You don't have to go on holiday to speak a foreign language, explore other countries and grow from cultural differences. A job in sales is ideal. For Christiane Buchstab, Sales Account Manager for south-west France and western Switzerland at Gerhard Schubert GmbH, international work is also a multifaceted stroke of luck.
Different ideas circulate about sales. One of the best known is that of eloquent, sometimes somewhat loud contemporaries who want to sell a product to the man or woman with vigour. Not all of this is true or necessarily the case. If you want to understand - and ultimately convince - customers, you need one thing above all else: the ability to listen actively, while remaining determined and authentic.
This is the view of Christiane Buchstab, who has been successfully helping customers from France and Switzerland to realise their packaging visions with this course for nine years. „A confident demeanour is of course part of sales. But I like to give customers the benefit of the doubt in order to better understand them and their concerns. In my opinion, women are generally good at this active listening. If I know what it's all about, it's not just the project that benefits. Both sides create the basis for trust - and a strong long-term bond.“
The fact that Buchstab speaks the customer's language both technically and literally is no coincidence: the language-savvy saleswoman learnt French at an early age and speaks it fluently - a trump card up her sleeve for a culture that favours personal contact, on both sides of the Rhine. „In France, customers appreciate the direct dialogue, pick up the phone more often and more regularly or suggest personal meetings. This is in line with my attitude of devoting my full attention to the person for whom I want to develop a first-class solution.“
From the idea to the installation
The sales graduate has plenty of room for this - an aspect of her work that motivates her at least as much as language and cultural diversity. Together with colleagues from her sales team, customers and engineers from Schubert, Christiane Buchstab designs packaging lines, primarily for confectionery and coffee manufacturers. „Both industries have a firm foothold in my sales region. We face a new challenge with every product, for which we first design a concept. I'm passionate about this, as it's a highly creative process.“ The aim is to harmonise packing schemes, service areas and products in such a way that, that customers have a system that leaves little to be desired.
There is no way around a sound technical understanding. For Christiane Buchstab, this is all the more reason to want to know.
„A good salesperson needs to know how the machines work. I was already fascinated by the packaging industry as a working student. I was fascinated by the fact that there were clever minds behind every piece of packaging. I wanted to be able to do that too.“
Christiane Buchstab
Much of what she knows today as a matter of course, she has years of learning and trial and error and a team that has been supporting them since 2016. „Collaboration is very important to us in sales and throughout the company.“ Ultimately, according to Buchstab, you also learn from the customer: „A good salesperson should not only listen, but also ask specific questions. The customer knows a lot. Nobody should be afraid to accept feedback from the customer.“
Committed to the environment
She is all the more pleased when this results in projects with a rarity value. A few years ago, for example, she was given the opportunity to support the development of a new product from development to market launch. The aim was to overcome the status quo of existing packaging materials for sustainable food packaging. for an all-round more ecological alternative. „This has a comprehensive impact on existing processes, on performance and systems alike. Helping to shape this complex endeavour has challenged me and sharpened my focus on environmental issues.“
As so often in her career, Christiane Buchstab acted according to the maxim: „Just do it!“ After all, according to the pragmatist, there is rarely a blueprint for specific issues. Those who are not deterred by this and are motivated to take the first step will rapidly expand their knowledge and constantly discover new solutions. „There is no such thing as a typical day for me in sales. That's exactly what makes it so exciting for me,“ emphasises Buchstab, who already knew as a graduate that she didn't want to take on a classic „nine-to-five“ job.
Fortunate coincidence
Initially, she would never have thought that she would be so versatile at Schubert: the regions of France and Switzerland - two of her favourite countries - came about by chance, just like the choice of job itself. „I didn't necessarily want to become a salesperson. After leaving school, I even thought about studying art or languages. The fact that I don't have to put other interests on the back burner as a salesperson makes me very happy.“ The Travelling, the encounters, the solution-oriented teamwork - all things that Christiane Buchstab can combine thanks to her job.
With so many enriching facets, is there still room for improvement? „I would like to see more women go into sales. In my opinion, they have qualities that are perfect for the job.“ Prescribing careers or even demanding a quota would be far from her mind, however. „Women shouldn't go into sales to increase the proportion of women. But because they are passionate about it. Because they want to make a difference. Because they dare to do something. It's important to me, that people pursue their work with conviction and passion. I also experience this every day in the industry. And that's exactly why I wouldn't want to miss it for a day.“
packaging journal 3/2025
