Maxime Leclerc, Sales at Scalability, embodies a modern and pragmatic approach to the sales profession. His philosophy? Disqualification as a key skill, support as a necessity, and continuous learning as a driver of progression.
What Salespeople Crucially Lack Today
"Support, I'd say, method for some, questioning for others, the desire to learn too." Maxime makes an uncompromising assessment of the modern sales sector's shortcomings.
For him, too many salespeople are content to "make money" without seeking to master the fundamentals: "It's cool to make money, but to reach certain stages, you have to master certain things, bring value and actually sell to the right people."
Disqualification: His Sales Superpower
When asked about his best sales skill, Maxime's response is immediate: "Disqualification." A skill he considers the most underrated in the market.
"I think there are many people who waste time on deals, they're not opportunities actually, so focusing on the right opportunities." This approach allows him to avoid classic traps and maximize his efficiency.
The Salesperson Cliché: A Nuanced Reality
On clichés surrounding salespeople, Maxime adopts a nuanced position: "They don't help us, but for me, after that, it depends on how you sell."
His red line? "If you want to sell at all costs, even when you can't help the person, you fit in and don't help us with that cliché." An ethic that distinguishes him: "I'm not ashamed of it and for me, I'm not in that category."
Deals That Stick: When Ghosting Hurts
Which deals stick in his throat? "People who tell me [...] that we're going to have a signature today. I manage to negotiate it, I send the purchase order, no more news."
This frustration with ghosting led him to prefer frankness: "Ghosting, I prefer a quick no rather than wasting time and energy."
His Anti-Ghosting Strategy: The "Abandoned Project"
Maxime has developed an original technique for following up with silent prospects: "Now, what I do is I put 'company name', abandoned project."
His method? "For example, there in Q4, I'm going to put 'company name 2025' abandoned project. The person already opens it." A transparent approach that works: "Very transparently, I say the project doesn't seem to be a priority and to work with us, you still need to put resources in for it to work well."
Building an Early-Stage Sales Team: His Expert Advice
Step 1: The CEO Must Sell
"Already, it's the CEO. For me, a CEO or co-founder who doesn't sell, who thinks of delegating this part, I don't believe it."
Step 2: The First Hire, Crucial
"First hire, it's the most important, I'd say. If you're wrong, you lose a lot of time." The ideal profile? "Someone who's a bit entrepreneurial in spirit too, who's not afraid to break their teeth, who's not afraid to arrive when there's nothing built."
Step 3: Scale the Model
"Succeed in scaling the model that worked. That is, how you put your approach that works well on paper, you manage to transmit it."
Managing Failure: A Philosophy of Resilience
"It's a fear I had a lot before. By having failures, it scares me less." His definition of failure? "For me, fear of failure is that if you don't learn lessons from it, it's a failure."
His learning process: "So I learn lessons and I take a step back to see why it didn't work."
International: His Next Challenge
"International deals, in the sense that as soon as it speaks English too quickly, we lose a bit." A challenge he takes on with humility: "So it's my current focus to close deals in English. I've done a few, but I have to thank Benjamin who helped me with that."
His Response to Salespeople Who Lack Leads
When a salesperson complains about lacking leads, Maxime's response is direct and uncompromising: "Go get them."
Maxime Leclerc represents a new generation of salespeople: ethical, methodical, and centered on client value. His mastery of disqualification and his ability to transform each failure into learning make him a model for all those who want to excel in modern sales.
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