Gabriel_175th Anniversary_Web_Spreads - Flipbook - Page 107
THE CONNEC TORS
The connector as a diplomat
inside the market
Closeness is not only external. Much of the connector’s job is diplomacy inside the organisation - balancing expectations, translating urgency, protecting relationships on both sides.
Donna describes that balancing act in very concrete terms: sales
teams across China can be a thousand or two thousand kilometres
apart, meeting only once a year. Internally, logistics and support teams
carry their own heavy workloads, while sales want answers now. So, a
connector becomes a moderator: calming one side down, keeping the
other side engaged, and ensuring pressure does not become friction.
Stéphane describes a similar diplomacy in the way he leads his French
team. He calls it “Danish management”: autonomy, trust, and fast access when it matters. He can get senior support on the phone when he
needs it, and he feels backed by colleagues - secure but not controlled.
That internal confidence becomes external confidence. It changes how
you show up to the market, especially when circumstances are severe.
And this is where internal culture becomes an external advantage. If
you can act quickly without fear, you can be honest faster. If you are
trusted internally, you can offer trust externally. If your colleagues respond, your customer feels they are not dealing with a lone salesperson but “one team,” as Esa puts it.
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