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Interviews (Interview Archive)  Lewis Weiss is a Sales Manager with UniFirst Corp. in Memphis, TN. UniFirst Corp. is a publicly traded company founded in 1936 in Boston, MA by Aldo Croatti; Ronald D. Croatti his son is currently the CEO.UniFirst is one of North America’s largest work-wear and textile services companies, UniFirst rents, leases, and sells uniforms, protective apparel, career-wear, floor care and other facility services products to all kinds of businesses. GW: Let's begin with your sales background, how would you describe your sales history? LW: I have been very successful. Great training, hard work and natural ability together resulted in a high level of success. GW: How did you discover Xerox? LW: I had a recruiter call me. GW: Give us the inside scoop here, how did Xerox training help you? LW: They brainwashed me. I have their sales techniques engrained in my every day speech. These sales techniques are a natural part of my every day existence. I still walk and talk the sales language and use these techniques daily. GW: Was there any part of Xerox training that you thought was particularly good? LW: Professional selling skills and SPIN. It gave you a track to get the customer talking, through open-ended and closed-ended questions to find their pain and a solution that met their requirements. GW: Who did you think was a great salespeople at Xerox and why? LW: Myself, of course. I lasted longer than most and I had the success to back my statement up. Other than myself, Steve Lee. He possessed the natural ability to make the customer buy. They sometimes never knew what they bought. GW: What was your largest sale and how did you do it? LW: I sold Nike two large printers. It was a $500,000 deal. The competitor was the incumbent and had a strong relationship with the former decision maker who failed to keep upper management at Nike appraised of the ill performing machines. The printers ran shipping labels and this was an integral part of the business. I secured help from the Rep in Portland. He was able to get us a one day assessment arranged here in Memphis. We met with the new manager of that department. He was aware of the problems and political arena he was playing in. We established rapport and a relationship of trust that we would do the right thing for Nike without personalities and political pressure. A trial was brought in for thirty days and printed their shipping labels to perfection. GW: How has the arena of sales changed over the years? LW: The relationship building is still key, but the buyers have changed. The older buyers wanted that relationship and trust. Some new buyers will sacrifice a quality solution for a cost. I always try to explain value and I never say “I told you so!” if things do not work out. I never burn a bridge! I always try to leave some doubt or something for the customer to ponder. I make sure that the customer understands that I appreciate the decision he or she is making, but that if anything happens and he or she needs my help to please call. GW: What do you see as future trends in sales? LW: The customer care aspect and relationship building has taken its toll. We have 90-day sales wonders that do not care in the least about the customer. We have companies whose management thrives on driving the sales no matter what cost. We have buyers who think they are more astute, but do not have the scruples or knowledge to know what value is. GW: Is there a company today who stands out as a leader in sales the way Xerox did? LW: I know I have found that company at UniFirst Corporation. I was lucky enough to be recruited when a Sales Manager position opened up. I love to teach sales skills and share my experiences in the field with the hope that I can influence someone’s life. I did my research and found that UniFirst offered the ability to work for a large company while still treating its employees like family. Its training is superior to any training I have ever had. UniFirst offers advancement to anyone who is willing to work hard and follow the road to success. I am very happy about my move to UniFirst and look forward to a long career. I get up every morning looking forward to going to work. I am truly excited about the choice that UniFirst and I made. GW: What one thing do you attribute your sales success to? LW: Training! Training! Training! The training I have had has helped me tremendously. I would not be the sales person I am today without the training I received from Xerox and the numerous sales people that I have worked with. GW: What advice would you give people who are serious about selling in today's market? LW: I would find a company that is willing to invest in your future. Make sure that they are willing to train you over a long period of time and give you the time needed so the company and you can reap rewards and success from the time spent together. Talk to their sales people and find out their experiences. Study and read sales training materials. Invest in yourself. GW: Lewis, thank you for sharing your experience and advice with our members and partners. LW: You’re welcome; I hope my feedback and experience will benefit others. Contact us By Email: info@GregWinston.com By Phone: 949.388.2545 Thank you for your inquiry. |
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