Part 89: Climbing To The Top!

Happy Mothers Day! The sun is shining and the weather is to warm and clear here. This is the last segment of 'Climbing To The Top!' I can't help but remember my mother on this day and be so very thankful as to have such a beautiful person in my life. I have stated that behind every successful man is a strong woman. At the beginning of my story that person was my mother and she still is. Thirty five years ago she passed that job on to my wife, Darlene. She has followed me to every position that I have had and earned. She has always offered me encouragement. She has pushed me to my goals. In reality there has been another woman that has always paid close attention to me too. Though from a distance my sister Cathy has always encouraged me with positive words. Even through this whole writing, every week she has praised me and that has helped to keep me going. Last is my daughter, Melissa. She has tried often to follow in my footsteps. She too has encouraged me to be the best that I can be!
To these four women in my life that have helped me to reach my goals I say thank you. Happy Mothers Day. 'Climbing To The Top!' is dedicated to them. 'BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN IS A STRONG WOMAN!'

 Before the six months were up for me on this route he came to me and said that he had never met anyone that could back up what they said like I did. I grew the business and the customers became close with me. I was assigned one more route before I finally got my own route.

     I received a route that the Zone Manager felt compelled to talk to me about. He wanted to talk about the manager at the Super Center I was going to have on my route. He stated that this man was probably the hardest customer that the company had. He told me just to maintain the stores business and let the customer get to know me before I go in with my six shooters blazing.

   My route had two accounts, the Super Center and a major chain super market. The boss was right this was not going to be easy. In fact, I felt that I had made a mistake taking this route. This guy was a real hard ass. I got to be so bad that if I had to go to the restroom I would look toward the electronics department where the closest restroom was and if I would see him close by there I would walk clear to the front of the store to avoid him. Avoiding him was always temporary as this store took six to seven hours to service. I would build a display and before I would leave he would want it taken down or moved to another spot. This was a lot of stress and this was the way it was for the first six months I was on the route.

     It was the start of a new year and I decided that this was not me. I was not scared of any customer and so I developed a plan. My plan was to get in front of the store manager as much as I could. It got to the point that he would see me coming and in a smart ass way he would say,”I don’t have time for you!” However I would be persistent, and soon I was close to being in control. I finally got him to agree that one day each week that we would meet. I would have his sales figures and promotions and my display needs. Now we were communicating and his sales were going up. Every week the sale were over the prior year. I received almost everything I needed. I was sure to follow through. This same process I used for my other account and it was working there too. 

     By the middle of the year I had made my sales plan for my route every month. The sales were growing. the customers were happy and I felt it was time for me to approach them and ask for one more thing. The thing that I wanted most. The thing that I had always seemed to miss out on during my sales career. I need their commitment to help me become Salesman Of The Year. Both customers were on board. The hardest customer became my closest ally.

    A year and a half after receiving Rookie Of The Year, I received Salesman Of The Year. I thought that it was the most honorable reward I could have received but along with that reward came another. This reward was created new for me and others to follow. It was called ‘The Impact Award’. This was given to an individual that had created the most impact on the companies business.

     I had started as a very young salesman at the age of eight and now I had made it. I had accomplished my goals. I know that this is not really the end. I now wonder can I do it again? I have finally after all of these years of ‘Climbing To The Top!’ made it.