you have had on your distribution network?
Regarding corresponding to the fashion of the new generations, I think our job is done.
We knew the Street wear, the surf wear and now we are in the “jerk off” of bearded and red hats!
At the end of the day it all remains the same, it just takes a little common sense and the right feeling for the product… you either have it or you don’t!
So you live in Biarritz where you have developed a whole bunch of projects. Between your shops, your showroom & your agency … work on the road must be very busy …
In my heart, I remain an entrepreneur and I can not resist the various projects that seem to be there in my reach
Once again, everything is a question of organization, I live my life as I see fit between my family and various activities and try not to get dragged down by big problems!
Can you tell us what occupies your free time? Passions?
A lot of sport during the quiet sales periods, and I keep myself open to a few music sessions with the “zicos” in the area.
Moving onto the economic aspect…. the media tell us all the time that there is a crisis … is that how you really feel?
To tell you NO might seem presumptuous on my part, of course there is an economic situation and the media tell us about it enough.
However since 2011, although not on fire, the turnover of my agency up,
No stress agency have not felt the crisis yet
It’s like most of the brands that you take care of are experiencing strong growth … How do you explain that?
Indeed marked progress has been there every season and I am super optimistic for the next order taking in Spring 2014.
I think the universality and diversity of brands within NO STRESS AGENCY creates a coherent collaboration which reassures our customers.
I made the choice to look after all the new labels like OLOW with whom it is easier to create a special relationship and partnership helping to project success.
This is an important approach in sales and in my life, today too many brands or agents do not adopt this approach therefore do not sufficiently accompany the founder’s projects. (Shops)
Of course we’re not the red cross but really a bare minimum is required to establish a lasting Relationship.
From the beginning of your career, if you had an anecdote that has particularly stuck with you … you would you say?
A difficult one, but …
Car keys stuck in the ignition of the car locking you outside like an idiot, the shop manager that welcomed you with a baseball bat thinking that you would make off with the till, various car thefts during trips with all your belongings lost, laptops etc….Custom controls and full body searches for 4 hours… only to find nothing, showers with Bulgarian truckers at the Total garage, the forgotten appointment by the shop manager who had only confirmed the appointment the day before by email, text and face book etc. …
In short the life of a sales rep but hey that’s all part of the game!
To end on a musical note, what song have you been listening to over and over for the last 20 years and yet, you love to hear again?
“J’étais sur la route” by De Palmas… no only kidding!
I don’t have a favourite song for the road, I listen to a lot of different stuff.
