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Born again after losing nearly half, $3 Million, of her Business.
Must LISTEN TO SHOW to hear her passion & how to grow customers
Kathy Bassham from Shamrock Foods, AFDR DSR of the Month a few years ago, was writing over $6 million dollars and lost about half of her business when two of her largest customers went to a BID system.
After that, she found it difficult to prospect and open new accounts in a territory she had sold in for around 18 years. In her own words she said, “I couldn’t get out of my own rut and being down on myself for about a year and a half.” Kathy had lost her drive to go after new business. Even though she felt down and out, she knew she still wanted to be with Shamrock and in the business. Her company had taken care of her and had helped her to grow her business in El Paso.
A new sales territory became available 70 miles in a different direction from her current territory and she decided to get out of her self-pity mode and take on the challenge of this new territory.
“It was the most rejuvenating thing that ever happen to me. I became a born-again Shamrock Sales Rep.” Bassham says after 4 years she’s just as excited and full of energy for her new route and new customers and can’t wait to get up each morning to show them something new and exciting. I love helping my customers be successful and want my customers to know that I care about them.
For Bassham, it’s about the positive relationships she has with her customers and brokers that makes a difference. She explains that when you pull into a customer’s parking lot and you feel that dark cloud coming over you and you dread going in to talk to them, that negatively affects them and you. Then, once you leave that customer’s business and go on through the rest of your day going from customer to customer, you are taking that negativity with you to those accounts that you do like.
That’s when you have to take a hard look at yourself and realize maybe you are not giving your best to that customer and need to peel them off and give them to another sales rep who may have a better personality match and be able to help them better with their business which is more beneficial for your company and the new rep who has taken it over. You may think that it would be difficult to pass them on to another DSR because of the money you’ll be losing, but it’s worth it, because it’s not just about the money. It’s about the company you work for and the customer you’re selling to—if the customer isn’t happy, nobody is going to make money!
Once you let go of them and the dark cloud that followed you throughout your day, you and all your other customer relationships will prosper because you will gain more time and positive energy to help the customers who want to spend that time with you. This will strengthen the trust and bond with those customers and grow their businesses and your accounts.
Kathy has great passion for this business and her customers because she considers them to be friends who she wakes up excited to go see, share a story with, and work together to grow their mutual businesses!
DSRs, Be a Resource…and Sell Something!
