My Story of 4/20

Today is a special day for me. I hope my story is motivating and encouraging because that is my intention. Yeah, it is a long story but I think it is a good one. (I am long winded and this is the short version) First of all, thank you to all the very nice comments on Linkedin and Facebook. I appreciate all the good words and encouragement. I am fortunate to know awesome people all over the World. Personally, I think it is good to share positive news instead of the same old gloom & doom and I appreciate it every time anyone else has something to celebrate and lets me know. I try my best to encourage other people at whatever they are trying to do and I think everyone should. Positive words can have a positive effect. I am not celebrating because I am flying high as a kite and it is national weed smoking day. In the States and especially Michigan some go crazy with the wacky tobacky on 4/20. Nope, not for me. Today makes it 21 years working at my job. Last year I passed the $10 Million mark in sales that I have personally made for our company and I now have sold in 35 Countries around the World as well as almost every State in the United States and every Province in Canada. I feel some accomplishment but also some disappointment in myself because I have very high standards and goals for myself. I really think I should be at 15 Million in sales. In sales sometimes outside forces can interfere and that can slow you down but when it is all said and done I have to take responsibility for it myself. If this was easy everyone would do it. I push myself at a very high level and I set very high unreasonable goals for myself. I expect a lot out of myself. In sales there are no participation trophies. You actually have to work your ass off and try to stick to your goals and not choke. If a company needs my assistance they know they can count on me and I proved that over and over again. Am I a different kind of salesman? Damn right I am! In my industry what holds people back from considering what I sell is skepticism, being satisfied with things the way they are and a lack of knowledge of what we sell. I have had some companies purchase as many as 15 additional equipment set ups after the success of the first equipment set up they purchased so it must be working for someone. It would seem logical that our equipment works based on companies purchasing as much as they have from me and me being able to make a living selling this Technology for 21 years. A company is not going to purchase anything unless they know they are getting a return on the investment and I am very sure that they do based on the feedback I get from my customers. $10 Million dollars in vibrators. I don’t know of anyone else that can claim that and if they do they are probably selling something else. I have some sales that happened as fast as 3 hours from the initial contact. I have also had a company tell me they were going to purchase right away and they did purchase. 17 years later. I have customers that have used this equipment on something in range as small as an ink pen all the way up to a stamping press that was 1 Million, 300,000 lbs. So I can shake anything and nothing intimidates me. This job takes a lot of patience at times and a good sense of humor helps. Any time anyone sends me something funny I appreciate that because laughing is good for you. I work very hard, but I have to work smart. The people I sell to are very intelligent and they do not have time for nonsense. One of the reasons I think I have done so well Internationally is because I was brought up in a Family that had people in our house from everywhere in the World from day 1 and I was always exposed to different languages & accents. Maybe that and being from Canada I have a different perspective on things. I know that you absolutely need to treat everyone no matter what with respect and they all need to be treated the same way. Having a Father that inspired me that was Vice President of International Sales for his company throughout my childhood helped as well. I have learned a lot over the past 21 years working here. One thing I seem to pick up on is some words in other languages. I am not fluent in all these languages but I can get a conversation started. Some languages I can introduce myself and some I can talk about the equipment we sell and talk about other things. The more I listen to people in other languages the more I pick up. I have to be a sponge and absorb as much as possible. That helps if I get a call at 3:00 in the morning and I can recognize the Country code and remember what language to say hello in. I usually get left alone outside of standard business hours but I still have to make myself available and I try my best and once in a while I get those calls. It really does not bother me and it is important that I respond to customers as soon as possible. I also have absolutely no fear of calling into Foreign Countries. Some people find accents or different Languages intimidating but I look at it as a challenge to overcome and I do it. I have opened business up in about 15 Countries that our company never had sales in until I had the motivation to call and talk with them and listen to what they had to say. I think people in other Countries appreciate my attempts to speak their language and it gives them comfort to do business with me. Being arrogant and difficult has never been a good quality in sales. That does not mean that you give people everything they want and you have to know when to stand your ground. I have a lot more to do here at this company and I am still learning. I still have those unreasonable goals to achieve that would give some people a stroke if they tried. Maybe all the Marathon & Triathlon races as a young Man helped prepare me for this? Because I have not made it to a certain level it does not mean I won’t. I consider that “Not done yet but I will get it done” I do this so I can take care of my Sons Adam and Andrew and they have always been my first priority. I also have to set a good example of what a good work ethic is. We all have challenges and we all have to stand up to them and never give up. I am doing my very best and everyone should at whatever you are doing. As always, I like it, I like it, I like it! (Yelled very loud!)