Listening as a Sales Strategy
Helpful, kind, and at times dynamic — that’s how he describes himself. Abdel, 23, an international sales representative working across African and Asian markets, embodies a vision of sales that breaks away from clichés: here, selling is прежде all about listening.
A path shaped by encounters
After earning a STMG high school diploma and spending a year in economics and management that didn’t quite suit him, Abdel stepped into the professional world and made a decisive discovery: what drives him is human connection. A disappointing first apprenticeship, a change of school, and then an introduction to Kalstein through a school partnership.
“When I arrived here, it confirmed what I wanted to do.”
Africa, Pakistan, and the art of being there at the right time
Abdel dedicates 80% of his time to African markets, with the remainder focused on parts of Asia, including Pakistan. Mornings are reserved for client calls — the time difference makes this the most valuable window of the day — while afternoons are spent anticipating future needs. Since joining, what has changed the most is the level of trust he’s been given. His autonomy has grown, his ideas are heard, and his voice carries weight in decision-making.
“People who try to sell just for the sake of selling — I think that’s a shame. A sale is an exchange, and that exchange builds real trust.”
The client building for others
Among the encounters that stand out, one in particular left a lasting impression. A client approached him with an ambitious laboratory project: to develop fruit agriculture in his country to combat famine. A vision he had carried since a young age, driven by rare humanistic conviction, and whose work was recognized by the Red Cross in Geneva.
“This kind of client reminds you of the real impact of what we do.”
A team, a vision
At Kalstein, Abdel describes the atmosphere with honesty: sometimes electric and fun, sometimes focused depending on the day — but always driven by a shared way of working, where everyone contributes and no one is left to figure things out alone. If he had to sum up Kalstein in one word, he wouldn’t hesitate: ambitious.