EP #513 - Besfort Biljali: What Really Works in Swiss Sales (and in Greener, Faster, and Cheaper Lighting)

Timestamps

3:52 - Past failures that paved the way for success

9:12 - Shifting from finance, to vocation training, to retrofitting luminaries 

13:57 How Lumvin found a swiss-based cheaper, faster, and sustainable way to upgrade luminaries

32:28 Tips for driving sales in Switzerland

37:14 - Winning the Swiss Economic Award

This episode was co-produced with SEF.Growth, the Swiss Economic Forum's Growth initiative to support Swiss startups and SMEs with growth plans free of charge.

Click ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to order your copy of “Swiss Startups” today.

About Besfort Biljali:

Besfort Biljali is the Co-Founder of Lumvin, a Swiss clean tech company specialising in energy-efficient lighting solutions, and Deputy CEO at Libs Industrielle Berufslehren Schweiz, a leading vocational training organisation in the mechanical engineering sector. He holds an MSc in Finance from the University of Zurich and previously worked in finance and sales — all while competing as a professional handball player.

In his conversation with Silvan, Besfort shared how his background in sports and sales helped him transition into entrepreneurship, and how a chance conversation with a former colleague led to the founding of Lumvin. He also broke down what actually works in Swiss sales — from cold calling to long-term trust-building — and why his “Made in Switzerland” approach reinforces quality and credibility.

Besfort also spoke about the importance of vocational training in Switzerland’s innovation ecosystem, how he balances multiple high-stakes roles using time-blocking and prioritisation, and what it meant for Lumvin to win the 2025 Swiss Economic Award.

The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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