Episode 5

Lauriane Emard and Claude Triebel, field sales representatives, travel across France meeting the stores that offer the Ekkia range to their equestrian customers.

🗺️ Their career paths?

🪧 Their role alongside retailers?

🐴 Ekkia’s strengths in a changing market?

🤝 Their team dynamic?

What are your respective backgrounds and how did you join Ekkia?

CT: I’m from Lorraine and have been riding since I was six years old. I first had a professional equestrian career in eventing, then worked as an instructor. In 2000, I joined Devoucoux Saddlery, covering the Grand Est region until 2014. Between 2014 and 2019, I took on an entrepreneurial challenge by opening a high-end English shoe store in Metz. Then, after meeting Pascal Gautherin, I joined Ekkia to manage the Grand Est area — just two months before Covid hit.

LE: Horses have always been part of my life too. I’ve been riding since I was 11. After earning a BTS degree in agricultural accounting and management systems, followed by a degree in equine product marketing, I started my professional career in breeding farms and competition stables, first as a breeding manager and later as a groom. Through a chance encounter, I joined France Cheval in 2007 as a sales representative. And since January 1st, 2022, I’ve proudly been wearing the Ekkia colors, managing the entire South-West region.

How is your day-to-day work organized?

LE: First of all, it’s a very mobile job! In terms of mileage, we each drive around 70,000 to 80,000 km per year. We each manage a portfolio of around 200 to 250 accounts, all with very different profiles. Even with the growth of e-commerce, our clients still want to touch the materials, assess leather quality, and try on clothing. My vehicle is a real showroom!

CT: The challenge is optimizing our routes to avoid unnecessary travel. You need a very well-oiled organization, but in reality, the client always decides. They may be unavailable, already hosting another sales rep, or simply in a very busy period. So we adapt. Over time, we know them by heart — we know the best day to call or when it’s pointless to insist. It’s also our responsibility to prepare these meetings thoroughly and define the right commercial strategy to present the product selection best suited to each customer.

What has changed over time with the end customer?

CT: First of all, there’s a clear “before and after” Covid. As soon as lockdown ended, riders made up for lost time after being separated from their horses for months. We saw a very strong increase in everything related to horse care, health, wellbeing, and safety equipment. And that success has continued ever since. In fact, 2025 was my best year ever! Ekkia anticipated the market and made the right strategic choices, particularly with stock levels and new product launches.

LE: What has fundamentally changed is the customer’s impatience. They want everything quickly, they compare online, and they have new expectations. Our retailers therefore need us to be extremely responsive regarding product availability. Customers also expect a very wide range in terms of sizes, colors, and even personalization options. That’s one of our real strengths.

What are Ekkia’s strengths compared to the competition?

CT: The catalogue. More than 20,000 references, often with different price options within the same product family. That allows us to reach a very broad customer base. Retailers can find solutions for every level of their product offering. Then there’s exclusivity — around 80% of our brands are exclusive. This means that retailers choosing not to work with Ekkia would need to deal with many different suppliers, losing time and responsiveness, while struggling to reach minimum order quantities. They would also miss out on brands unavailable anywhere else. We are practically unavoidable. That’s not arrogance — it’s simply a fact.

LE: Stock availability is key. Our way of working allows retailers to maintain strong inventory follow-up without being overstocked. That’s a major competitive advantage at a time when our B2B clients are facing increasingly tight cash flow situations. Another strength is our purchasing power, especially thanks to the Padd network, which enables us to offer competitive pricing. In many ways, it’s a large-scale retail approach.

Your role goes beyond sales, especially when new stores open. What role do you play?

LE: As soon as headquarters informs us about a new store project, we quickly meet the entrepreneur. We try to understand the project — timing, positioning, location — and support them from A to Z, from product selection and store layout to the first weeks of activity. In the beginning, we visit them more regularly to advise on sales, restocking, and merchandising. Our experience with store openings truly makes the difference.

CT: We position ourselves as experts — more consultants than simple salespeople. Clients really appreciate that because it reassures them. Sometimes I even slow down entrepreneurs who want to stock everything immediately. I tell them: let’s start gradually and review things after 30 days. It’s better to feel like you’re missing something than to stress over immobilized stock when the first invoices arrive. Once the business is running well and sales are growing, we accelerate. That’s how long-term trust is built.

Do you need to be a rider to do this job?

LE: It’s not mandatory, but it definitely helps. When I started, the first question clients asked me was: “Are you a rider?” It was their way of knowing whether I truly understood the subject. My background gave me natural credibility. That said, we also need to remain objective and not let our personal rider preferences influence the products we recommend.

CT: Not being a rider isn’t a deal breaker. In fact, one of our historic sales reps, who retired two years ago, could barely tell a horse’s head from its tail — and still delivered excellent sales figures! Above all, you need strong commercial skills, solid product knowledge, and the ability to listen to and understand the customer. But of course, an equestrian background adds credibility.

You’ve worked together for several years. How would you describe your team dynamic?

LE: We’re fortunate to work for a company that truly takes care of its sales teams, giving us freedom while also providing structure. Even though Claude and I approach customers differently, we speak regularly. Every month on the 25th, Claude, myself, and our two younger sales reps, Milan and Catherine, send Monique what we consider emerging demands, products requested by customers that are unavailable, or missing variations. Sharing our field feedback is essential.

CT: Central coordination is very important. Twice a year, we’re always happy to meet in Haguenau for our sales meetings — new collections, figures, strategy, and more. But throughout the year, we stay connected through a WhatsApp group. For example, for our upcoming June sales meeting, we’re working on what we call a “Perfect Sales Rep Manual” — a true field bible. Because passing on knowledge is also part of our role.

The motto that guides you every day?

LE: “Exchange, understand, convince.”

CT: “Order as a foundation, performance as an objective, adaptability as a strength.”

Ekkia in one word?

LE: Performance.

CT: Essential.