With support from Perpetos, the Platform launched a global Sales Academy focused on customer-centric business development. The result? A shared sales language, more customer-focused conversations, and a strategic shift in how sales teams create value.
Etex Group is a global leader in lightweight construction solutions, with Promat as one of its leading brands. Promat specializes in passive fire protection for sectors ranging from tunnels and transportation to energy and high-temperature insulation.
The challenge: sharpening the focus on customer drivers
Promat’s salespeople have long been known for their strong technical knowledge and solution-oriented mindset. However, in increasingly complex and consultative sales environments, there was an opportunity to further enhance how customer needs, motivations, and buying journeys are understood and addressed.
This required a tailored Learning and Development (L&D) approach:
Even experienced sales professionals benefit from taking a step back and strengthening fundamentals like active listening, asking powerful questions, and identifying deeper customer drivers. This is about refining our approach to align with today’s customer expectations
says Claudia Armanni, HR Business Partner and Promat Training Manager at Etex Group
The solution: a tailored sales academy
In 2023, Etex partnered with Perpetos to launch the Promat Sales Academy. Following a rigorous intake phase with interviews across business units and leadership, Perpetos proposed several modules, and prioritized a module focusing on Customer-Centric Business Development.
The content focused on several hot topics that could enhance the Promat sales team’s knowledge and skills, including:
- Customer journey alignment
- Developing a common language across segments and countries
- Advanced conversation and listening techniques
- Vision creation for early project involvement
- Value chain mapping to broaden stakeholder engagement
- Packaging messages based on buying readiness
In practice, the learning journey combined several days of in-person training and workshops, real case group coaching, implementation assignments, online experience-sharing sessions, and a AI-based microlearning app, called Qstream, with personalized, fun learning challenges delivered to the participants in their flow of work, to further improve knowledge retention.
This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Perpetos built a program from different modules, tailored to Promat’s real sales cases. Every session was hands-on, grounded in projects that participants were actually working on. It was a fine example of collaboration and co-creation.
says Claudia
Results: from competencies to capabilities
The transformation was immediate in mindset, and early indicators show promising business impact. Salespeople learned to engage earlier in the buying cycle and tailor messaging to customer priorities. Promat teams now use coverage mapping tools to identify influential stakeholders and navigate complex decision-making landscapes. Conversations also shifted from ‘telling’ to ‘asking’, a critical cultural change for senior technical sellers. During the entire trajectory, the focus was on turning competencies into capabilities, making sure that participants can apply their learnings in the field.
We took real project challenges – from Saudi Arabia, the US, Belgium – and used them during training. Now, we know how to listen more effectively, guide the conversation, and increase our perceived value. It’s already helped us advance key projects.
says Sabu Thomas, Global Tunnel Manager at Etex Group
One of those projects, previously considered a lost opportunity, has since moved from the lead stage to negotiation an outcome Sabu partly attributes to the new training approach.
And although Promat’s project-based sales cycles can span years, the Qstream app now offers measurable insight into progress.
We already see that our proficiency is higher than industry benchmarks. And we’re using this data to structure the Sales Academy into a certification track with real business impact
says Claudia
Perpetos as a co-pilot
The success of the initiative wasn’t just about methodology, it was about partnership. Claudia credits Perpetos and its trainer – Eliséo Manfron, an ICF (International Coaching Federation) certified coach – for their co-creation mindset and ongoing adaptation.
Eliséo was more than a trainer, he was our co-pilot during the whole trajectory. He stayed involved throughout the journey, adapting the program based on feedback and ensuring each team got exactly what they needed. That level of commitment made the difference.
says Claudia
Sabu agrees.
We’ve had trainings before, but this was different. Eliséo brought real sales experience. He understood our reality and helped us make the shift we needed.
Looking ahead
With the first module rolled out across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Etex is expanding the Sales Academy to North America and beyond. A second module focused on complex negotiation is already in development for Q4 2025.
One thing is clear: Promat’s sales conversations are no longer just technically excellent, they’re customer-centric as well.
