More Than 5500 Appliances in Over 50 Years – France's Thermomix® representative with the most appliances sold
Jean-Claude Marceau and his team prepare ice cream at the Paris trade fair.
In the world of our direct sales, there are personalities who shine far beyond the sales figures. In our series about our tireless advisors who have sold the most Thermomix® or Kobold appliances in their Vorwerk market, today we introduce you to Jean-Claude Marceau from France, who is one of these inspiring people.
The Thermomix® was invented in France in 1971. Two years later, the then 24-year-old Jean-Claude Marceau started his career at Vorwerk. The trained cabinet maker did not have much to do with cooking at the time, but the Thermomix® as a product convinced him immediately. Eventually, a friend advised him to pursue a career as an advisor. Today, over 50 years later, Jean-Claude is still selling Thermomix®.
He sold his first three Thermomix® in his first week, 17 in his first month. The first demonstration, during which he was trained, took less than five minutes. A brief explanation of the functions of the Thermomix® VM2000 – and then the financial side of things was taken care of. It was so simple that Jean-Claude was convinced of his new career and shortly afterwards became a successful Team leader. To date, the 75-year-old has sold more than 5564Thermomix® – a worldwide personal record. Although he is now retired, he continues to sell our products as an independent sales advisor.
Demonstration before sale
To be successful as an advisor, you have to be a demonstrator, not a salesman, Jean-Claude is sure of that. "If you present yourself to potential customers with confidence and give a good demo with delicious recipes, you'll be convincing," he says. At the end of a good demonstration, the customer must really want to treat themselves to the Thermomix® instead of just buying it. That, says Jean-Claude, is the small but significant difference to success for him. He has also created an extremely helpful mnemonic that he uses to do his job: FEDAT - which stands for Foi (Faith), Enthousiasme (Enthusiasm), Dynamisme (Dynamism), Ambition (Ambition) and Tenacité (Tenacity).
Jean-Claude Marceau in 2007 with the former Thermomix® Sales Director Bertrand Lengaigne and the world's most famous chef Paul Bocuse.
Jean-Claude Marceau in 2013 with the well-known chef Christian Le Squer in his Michelin-starred restaurant Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris.
Many very special moments have been created in more than 50 years. He can't list them all, but the opening of the first branch office in France is definitely one of the unforgettable events of the last five decades. The many trips he has made over the course of his career "will always remain in my memory". In addition to the many celebrities he had the honour of meeting, Jean-Claude's collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse and the numerous visits to Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris were particularly special moments.
Today, the 75-year-old enjoys special moments in his home, the small village of Teigny in Burgundy, with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren. He spends his free time there gardening or looking after his pigeons. He also enjoys riding his motorbike or travelling in his camper van: plenty to do and yet Jean-Claude remains loyal to Thermomix® – out of love for the product.
Jean-Claude's Thermomix® insider tip:
One of Jean-Claude's favourite Thermomix® dishes is “Choucroute de la mer”, which is seafood with sauerkraut. The combination of sauerkraut and seafood sounded strange to him at first, but he assures us that it tastes fantastic in the Thermomix®. He advises everyone to give it a try.
Jean-Claude Marceau in front of the famous Parisian restaurant Le Fouquet's.
Jean-Claude Marceau is honoured in Monaco in 2009 for 4000 Thermomix® sales.
Jean-Claude Marceau at the Paris trade fair in 2009.