Tell us a bit about your training program for your sales force. >> We can provide a lot of training now, I mean not as much as it used to be before, we actually used to have to fly the rep to Chicago, New Jersey or wherever, and there would be a week long training. Webinars have come a long way, and I think for everyone. So I think, like I say, the webinars, you're able to see the same data, you don't have the travel expense. So we do a lot of that. Some of it, when we have a new copier coming in on the line, they truly will not let us sell that copier until we're fully trained to service it. And then what we'll do is, with our sales guys, we have conferences that we go to. And just like any other conference, they have breakout sessions, and they'll address four or five different areas, and they're helpful. We'll bring back two, three, four, five ideas. I'm not a big fan of the shotgun approach, I'm more of a sniper than I am a shotgun guy. But I do come back and I immediately implement two or three things to make our company better. >> So what's interesting is that you, in talking about training, it's a big part of your sales people in making them to be effective. Interestingly though, you don't necessarily do that training yourself. You're relying on you suppliers and others in the industry to help you with your training needs. >> They're the experts, they're the experts and they're broken down by that field. Like we have a guy that that's all he does. Whereas I'm calling on you, I might be calling you I might be calling you for office supplies, I might be calling you for furniture. So we have to cover a lot of areas where these guys are experts, they'll come in, they'll spend half a day, well actually what they'll do too is they'll go out and make sales calls with my reps. >> Mm-hm. >> So if they feel a little bit like [SOUND] maybe this is a little bit out of my realm, or it just shows the customers that again, that you care and you brought an expert with you. So that any questions they ask, they'll help you out with that. >> So key thing to take away from when we talk about training is, lots of sources for your training program. This isn't just something that the sales manager does themselves, but rather you've got lots of ways to implement your training program and all. So the other thing that wanted to kind of touch on is something very important I think in business in general is ethics and your responsibility to your community and I know you've been something that's very, very important to you Jerry. Can you tell us a bit about how you approach the world of ethics and how you manage that as well as your commitment to the community? >> Two things I feel very strongly about, one is my credit, two is my work. You can't take those away from me, and I have worked my whole life for that to be what it is. I started charity work. I was probably about 23, where we actually did stuff for the communities where we would feed people and do the Christmas where you'd take care of families during Christmas time. And this actually propelled, I'm in Rotary, we do tons of projects there. We really, really help our community and I think that the younger People in our industry need to get involved in that because if you look at Lion's Club, Rotary, Kiwanas, they're numbers are dwindling. We need these young people to get involved because they're going to have to take our place. Then you move on to where like I was at Valley Hospice. I was ten years involved with them, four years chairman of their board. The local hospital Trinity Health System, I'm president, I'm currently president of their foundation board and I'm on their regular board. Community involvement is tremendous. It's just, you have to give back and you give back not expecting anything in return. That's key and that might be my segue into the ethics topic. We are, I am, brutally honest. I would never, ever, ever want someone to walk down the street and look across and see me, and say, you know what, that guy didn't take care of me. If there's a problem, and I go in to solve it, before I leave, I look the customer in the eye and said okay, we're okay right? You're fine with this? So before I leave, I want to make sure that they're okay with everything that we do. Never do anything under handed, I never try to take advantage of my reps, say hey, I want this discount for the customer and then I keep it myself. We don't do any of that, ethics is huge. You get out here and you don't have ethics, you're going to have issues. >> Mm-hm. >> because they will come back to bite you. >> And I would think you probably have experienced it. I think that having a really strong commitment to ethics is the right long-term kind of strategy. Yeah, in the short run you might be able to pull a fast one off but It will catch-up. >> It's the only strategy. >> Right. >> I felt so strongly about the B&E department that I did in an endowment in my son's name. And it's a scholarship now that'll be given out every year forever at Brooke High School. >> Nice. >> In his name, but also at WVU. So like I say, felt strong enough about the university that I did want to create that legacy. >> Mm-hm. >> And felt strong about, like I say, same thing with B&E. I mean, we've kind of developed a pretty good rapport between us. And the fact that, Different opinions from different people. I mean, you're looking at me with my opinion from small business. It's probably not going to be the same as what a typical day is with a Fortune 500 guy and that's okay. This is what I'm cut out to do. I don't want to have a meeting to determine when I'm going to have my next meeting. >> Right. >> [LAUGH] >> Well, and we should say Jerry, you have been a huge help to West Virginia University, and our whole sales program. We rely heavily on our people like yourself who've helped us to develop our curriculum and they help our students in mentoring them and all that. It's something that we're grateful for and appreciate and need, so. >> I think that's been extremely successful. I mean you also, but I think that's been awesome. I mean we have really had some great feedback. >> Things have