Trout fishing: a business metaphor?

Éric Philippon, Sedentary Sales Manager at BIBUS France has been passionate about trout fishing for 30 years, and when we talk to him about it, we think that all his qualities, those famous ''soft skills'' developed in fishing are also quite useful in business.



First of all, you have to be patient.
- Trout are rather fickle, one day you can tease 30 of them and the next not a single one on the horizon...
- In business, finding and keeping a new customer also takes time, perseverance, accepting rejections and failures, and not feeling diminished or defeated by them. Tenacity and self-determination are the keys to closing a deal... Fisherman's word.
 
And then you have to know how to get to the right place.
- Explore the unknown, get to the little river that's a bit of a secret, know the trout's habits, don't make too much noise, anticipate the weather conditions... The weather, water temperature, water level... are all variable factors that influence fishing.

Obviously, choosing the “right equipment” makes all the difference.
And of course, there's no doubt that with the right resources in the front, middle and back office, and technological innovations like an open mind, you're more likely to achieve your sales targets!
 
In fishing, there's also a form of cooptation
-As Éric always tells us, he was initiated by other anglers. It's a question of transmission, of sharing knowledge and experience... It's a way of progressing faster.
-In business, this network is also essential for developing your activity, finding new customers and the right partners. If you don't know how to surround yourself well, there's no saving you.
 
And above all, there's FUN.
Trout fishing isn't easy - otherwise it wouldn't be fun - and well in the business world, as the saying goes ''No pain, no gain''. The satisfaction of closing a deal, launching a new offer or seeing your business prosper is a priceless reward. Not everything is written in a gross operating result; the means, the entourage, the support and the ideas to get there are also generators of happiness and fulfillment.

 

And you, what passions enrich your professional skills?
 
PS: to talk trout fishing with Eric
eph@bibusfrance.fr

Otherwise you can also talk about mechatronics, Eric is one of our experts!
 
Thank you Éric for inspiring this article without a net.