Dealer Focus I On The Road

Chad Glover
T&B Sports, Santa Rosa, CA
Position: Sales Rep
Years as a Road Rep: 25 years
Favorite Hobby or Activity: Coaching my two boys’ teams; fishing, playing poker

If you weren’t a road sales rep, what would you be doing? Law Enforcement.

After a tough day on the road or on the phone, what do you do to relax? Have a glass of wine and play an online game of Texas Hold ’Em.

What do you like most about your job? Talking with people.

What drives you crazy about your customers? The ones that need it tomorrow but knew they needed it two weeks earlier.

How has your job changed in the last five years? The Internet has made my job a lot easier, but on the flip side it makes it easier for people to find things they need and has become a competitor of the road salesmen.

Have your ever sent or received a Tweet? A what?

If you were a supplier, what would you do to make a road rep’s job easier? Keep Web sites current. It has become a great selling tool to be able to send customers to Web sites.

How do you find out about new products and companies? Mostly through our sales reps.

What advice would you give to a new road sales rep? Be patient and don’t give up. It takes a lot of time to build the relationships with coaches to trust you.

Who is going to win the World Cup 2010? USA!


Jeff Horstman
Kelly’s Sports, West Chester, PA
Position: Road Sales Rep
Years as a Road Rep: 7
Favorite Hobby or Activity: Golfing

If you weren’t a road sales rep, what would you be doing? I would be in some type of sales position, most likely pharmaceuticals or advertising.

After a tough day on the road or on the phone, what do you do to relax? I go home and play with my four-month-old daughter, Rylie.

What do you like most about your job? The rewards of seeing customers wearing the uniforms I designed, especially kids.

What drives you crazy about your customers? That they seem to forget what efforts you go through to get their job done, especially near a deadline.

How has your job changed in the last five years? I have become more efficient, able to juggle orders to prioritize those with sooner deadlines.

Have your ever sent or received a Tweet? No, I don't have a Twitter account nor check Twitter.

If you were a supplier, what would you do to make a road rep’s job easier? All suppliers should have an online inventory status. That would make my job 100 percent better.

How do you find out about new products and companies? Manufacturer's salesman approaches our general manager with their products and he decides to let them pitch it or give us the basic rundown.

What advice would you give to a new road sales rep?
Customer service can only lead to bigger and better things. One happy customer can lead to more referrals than a week of cold calling.

Who is going to win the World Cup2010? The Ivory Coast. Very clean play!!

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