The Hills of Tennessee

The time has come. Parker has called me up and I will officially be leaving the The Hope Group.  I will be moving on to cover a new territory in Tennessee.   It is truly a bittersweet feeling.  The last 8 months I have spent working with The Hope Group has made them feel like my family.  This entire experience has been challenging, rewarding, and helped me grow professionally in ways that I probably don’t even understand yet.

Reflecting on my time with The Hope Group I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to work for a company that so strongly believes in its employees and who gave me the freedom to make mistakes and go out on my own to learn how a true salesperson lives day to day life.  I have been given the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of a successful Parker distributor, all the while being under a complete umbrella of support. 

For every cold call made, door shut in my face, lead followed up on, quote generated, sale completed, and question that arose, which I had no idea what the answer was, The Hope Group was there to guide me along the way.  The team around here has taught me what it takes to be a trusted and respected salesperson.  Be honest, listen, have timely follow through, find the customers pain point and try to alleviate it, and when possible anticipate their needs before they even recognize that it is a need.  The Hope Group has reinforced the concepts Parker taught us in basic training and showed how to apply the tools I have to real world applications. 

As the door closes on this chapter of my career in sales, it is because of this experience that I can open the next door with confidence.  The Hope Group has shown me what success looks like and where passion and hard work can get you.   I appreciate every minute spent here and as I get ready to move on, I won’t say goodbye, but see you later.  This is just the beginning of what I hope to be a very exciting sales career. 

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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Complete Solutions

Recently at The Hope Group we had the pleasure of having two representatives of Parker Hannifin’s Tube Fittings Division stop in for a visit.  One of the presentations that they gave was about Parker’s new facility/product line to support CPS, Complete Piping Solutions.  The CPS product line is a perfect example of how The Hope Group and Parker are similarly aligned in their business objectives.  Providing full system solutions is the goal of both companies, keeping the value of what we do at a high level and the dirty word commodity out of everyone’s mouth.

There are a hundred different manufacturers of fittings, hose, etc…, and there are a thousand different distributors that make sure these products are put in the hands of the end user.  So, how do you set yourself apart and show the customer that you are the person to buy from?  Value. You need to show the value of your services to the customer.

Having the ability to provide complete system solutions is a prime example of adding value to any customer’s project.  Parker’s Parflange F37 product range includes certified components capable of providing non-welded piping systems up to 273 mm with wall thicknesses to 25 mm (10" x 1"). This product line is supported domestically by the new state of the art CPS facility located in Houston, TX, which is one of the only facilities in the world with the ability to cold bend and manufacture 10 inch piping assemblies.   The Hope Group’s sales and engineering team work alongside the team at Parker to determine out how they can best utilize this unique technology to support its customer’s initiatives.   

Innovative systems such as the one described here show Parker’s dedication toward continuous improvement and the quick adaptation of these new technologies show why distributors such as The Hope Group continue to be successful. 

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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Gatekeeper! (How to be the Key Master)

Me: Good morning, how are you?
Gatekeeper: Good, how may I help you?
Me: I am here to see John Smith please.
Gatekeeper: Was he expecting you?
Me: I left him a voicemail letting him know I would be stopping in.  My name is Lori Wessels with The Hope Group on behalf of Parker Hannifin, if he has a couple minutes please?Gatekeeper: Sorry, it’s company policy, you need an appointment.  Would you like to leave something for him?
Me: Thank you, if you could give him this I will give him a call to follow up next week, thank you.

This topic was bound to come up sooner than later.  The “Gatekeeper”; who they are, what they do, and how they make my job a little more challenging.  That isn’t fair to say 100 percent of the time, if used properly, the gatekeeper can provide you with valuable information that you can utilize in eventually getting past them. 

Over the last couple of weeks while making sales calls on behalf of The Hope Group I have done my fair share of “drop-ins” aka cold calls. Many times scenarios like the one above ensue.  What I have had to learn to adapt to is how I can use what this person has to offer to get as much information as I can. 

It should go without saying that being polite and putting on a smile must be your starting point.  Be honest, I can’t pretend I have an appointment if I don’t, but by giving them the information I do have such as the person’s name, their department/title, letting them know I left a voicemail gives the illusion that the relationship is more established than it actually is. If the person is unavailable (unwilling) to meet with me, I ask follow-up questions, listen to the cues given (if any) by the gatekeeper.

Me: You know I have had a hard time getting a hold of him; is there a time of day that he is typically at his desk?

Gatekeeper: He only works until 3:00.

By gathering this information and asking these types of questions not only are you able to strengthen your relationship with the gatekeeper, who ultimately can help you get in the door, but you are increasing your chances of getting the person you are looking for on the phone.  It allows for better call preparation.  If I know he only works until 3:00, I can assume that any time after lunch is probably pretty busy for him; morning might be a better time to try and reach him. 

