Forging a career in sales enablement with the MSc in Global Sales Excellence
Swarun Selvakumar joined the MSc in Global Sales Excellence in September 2024, a program dedicated to building sales leaders and covering modern-day sales methodologies in digital sales and strategies to change management and sales enablement. Sales enablement, an emerging discipline in recent years, involves providing sales teams with the resources, training, and tools they need to sell more effectively.
Prior to this, Swarun amassed 3 years of experience as a Senior Business Development Executive, helping startups scale their revenue in India. Recently, he secured a position as a Sales Enablement Executive at Dimo Maint in Limonest, near Lyon, France.
In this article, Swarun relates his experience at emlyon business school and how it influenced his career path.
What is your overall impression of the MSc in Global Sales Excellence?
The program was a great experience overall. Coming in with three years of work experience as a Senior Business Development professional in India, I was looking to upskill myself and prepare myself to move up the career ladder for leadership roles in the sales domain. That’s when I came across this MSc program at emlyon business school.
The quality of the courses was strong. While some subjects felt familiar because of what I had already experienced on the field, others really stood out – especially the ones that brought in global perspectives on how sales teams operate in different parts of the world. We also had professors who weren’t just academics, but senior industry leaders, directors, and experts who shared real, practical insights. On top of that, professors from around the globe emphasized why sales is a skill everyone should cultivate, regardless of their career path.
What is sales enablement and why did you pursue a career in this sector?
I’ve always wanted to do something more than just front-line sales. I was interested in the backbone of sales, the structure, the tools, and the strategies that make sales teams perform at their best. That’s what drew me to sales enablement.
It’s an evolving role that sits at the intersection of sales, marketing, and operations. For me, it’s also a steppingstone toward my long-term goal of becoming CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) or CSO (Chief Sales Officer). What excites me most about this role is being able to design the right frameworks, equip sales teams to focus on what they do best, and constantly refine strategies so that the whole organization sells smarter – not just harder.
How did the MSc in Global Sales Excellence help you achieve this career goal?
Even though sales is something you mostly learn through practice, I really capitalized on the theoretical side of this program and the insights shared by experts from different industries. It completely reinvented how I look at sales today. I learned to think with more nuance and to pay attention to the finer details that make a big difference. The program gave me a new lens to approach challenges within sales teams, spotting bottlenecks, understanding what holds performance back, and then building clear action plans to solve those issues.
You’ve just secured a job in France. Do you speak French? Is it hard to find a job in France as an international student?
The company I’m working for now is a French company, and I’m actually their first hire who doesn’t speak French fluently. All of my interviews were conducted in English, which shows it’s definitely possible to land an internship or even a job in France without speaking the language. That said, I’d strongly recommend learning French because it makes the process so much easier. At the end of the day, sales is about communication and understanding people, their emotions, their needs, and language plays a huge role in that, especially if you’re targeting the French market.
I’m still learning myself, maybe you can join me in French class so I don’t feel like the only beginner in the room !
Swarun’s experience in the MSc in Global Sales Excellence at emlyon business school shows how valuable this program is for future sales leaders. By combining what he learned in class with his work experience, Swarun is now ready to take on a role in sales enablement – his dedication to continuous learning and innovation illustrates the transformative impact of this program and how it successfully prepares future graduates lo launch their career. For aspiring sales professionals, this program not only teaches modern sales techniques but also fosters a global perspective and valuable industry connections.