Négociales 2025: when the mutual support of the Alumni network propels two students to victory 🏆

For the past 10 years, the École has been taking part in the national inter-school sales competition Les Négociales. Two students, Marganne Paulet (Césure Master) and Marjolaine Maunoury (last year of Master en alternance) took part in the 36th edition held on March 27 at the Nancy Convention Center, an edition that will remain in their memories, taking 1st and 11th place respectively. Their secret? Preparation, made possible with the help of the Alumni network. Here's a look back at a story of mutual support and daring.

A call for help on LinkedIn

Marganne and Marjolaine have taken part in the competition several times between them, including two French-speaking finals each. 

But this 2025 edition had a special flavor: the last of their student careers. “We knew it was our last Négociales together, and we wanted to give it our best shot,” confides Marganne. To give themselves the best possible chance, the two students put out a call on LinkedIn, looking for professionals with a passion for negotiation to coach them.

A helping hand from the Alumni network

The Clermont SB Alumni Association soon spotted their initiative and commented on their post, identifying several graduates, including Baptiste Corvey Biron, a graduate and former judge of the competition. “I've always had a special attachment to the school and the Alumni Association. Throughout my career, graduates have often reached out to me. I try to do the same when opportunities arise”, he explains. Marganne emphasizes the simplicity of this connection: “Getting in touch was pretty straightforward, I sent a message to the people concerned thanking them for coming forward and asking for their availability, I then organized a schedule to plan our various training sessions.”

Baptiste organizes two video coaching sessions, recreating real competition conditions and sharing his invaluable advice. “Marganne and Marjolaine gave themselves the means to do extremely well at the Négociales. Over and above their motivation, I'm particularly impressed by the way they listened to me during our discussions.”

Decisive training sessions

The sessions were rigorously organized: buyer cases sent in advance, preparation of the seller case, role-playing and debriefing. For Marganne, “These training sessions were decisive in our results this year. They enabled us to work on our weak points and build up practical experience. I've taken a lot of positive things from them and I wouldn't hesitate to repeat the experience. It was also a great way to meet new people! 

Marjolaine underlines the expertise of their coach: “Baptiste gave us precise advice, original approaches that could create the ‘wow’ effect we were looking for in Nancy. He enabled us to fine-tune details and figure out how to make the difference, something we could hardly have done on our own or without someone who already had experience of the competition.”

Les Négociales, a sporting adventure

For Marjolaine, this edition of Les Négociales had all the hallmarks of a real sports competition, where preparation, training and team spirit are the keys to performance: “like any ‘sportsman’, because in the end a negotiation contest is a bit like a sports competition, you have to train, recover and be at your best on D-Day, having a professional staff is also very important. That's where Baptiste came into his own: he was part of our coaching team, and helped us enormously to perform well on D-Day.”

When the Trudaine spirit makes sense

This experience is a perfect example of the Trudaine spirit: mutual aid, commitment, transmission. Baptiste sums it up perfectly: “It's an excellent reflex to ask for help from one's network, and especially from the School's alumni!  And Marganne adds: “A lot of graduates are ready to help us students, whether we're looking for an internship, a work-study program, an open-ended contract, a move abroad or a competition, as was the case here. The alumni network is a force to be reckoned with.

Marjolaine concludes with a strong message: “DARE! In the worst case, you won't get an answer, in the best, you'll have met inspiring people like Baptiste, you too will have grown and progressed, and this experience is proof of that, many graduates want to help and exchange with students.”

Well done to Marganne and Marjolaine for their achievements and thank you to all the graduates who, like Baptiste, take the time to pass on their knowledge and expertise...