Information pertaining to the person you are trying to reach isn’t the only thing the gatekeeper has to offer.  They have a wealth of information about what the company does as well.  If I don’t know much about what a potential customer does, I can ask them about the business in general to get a better idea of what they do. I may find out that they know the name Parker Hannifin, and from what they know they do order some fittings, tubing, hose, valves etc...  In addition as I tell them more about what I do, there have been instances where I discover I should be trying to meet with a whole different person/department than what I originally thought. 

It is universally true that sales people dread the gatekeeper.  However, they will always exist and it is how you learn to adapt and utilize the person that is in front of you that will ultimately help you to get in front of the person that can help turn a target account into a customer. 

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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Independence - My Interpretation

In the spirit of the 4^th of July and celebrating our nations independence I thought about how that word applies directly to the direction my career has taken.  Outside sales requires a heavy reliance on the support system around you, but just as much it is about learning how to hone your independence.  I am quickly learning how much of my week is dependent on me.  How I choose to take that freedom and turn it into something that equals success is part of my new daily challenge.

The freedom of this career is a big part of what drew me to it. I like that I am going to get out of each day, week, or month, what I put into it.  In order to make each day as productive as possible I started looking at my personal life to see how I would most effectively mix my professional life into it.  Knowing that I am not a great morning person I realized that by scheduling the majority of meetings in the morning gave me more motivation to get my day going and start with a high energy level that would carry me through the day.  On days when I have more meetings in the morning, and do follow-up work in the late afternoon, I feel as if I accomplish more than when the schedule is vice versa.  This isn’t always realistic based on potential customer schedules, but having that self awareness is helpful on the “off” days as well to keep focused and on track. The worst thing I could do is feel like I am taking advantage of the freedom entrusted to me. 

I have been given independence in how I spend time creating my schedule, what calls I prioritize, and how I take it upon myself to continue to improve my product and industry knowledge.  To be successful in all of these aspects there needs to be a certain degree of self motivation, of fight, to want it and to give 100 percent for every opportunity.  If I don’t want to go on meeting; if I don’t want to make the phone call, there is nobody looking over my shoulder to make sure I do. However, that is one of the greatest revelations I have had since starting this, is that I want to do it, everyday.  The sense of freedom, trust, respect, and support that I feel from Parker and The Hope Group is what gives me the ability to be independent and (fingers crossed) successful at the same time. 

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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Victory (Go Bruins!)

This week the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup.  This week I completed my first order.  From initial phone call, to face to face meeting, qualifying product needs, submitting quote, receiving order, and final delivery of order.  I can’t say how Tim Thomas of the Bruins felt when he took that MVP trophy, but I can tell you that I felt nothing short of victorious when I knew that order was delivered to the customer. 

This order was not an earth shattering dollar amount nor will this be a regular need for the customer.  What gave me this feeling of satisfaction was that I knew we had helped them solve their problem while providing the best possible customer service.  It was also proof to me that the process is working.  It started as a marketing lead, generated through Parker, and passed along to The Hope Group.  The Hope Group’s internal marketing department then screened the lead and passed it along to me.

I then made a phone call, evaluated what resources I needed to gather to support him and set up a meeting.  I went to visit the account alongside the Parker territory manager where we put together a bill of materials.  Working with one of the Parker Store managers through The Hope Group we put together a quote that afternoon.  From there I worked with the customer answering some follow-up questions and making sure that they felt the support necessary to keep moving forward.  Then it happened, I received the email containing a PO, submitted it, and the order was put together.  Then working with The Hope Group’s outside sales representative we personally delivered the order to them.  This was as text book an example as you can get on how a timely lead follow-up can lead to business.

For two months now I have watched the Bruins play in each series, fighting their way into the Stanley Cup finals.  With every steal, goal, game-win there was a celebration.  As I started my journey with The Hope Group, spending time with every department and now working in the field, I realized I too was celebrating the small victories.  Without every small victory you won’t find your way to play in the big game.  I will take the time to celebrate this success, learn from it, enjoy it, and then start back at the beginning to make it happen all over again.

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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REJECTED (Now I know I'm a salesperson)

Let me set the scene for you:

I walk into a potential customer for a meeting and am greeted by another employee.  I tell them who I am to meet with and….he’s not there; which is then immediately followed with a question/statement: “Did you have an appointment…Oh…I see only kind-of.”

REJECTED! This was the first time since beginning this process that walking into a situation I felt judged as a salesperson, not just a person.

I knew it would happen, in fact I expected it to happen earlier.  I am also sure this will be far from the last time it happens.  Rejection is part of what you sign up for when you start a career in sales (I know that) but it doesn’t take away the sting of the first time.  It wasn’t that the person I was supposed to meet wasn’t there; I understand that things come up.  It was the way that I could see their co-worker looking at me with a half smile (which may be an exaggeration, I am not sure) their body language saying, “You are just another sales person who thinks they can come in here and pull one over on us.”  It made me feel like a fool, like he didn’t believe that I had actually spoken to this person and we had agreed upon a time to get together.  I sat and waited for 10 minutes, then I left my card with the receptionist and said I would call back to reschedule.  It took those 10 minutes to pull myself together and realize that my time is just as valuable as their time. 

