PPB February 2018

best sellers and products specific to their clients’ industries. “We know what we are looking for—for example, we know what trade shows our clients have coming up. We go with specific objectives so suppliers can follow up with us immediately. We sit down with our clients when we return from the shows and move the project forward. We also bring in vendors and team up with other Proforma offices and get presentations from local reps.” Haar also leans on her supplier partners for their expertise. “I’ll even invite supplier reps as expert consultants to join our team in sales meetings with clients when a specific need arises. I also make it a priority for our entire team to sit in on presentations from our supplier outside sales reps who visit our office, including our sales reps and CSRs.” She also makes going to local and regional supplier showcases and attending Proforma’s annual conventions a priority. “Any opportunity we get to meet face-to-face with our suppliers and to see the products firsthand is important to me. Ultimately, if specific features of certain products are important to a client, then it’s important to me to find that fit. It’s not always about budget and quantity. Selecting a product that represents a brand is a big decision. And that product’s features should be carefully considered. Distributors can never know intimately the features of hundreds of thousands of products. But we can discern exactly what our clients want and need, and then we can help narrow the field with the help of our supplier partners.” Mealor gets a lot of his product information from watching webinars and touring production facilities to learn about the products he recommends to clients, but, ultimately, he says it all comes down to the questions he asks of suppliers. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” he says. “If you are not sure, ask.” For professionals on the other side of the industry who sell products and services, the learning curve is just as steep. When SAGE comes out with new products, Eric Seamount, senior account executive recently recognized for having the highest distributor sales revenue, jumps in and plays around with the new features. He also gives credit to his support staff, who shows the team new features and helps them learn about new products. Likewise, his colleague, Douthitt, attends regular company training sessions and integrates the new products and updates into his daily sales meetings. Peddy likes to learn how his distributor clients use SAGE software and ultimately what their goals are. “If you can understand your customers’ goals, you look at your products with the appropriate lens,” he says. Rachel Hare, field sales manager for PCNA Trimark Apparel and 2016 U.S. Trimark Apparel Sales Person of the Year, takes a strategic approach to educating her clients about new products. It starts with cultivating a passion for what she’s selling. Before each new product launch, she writes out a presentation that digs into why a client would want to sell her line over her competitors’offerings. Next, she notes the features and benefits of each product in the catalog. Once she’s generated an interest in the line, she goes through the catalog with her clients and runs through her relevant notes. “After the first couple of presentations, I don’t need the notes anymore,” she says. “Also, I listen to the feedback my clients give me. Often, they’ll come up with cool ways to use or sell a product that I’ll then incorporate into my presentation.” Kaufmann says he interacts closely with PCNA’s product development team members. “They are an amazing resource, as they have spent substantial time with the product brought to market to assure it’s one that is worthy of making our catalog.” He also researches the retail intent of the product as a consumer, and finally, he solicits market and product research feedback from his kids, ages 21-33, who work in the education and business sectors. “They are true end users, as they are the ones who will be getting our product from corporate America,” he says. Julie Haar, Co-owner Proforma Strategic Promotions Joel Kaufmann Field manager PCNA “Any opportunity we get to meet face-to-face with our suppliers and to see the products firsthand is important to me.” Kaufmann solicits market and product research feedback from his kids, ages 21-33, who work in the education and business sectors. “They are true end users, as they are the ones who will be getting our product from corporate America.” FEATURE | Tips and Techniques of Top Sellers 46 | FEBRUARY 2018 |