Sales and Marketing Strategy and Tactics Employed: I put together a series of formal presentations for the senior director of operations and his staff who oversaw this area of this company’s business and argued a business case which positioned my product offering as an overall better option for the company in the long term. While this was certainly accurate, it was still an uphill battle all the way.  Armed with a good strategy, I overcame all objections to eliminating the company’s internal program and switching to my company’s data-services offering. The final decision was elevated to the U.S. subsidiary president of this multi billion-dollar Japanese firm for approval.

Measurable Results: The company terminated their internal program and contracted with my firm. I was also invited to travel to Japan to pursue other globalized data-service opportunities with this company’s senior managers -- a rare honor offered by this firm.

Question: What else did you accomplish for ADP?

Measurable Results: Of four area directors in ADP’s Technical Data Services Group, my West Coast sales production surpassed the production of the Eastern, Midwest/Gulf and Canadian regions combined.  No peer was able to match or exceed the sales record I generated which earned me a designation as an ADP President’s Club member.  As a member of the Technical Data Services Group's management team, my software license growth in the Western Region steadily exceeded 100% growth above quota.    Here is my record of accomplishment at ADP:

Question: Prior to ADP, you worked for one of California’s largest publicly held firms, American President Companies. In that company, you managed a large sales force. Describe how you developed your sales team and improved their performance. What was the situation prior to your assignment? How did you identify strengths and weaknesses? What steps did you take? What were your measurable results?

Situation: Following my promotion to the position of Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for the Pacific Central Region with Northern California’s 10th largest publicly held company, I faced an under-performing region ($2 million dollars under plan). Every member of the sales staff I inherited had been in their position for many years. Additionally, I was also younger than any member of this group and was faced with the challenge of proving my professional leadership credentials and credibility from the onset.

Identification of Strengths and Weaknesses: Success in any pursuit is rarely realized with the application of any one-dimensional tactic. Different customers have different needs, priorities and interests. Likewise, different team-members also have different priorities and interests. I went about a process of identifying the needs, priorities and interests of each member of the sales staff that I had inherited. One individual needed more extensive field-based training. Another individual needed a boost of “self-confidence” enhancement. Others had other needs. I put together an action plan for each member of the team and worked towards making each of them the individual successes that I needed in order to pull off a huge collective success.

Other Steps Taken: Reassignment of sales territories to better leverage individual talents; refocusing of internal marketing efforts to better support the field staff; development of tactical ROI marketing tools; and, much hard work and many long days.

Measurable Results: In a six-month period, the $2 million-dollar below-plan shortfall that I had inherited was overcome and the Region went on to finish the year at $1.5 million over plan. Revenues were tripled in the following 36 months to $76 million dollars. These results had never been achieved before and have not been matched to date. Here are the details of my accomplishments growing a $76-million-dollar business:

Question: You've detailed some of your yearly sales figures above.  What is your lifetime sales production record?

Response: My lifetime sales production record to date exceeds $275 million dollars.

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"At almost every company, you will find that 20% of the people produce 80% of the profits. This core of workers forms the backbone and cutting edge of the typical company. They are the rainmakers, the problem solvers and the key innovators. They are the super-charged engines that drive a company forward."

-- Thomas J. Becker, Entrepreneur and Human Resources Strategist

"I like to race sailboats out of Marblehead Harbor.  Every time I go out on the water, I am struck by the fact that we all race the same boats with the same number of crew in the same weather conditions.  But one crew always manages to outrace the other crew and win.  Why?  Because their captain understands that the ability to lead and inspire a team makes a pivotal difference in sailing ... and the same is true in managing."

-- Professor Robert H. Hayes, Harvard Business School 

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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