really gone. >> Yes. >> Things have really gone well. I'm feeling really great. I just well digressing, but there's the University Sales Center Alliance is trying to compile all these statistics on sales programs across colleges and there was all this stuff that they asked us for, like how many students are in the program, and how many graduate, and so forth. We're just compiling all that to send in for us, and it was a really nice feeling, and that's really a good [CROSSTALK] One of the things that we did was we had a panel. >> Okay, so we all sat, it was kind of like a speed dating type thing. And the students would come around us and we would talk to them and, Simple things and I'm going to stress this to the young people that actually watch this is, look the person dead in the eye. Good, firm handshake, cell phone, put it away. When you're in a call, leave the cell phone in the car or put it on vibrate in your pocket. I'm techie but I'm also old school. Nothing offends me more than when you're looking at a text or you're messing with your phone. We have probably 12 people on our board. We all say the same exact thing. We've told these kids, that's a no no and I know you live and breathe with this thing but you gotta find a way to detach yourself from it. It's a tool that you can us but don't abuse it because nothing's going to turn an old time more than you messing with your phone. >> They talk about kids have been getting hurt because they're walking and they walk into things. >> Right, I mean put it away, [LAUGH]. >> [LAUGH] Right. >> I'm telling you, ethics is way up there on my list. I just couldn't sleep at night if I thought that I took advantage of somebody and it just wouldn't sit right with me. And [COUGH] if you're in business for that reason, then you need to be maybe picking a different career, and the same thing in sales. If something gets screwed up, just tell the customer you screwed up. I mean, they have to understand that. I mean people aren't perfect, they make mistakes. >> Well, speaking of that, here's a question for you. So one of the things I think a sales manager sometimes has to do is kind of go in and fix something- >> [LAUGH] >> That doesn't go well. It does occur and all. So can you share with us a story where you had to kind of get in and make things right but hopefully turned out well? >> You do, I've gone in like I said, When somebody wants to vent whether it's right or wrong, I'm a believer in that the customer is right 100% of the time. When they want to vent, they want to talk to the owner. >> Mm-hm. >> Or the sales manager, or, so, Most of the time I just let them, I said I walk in, I said I'm here to make things right and then I let them talk. I don't interrupt them, I let them tell me what the problem was, and then before I say anything, I look at them and I said, now, what would make you happy right now? What's it going to take for us to make you happy? Now if it's unrealistic, it's unrealistic. There are times when I've said how about if we meet in the middle? Would you be happy with that? There's times when I've gone in and it seems like when a sale is going downhill, it never goes back uphill. So then you go into crisis mode. And at that point, I get the manufacturers involved. We're involved obviously and then the customer's involved. So what we'll do, I will even say, how about if we do like a third, a third and third? So now, you're paying a third of what you're going to pay. Is the product exactly what you wanted? Now, was it close enough that you'd be willing to pay 30% for it? Probably. But, like I say, and there's times when I go in the back and we're getting ready to make a delivery and if I wouldn't accept it, I'm not sending it out. But, with our industry being like lightning, if I get something in for you, and it's damaged, I can reorder it the next day and get a brand new one the next day. You don´t even know that the product was damaged. We unpack everything, it´s not like it´s a surprise. When you're at home and you open something up and you're like, my gosh. The carton was perfect, but the thing is destroyed. Well, then you gotta go through the hassle. Whereas we pick it up the next day and it's gone, just like that. So could you put a price on that? No, but I can tell you, we're going to make your life easier. >> I would think one of your, I think it would be really important as a owner, but as the sales manager, you can't let these things bother you, right? I mean you have to- >> Here's another thing that I told the kids on that, go into a customer, you have a problem, okay? Not pretty, whatever happens happens. Okay, so you leave there and you're not happy for whatever reason. Okay, you're getting your next call now. Now that customer previously has nothing to do with the next guy. So you gotta be able to wipe that clean, put a smile on your face, and get into the next guy. And that's sales. You gotta be a little tough, you gotta be a little thick skinned, you can't let things bother you. You want to drive down the road and scream in your car. Do it, but don't show a customer that, that's not how it works. And don't take it home with you, at the end of the day, man, cut it off. You've gotta learn to do that or you'll drive yourself nuts, At five o'clock I turn it off, I go home, I go do what I want to do. I have hobbies that I do, or my wife wants to run around or whatever, I'm fine with that. And then she'll say, how was your day? It was horrible, but I won't talk about it. >> [LAUGH] >> And I don't. And then it might be a month from then, I might bring something up, but I just don't do it. And I think that keeps me better frame of mind. >> Well it keeps you sane. >> [LAUGH] It does. >> Keeps you sane because I mean- >> You can't dwell on it all day long every day. >> I mean you can't let your customers or your business experiences define your success, I mean they'll chew you up and spit you out. >> They will. So Jerry I want to thank you for spending time with us and you've really been wonderful insights and I really appreciate you sharing your considerable experience and all, thanks. >> Great, thank you, appreciate it.