As I reflected on how this situation affected me I thought of other times in my life outside of work I have felt rejected.  Recently I had a very frustrating flight experience including cancellations, delays, you name it and it happened on this trip.  I called the airline to tell them my story and in return I was hoping to gain some additional frequent flier miles. (Who doesn’t like a free flight?)  The first person I spoke with said flat-out that it wasn’t possible and the request was asking for too much. He said he would transfer me to another department; hold please.  During my hold time I thought about my request and determined that it was not outrageous and I adapted my style and tone with the next representative who almost immediately agreed with me. By the end of the conversation the miles were mine.

Back to the meeting that never was - I had two options.  I could not call back and let this opportunity fall to the side, or I could make the call to reschedule and prove that this meeting was worth the time.  Having chosen to make the call I rescheduled the meeting for next week and I can’t wait to go back in there with my head held high and turn this opportunity into business for The Hope Group. 

My first taste of rejection was a reality check. When you hear “no” it is easy to walk away.  What will set you apart and make you great is when you find out WHY they said no.  It could be pricing, the wrong product, lead times, or as hard as it is to swallow, it could be you and your approach.  It is when you understand the “why” that you are able to adjust and turn the next call into a YES!

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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Trust: How to Earn it...and Keep it

“There are no moral shortcuts in the game of business—or life.  There are, basically, three kinds of people: the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful.  The difference is character.” –Jon Huntsman, Chairman, Huntsman Chemical

This week I have been continuing my journey into the world of outside sales.  I felt as if it was a good time to go back to a book that has helped me in the past, The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey.  Since the majority of the meetings I am going on are not only about introducing myself to these perspective customers, but potentially re-introducing them to The Hope Group and Parker, I wanted to think about how I could uphold and convey the integrity of both companies. 

Covey’s opening chapter is titled “Nothing is as Fast as the Speed of Trust”.  For every sales call I make there is a moment of truth - a split second - when whomever I am speaking with decides if I am a person worth trusting, worth having confidence in.  That moment will define how our relationship will work moving forward.  The hard part is figuring out how as a salesperson to help control that moment. 

As I prepare myself to move forward here are the things I can add to my personal agenda in order to help take some control of that moment of truth.  Am I making sure that I understand what a “winning” partnership between our two companies looks like, not just a win for one? In business the same as life relationships foster when both parties feel like they are benefiting.  If I meet with a potential customer and discover that only one side is going to walk away feeling like they have won then the best solution hasn’t been found yet, there is more work to be done.   If I say I am going to do it, I need to do it.  That is a sales 101 lesson I have learned. 

These two seemingly simple goals go hand in hand as I work to increase “The Speed of Trust” in my ever increasing number of business relationships. 

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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How I Survived Week One

I did more than survive my first week of making sales calls, I flourished.  I believe there is something to be said about finally feeling in your element; I have been given the opportunity to do what I always wanted.

Shadowing different experienced sales representatives from The Hope Group as well as from Parker,  I have been exposed to many different sales styles.  Learning something different from each person it has become apparent that while I can take bits and pieces from each person, developing and becoming comfortable with my own personal style was quickly becoming a must. 

Could I be the sales person with all the product knowledge, and be able to spit part numbers off the top my head?  Wait, do I remember the difference between an FTX and a CTX?  Would I be the sales person who asks all the right questions the first time?  Hold on, did I forget to ask what the working pressure was?

With all of these questions racing through my mind here is the conclusion I came up with.  It is ok to say that you don’t know.  I don’t need to be an expert today; that will come with time. Right now what I need to do is LISTEN.  I need ask as many questions as come to mind, even ask the ones I don’t think of right away.  I need to listen to potential customers, and I need to listen to the experts who are here to help me.  I need to spend the extra time preparing for phone calls and face to face sales calls to educate myself with the right questions to ask before I make the call. Using the knowledge that I do have at this stage is a great jumping off point and emphasizes how valuable the training I have completed thus far has been.   I would rather be respected as the sales person who can find the answer, versus hold no respect as the sales person who makes up the answer.  Learning about as many applications as possible, while working towards building mutual trust will only help to strengthen the customer, The Hope Group, Parker and myself.

While I may not have defined what my personal style of sales looks like in my first week, I am confident that with the support around me I will continue to explore who I am as an official sales professional.

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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First Day on the Road

After all the years of schooling, the technical training and the on-the-job orientation, I find that I am now officially on the road as a Parker Store sales representative. During my first week at The Hope Group I have been making appointments to meet with customers in the surrounding areas of each of its six stores. The boss said that meeting the customer is the best way to understand their requirements and he would help all he could, but it was up to me to get my foot in the door.

So, I have a few appointments set now and I have to call on them by myself. Unlike during the training phase where I had an experienced sales rep accompany me, from now on I’m on my own. If you read another blog here next week; that means that I survived my first week on the road. Wish me luck.

Lori Wessels

Parker Hannifin
Product Support Specialist


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