ID presents its 1999 salespeople of the year
By John J. Keough -- Industrial Distribution, 4/1/1999
Tom Reitsma, a salesman for Power Systems, a hydraulic components distributor in Minnesota, doesn't just sell product. Reitsma sells technical expertise, product knowledge, and a willingness to go the extra mile for his customers. For all these reasons, Tom Reitsma is Industrial Distribution's 1999 Salesperson of the Year. (p.50)Reitsma not only partners with his customers, he also partners with his suppliers, creating the crucial link between the manufacturer and end user. Listen to comments from those who do business with him: "Second to none, he is the buyer's and in-house engineer's best friend. His product knowledge never ceases to amaze anyone who has worked with him," says a purchasing executive for a major customer. Adds a key supplier: "I've worked with Tom at some of his major customers. He's very well versed in hydraulics. He knows what he's doing and he knows our products." Would your customers or suppliers make those comments about you or your company?
Our Merit Award winner is Ed VanHell, a salesperson for Motion Industries' Canadian branch in Calgary. VanHeel has an amazing sales record, increasing sales with MI from $600,000 to $1.6 million. In addition, the 27-year-old VanHell also helped his company gain millions more in sales from MI's locations in the U.S. He has designed, built and installed systems for other customers and is only too willing to help a customer with any problem.
Reitsma and VanHell are just two examples of the true sales professional in the industrial distribution business. We received many nominations from buyers and suppliers who recommended distributor salespeople for ID's award. Buyers told us that responsiveness, product expertise, application knowledge and communication were the key reasons for making their recommendations. Buyers also noted that top salespeople take the time to know more about customers and actually listen to them, rather than concern themselves solely with making a sale. Suppliers mentioned that top distributor salespeople take advantage of training opportunities and keep them in the loop when customer problems develop.
Industrial Distribution is proud to present the Distributor Salesperson of the Year Award to recognize the superior qualities of outstanding distributor salespeople. We hope to expand the awards in the future and we encourage you to nominate salespeople who make a difference in your company.
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