Attitude is everything! If you have the right attitude and thick skin,
you will be successful as a DSR. ~Jim Logan
Jim Logan of Performance Foodservice in Hickory, North Carolina earned top honors as AFDR’s February 2021 DSR of the Month and has been inducted into the AFDR DSR Hall of Fame.
Jim’s territory is in Greenville, South Carolina which is about 110 miles from his warehouse. He also lives in Greenville.
Jim got started in foodservice by working in fast food in high school for two years. After graduating from college, Logan was recruited for restaurant management in New Orleans, and spent 8 years there becoming General Manager. He then worked with ARA in the Campus Dining segment for 4 years in Cash & Concessions as a manager for two colleges (Louisiana and Texas). From there, Jim went to work for Morrison’s as GM for 8 years which moved him to Greenville, SC.
While working in Greenville with Morrison’s, Jim decided to shift to the other side of the business when he was recruited to become a foodservice sales rep by the distributor he was buying from.
In the first year or so in the new job as a DSR, what was the most difficult?
Jim: I was fortunate to have received such great training about business, responsibilities, and the retention of employees through my years as a GM with ARA and Morrison’s.
So, managing my time was the most difficult for me because it was so different from when I was managing 80+ employees, and in sales you have more free time which needs to be managed differently. Also, learning the products.
How did you learn to manage your time the right way?
Jim: In the beginning, during ride-withs, I was able to observe how each of the DSRs managed their time and handled things. Each was a little different. I saw that some would have a schedule on their phone and some on paper, and I would ask questions of how they did it. It took trial and error to see what worked for me with time and discipline.
When it comes down to it, it is pretty simple…
It is the person and their drive to want to be successful, and attitude is everything. If you have the right attitude and thick skin, you will be successful as a DSR.
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