A hearty good morning to everyone out there in sales-land! As you may have gathered, my name is Bill, and I would like to take a moment to say hello to everyone here as well as tell a little bit about myself.
I have been in sales, in one for or another, since I was 18. At times I have been pretty good at it, at others… Well, let’s just say I have improved! Currently I am a “National Sales Representative” for a custom blinds manufacturer. Basically I sell the idea of selling my company’s product to the sales people at the retail locations. These are big-box sales people, and as such, some of them are a bit less than motivated. Still, the travel isn’t too bad, I get a company car, and I think it is a great from which I can build my career.
I am 38, married to a wonderful woman, Kristy, with whom I like to spend as much time as possible. We don’t have any kids, though we do have a dwarf rabbit and a Himalayan cat. Kristy has Multiple Sclerosis, so though we don’t have kids, MS is pretty much like a child. It is unpredictable, fairly expensive, and never does as its told. Life with MS isn’t all that bad with the right attitude, and I’ll be the first to let everyone know, my wife has a GREAT attitude!
I am a fanatical reader, especially of anything sales related, or history related. On the sales or business front I have read, am reading, or have on my shelf to read;
Primal Leadership –Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee
The Everything Negotiating Book –Angelique Pinet
MBA in a Box –Joel Kurtzman
Jack,Straight From the Gut –Jack Welch
Execution –Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan
Who Stole my Customer –Harvey Thompson
Customer Centered Selling –Robert L. Jolles
Little Red Book of Selling –Jeffery Gitomer
Developing the Leader Within You –John C. Maxwell
Exceptional Customer Service –Ford, McNeil, Perry
Writing for Quick Cash –Loriann Hoff Oberlin
Little Black Book of Connections –Jeffery Gitomer
Winning With People –John C. Maxwell
How to Win Friends and Influence People –Dale Carnegie
Negotiation Boot Camp –Ed Brodow
Coaching and Mentoring –Harvard Business Essentials
There’s No Such Thing As “Business” Ethics –John C. Maxwell
Effective Speaking –Dale Carnegie
How to Work a Room –Susan RoAnne
The One Minute Manager –Kenneth Blanchard, Spencer Johnson
You’ll Never Get No For An Answer –Jack Carew
Become a Recognized Authority in Your Field –Robert W. Bly
The Five Temptations of a CEO –Patrick Lencioni
And, as they say, many more!
In my free time I love to read histories. Books on tape help out a lot when driving, so I tend to listen to histories when I am heading down the road.
Actual hobbies include motorcycling, protouring style cars, and pretty much anything I can do while “hanging out” with my wife Kristy.
I look forward to searching through the forum here and seeing how much I can learn from it. I hope that I will have constructive things I can contribute as well.
Shiny Side Up!
Bill
