Building a great platform is a tough but rewarding endeavour, as we’ve discussed time and time again on the blog. There are details to be ironed out, use cases to be explored and catered to. But there is an undisputed truth: as good as a product may be, without a strong sales team, it’s an exercise in futility. Thankfully, we’re covered on this front as well. Let’s meet Giorgos Kalfas, our Sales and Partner’s Manager and all-around nice guy.
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Of course, my name is Giorgos, I am a father of two who loves to travel, practice martial arts and eat white chocolate!
What does your work as Sales and Partners Manager entail?
It is a very diverse role in which I need to work on an international basis, with people from many countries. I oversee the team’s sales efforts, as well as make sure I keep in regular contact with partners, to ensure that they have everything they need to work to our standard.
As the Sales and Partner’s Manager, I have to be accustomed to working on deals of all sizes and this requires time management and organizational skills.
Let’s say I’m an enterprise looking for a Talent Development product. What would you tell me to convince me to check out eFront?
It effectively mixes functionality, flexibility, customizability and a balanced price plan with a very user friendly interface and a great support team.
Likewise, let’s say that I’m a prospective partner. What would your pitch be? Why should I collaborate with Epignosis?
For a partner, eFront is a great product to sell. It offers most features that companies require in addition to having the flexibility to incorporate customizations. As a company, we have a good ethos, which partners appreciate in terms of being honest and open. We always try to work very closely with our partners and assist them in any way that we can.
You have extended experience in helping sell technology-related products. Does the Learning and Talent Development market differ in any significant way?
The market is entirely international and involves working with people and organizations around the globe. The LMS market is unique, in that where you are based is not the most important factor when considering which platform to go for. It is also more specialist, because you need to find an exact match for your potential clients in terms of features and customizations, so the selling process can be in depth and complex.
Where would you place eFront in the competitive landscape?
eFront is a strong competitor because it finds a good balance between price and advanced features. With a lot of functionality and the ability to customize, the price makes it attractive to most potential buyers. We are not the cheapest nor are we the most expensive, but we are the best value for money.
eFront has some very big enterprises and organizations among its customers. Do they require a special treatment or have different demands compared to smaller installations?
We do, indeed, and even from our very first client, Fujitsu, our customer interaction has remained the same. If companies do require anything extra or unusual in terms of support, this is always discussed, and we try to ensure that we comply with our customer’s needs.
How do you like working for Epignosis? Anything particularly rewarding or challenging regarding your role?
Epignosis is a vibrant and creative office with many talented individuals. This environment is great to encourage and motivate a team. Our ethos is unique.
When I started at Epignosis, there were only 3 people working here; now the company has grown tenfold. From one customer to thousands, I have gained a great sense of achievement throughout the process and am proud of what the team has managed in such a short period of time.
The product is also completely different now, with more advanced features and a sleek image. It’s very rewarding to see our efforts being actualized.
Where do you see eFront be in 5 years time?
Within the year, we aim to have a fully functioning mobile app, which will be a great achievement. In terms of more long term, I expect the amount of features that we offer to increase, I expect them to be more extensive and advanced as time goes on.
