Episode #1 – Hugues Therrien

Sales success isn’t just about product knowledge or sharp negotiation skills. In this inaugural episode of the ABB Sales in Motion series, I chat with Hugues Therrien, Division Manager of Drives and Motor Services at ABB in St. Laurent, Quebec. Hugues shares his insights on why clear and adaptive communication is crucial in sales.

We explore the importance of building trust through authentic conversations, the impact of different communication styles, driver, expressive, amiable, and analytic, and how recognizing and adapting to these styles leads to more productive client relationships and team dynamics.

Hugues shares practical strategies for reading the room, overcoming communication biases, and facilitating collaboration, including a real-world story where tailoring the message unlocked a $1.5 million sale.

Outline of This Episode

• [00:00] Authentic communication drives results.
• [04:42] Adapting communication for understanding.
• [06:38] Managing communication style clashes.
• [10:13] Balancing leadership and communication.
• [13:17] Effective communication under pressure.
• [16:36] Curiosity enhances connection, avoid assumption.
• [19:50] Adapting your strategy to the audience.

Why Effective Communication is the Foundation of Sales

Hugues Therrien, ABB’s Division Manager of Drives and Motor Services, believes that effective communication is the foundation of trust and connection with customers. It’s not just about presenting your product; it’s equally about understanding your client’s needs, concerns, and goals.

Hugues emphasizes that authentic, credible communication guides clients to make comfortable, confident decisions. This is what differentiates top performers within the industry: the ability to communicate clearly and authentically, fostering relationships that go beyond mere transactions.

Understanding Communication Style Bias in Sales

Every salesperson has their own natural communication style. Whether you’re naturally a “driver,” “expressive,” “amiable,” or “analytic,” these tendencies influence not just how you speak but how you relate to others. The risk is sticking only to relationships that mirror your own style. This can create blind spots and keep you from connecting with diverse teams and clients.

Communication style bias is the tendency to favor people who communicate like we do. It often leads sales professionals to unintentionally exclude or misunderstand colleagues and clients with different styles, missing opportunities to build broader networks and deeper trust.

The Four Primary Communication Styles

• Drivers: Focused on efficiency, quick decisions, and tangible results.
• Analytics: Value detailed data and time for thorough analysis before committing.
• Expressives: Big-picture thinkers who thrive on enthusiasm and broad concepts.
• Amiables: Appreciate steady, calm interactions and prioritize emotional safety.

When these styles collide, misunderstandings and frustration can arise, such as a decisive driver clashing with the methodical pace of an analytic or an expressive storyteller losing the attention of a data-driven technical team. Recognizing and adapting to these differences is key to unlocking productive interactions.

Strategies to Adapt and Thrive Across Communication Styles

How can sales professionals bridge these divides? Hugues offers a few actionable strategies:

Read the Room: Pay attention to body language and cues. Is your audience engaged or distracted? This can reveal if your style resonates.

Know Your Audience: Executive leaders may be drivers; engineers often prefer analytics. Tailor your approach accordingly.

Active Listening: Instead of preparing your next response, listen to truly understand the other person’s priorities and concerns.

Curiosity: Ask open questions and show genuine interest. As Hugues says, “Curiosity is a sign of smart intelligence.”

Self-Awareness: Recognize your own defaults, especially under pressure. Seek feedback from colleagues to uncover how you’re perceived.

Importantly, adapting does not mean changing who you are. It’s about flexibility and respect, meeting others where they are to build deeper relationships.

The Impact of Adapting Style

Hugues shares a great real-life example of the importance of communication styles: a dynamic, expressive account manager nearly lost a client’s interest by focusing too much on storytelling in a meeting packed with analytical engineers. By quickly realigning the approach to deliver data-driven facts, the team re-engaged the room and secured a $1.5 million order, a testament to reading the room and adapting communication in real time.

Sales is built on relationships, and relationships thrive on adaptable, empathetic communication. By embracing our differences, honing our awareness, and refining our approach, we transform sales into a profession to be proud of.

Connect with Hugues Therrien

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Learn More About Hugues Therrien

1. What was the pivotal moment in your career when you recognized the importance of adapting to different communication styles to improve collaboration and results?

I was a project manager at ABB, and I was leading a Manufacturing transfer project from Europe to Canada. Despite everyone being fluent in English, collaboration was stalling. Deadlines were slipping, and misunderstandings were frequent. I realized that while the language was shared, the communication styles were vastly different:

• The Canadian team favored direct, fast-paced exchanges.
• The European team leaned toward structured, formal discussions.

During a tense meeting, a miscommunication led to a major feature being dropped without consensus. I paused and asked each team member how they preferred to give and receive feedback. That moment sparked a shift.

We introduce the following to adaption our communication style: 

• Introduced cultural briefings to raise awareness.
• Used visual project boards to reduce ambiguity.
• Scheduled regional check-ins to allow space for different pacing.
• Encouraged anonymous feedback tools to surface concerns from more reserved team members.

As a result, the team not only met the revised launch date but also exceeded expectations. We were able to start the Canadian production 2 months in advance.

This kind of moment teaches that adapting communication isn’t just about being polite; it’s about unlocking the full potential of diverse minds.

2. Can you share a specific instance where understanding or adapting to another person’s communication style significantly improved a business relationship or outcome?

I remember when I was in a customer meeting with my account manager, he was giving a sales speech, and he was not reading the body language of the room. After 10 minutes, people start to take out their cellphones and read their emails. We took a break, and I took my account manager an explained the situation. He was using storytelling to sell to engineers. After the break, he adapted his speech to present data, and rapidly, the people in the room started to be engaged, and this meeting resulted in a long-term service agreement with this customer because the data that we presented convinced them of the added value of our offering.

3. What has been the most challenging situation you’ve faced in overcoming communication style differences, and what strategies helped you navigate it successfully?

When I started to work at ABB, I was working with an international team from Europe. I felt that my communication was clear, but not understood. I started to read about the culture of that country to understand how they were communicating and I discovered that we were diagonally opposed. I adapted the strategy to do active listening and try to put myself in their shoe to really adapt the way I am communicating. It was a successful story, and both teams are now very close together.

4. What are your top three must-have habits, tools, or techniques for building stronger connections across diverse communication styles in the workplace?

For me, it starts with actively listening to the other person in front of you. Practicing empathetic listening will help to build trust and psychological safety. Secondly, using the feedback loop will force us to build mutual respect across diverse perspectives and will help to uncover the blind spots. Finally, use your self-awareness to rapidly identify the communication style of the other person. It will allow you to adapt your communication style and adapt your message to that person. It is to join the other person where he/she is.

5. With remote work, multicultural teams, and digital channels becoming the norm, how do you see communication style awareness evolving in the future? What should professionals do to stay ahead?

Today, remote work, multicultural teams, and digital channels have become the norm; communication style awareness must be in core leadership competency instead of being a nice-to-have. We’re moving away from fixed personality tests and learning to adjust in real time by picking up on digital signals, being aware of cultural differences, and changing how we communicate depending on the situation. To stay ahead, professionals should invest in tools that enhance emotional intelligence and foster feedback environments. The future belongs to those who can flex their style without losing authenticity.

6. What are some simple but often overlooked strategies for reducing communication bias that could make a big difference if more professionals adopted them?

• Avoid assuming others interpret tone or intent the same way you do, especially across cultures or digital channels. 
• Ask clarifying questions instead of making assumptions. Use your curiosity (ABB core value) and be genuine. 
• Slow down your response time. Taking a moment to reflect before replying helps reduce reactive bias and improves clarity.