I just wanted to applaud your presentation. I think that you guys did a fantastic job and really did reach our team. I talked to 8 different guys today and they all said they took a lot away from the training. Aaron talked with 3 guys that told him that they already used Power Idea #8 today on their customers. One said he counted 8 times he would have interrupted his customer. That’s awesome!!! I can’t tell you how fired up I am. Thanks again. You guys are awesome!!

Erik Brooks – Vice President of Sales at Eikenhout, Inc.

Speaking about a 2 Day Sales Training Program for his entire sales team, sponsored by two of his vendors – December 2008

 

I personally came away with more than I expected. I had a meeting with a contractor last Thursday, the day after the training session, and implemented some of the learned skills. The "Building Leaders" approach demonstrates superior and classy sales techniques and will definitely aid in my future success.

Greg Burbridge – District Sales Manager at Mastic Home Exteriors

 

I enjoyed that the program related directly to our industry and our sales roles.

Eric Allen – District Sales Manager at Owens Corning

 

 

 

 

 

I am getting many emails from the Cabinet Outlet managers involved in your last round of training—all talking about what they learned and how they're acting on it.

I think you made a genuine connection with that group.  They were a band of retail take-care-of-them-when-they-walk-through-the-door oriented people with some operational tasks as well—they just did not have a vision or skills for sales and growing the business.  They do now.  They talk and act like a professionally trained sales team!  That's like zero to sixty in three months man. 

You and your system for imparting knowledge and concepts are the most effective sales training for our industry in the U.S. today.  It goes in to people like DMSO, only without the fishy oily taste. J

You make an immediate and lasting positive impact and you change people's attitudes and brain patterns. 

You have achieved a wonderful balance: A   warm, credibly experienced, dynamic, motivational presentation that truly connects with people, and an impressive command of sales science and human behaviors sufficient to actually tip people into understanding that sales is really an art form.  And then—and this is the beautiful part—they actually go out and start living and acting on it.  It's profound baby.

Anyway, thanks again for the great visit and for helping our team out so much.  I'm proud to say you're my good friend and a powerful business partner.  Both are appreciated more than you know.

Nate Bond - Director of Sales at Parr Lumber

This program (Sales Education Bootcamp) is so full of education, it is like drinking water from a fire hydrant.

Gary Nugent - Regional General Manager at Norandex Building Materials

 

 

Rick, I want to thank you for a very educational and mind opening seminar. I have talked to all my guys on an individual basis and have received positive feed back. Overall my personal opinion is that you did a tremendous job keep our guys involved and getting them to really open their minds and think about things. As I sat in the back I could see guys relating to what you were presenting. Rick you are a dynamic guy with a great vision and I want to personally "Thank You" for brining your "A" game to our team.

 

Reuben Pacheco – Sales Manager at HCS-Cutler Construction & Industrial Tools

Rick, I just wanted to personally thank you for taking the time out to give us our 2 day seminar. At first I had a kind of negative response when the company first told us we had to sit thru 2 days of training, but I went in with an open mind.

I must say that I was defiantly impressed after the first day and the second day was even better. Some of the things you we talking about I have already started to use and I can say that it has made it so easier to keep my contacts, calendar and appts a lot easier.
 
Rick "Garfield" Madison – Sales Representative at HCS-Cutler Construction & Industrial Tools

 

Rick, I hope all is well my friend. Your recent “Sell Sheet” article (December 2007) could not have come at a better time. I have most, if not all of my OSRs and Branch Managers reading Pro Sales and specifically your article in it.  

John J. Murphy, Jr.- Regional Sales Manager at Bradco Supply Corp.

 

 

Rick, I wanted to touch base and thank you again for your Sales Manager Boot Camp training that I took last April. The tools you gave me that week have been instrumental in my success as a new sales manager for Harbert Lumber.

Richard Bridges – Sales Manager at Harbert Lumber

 

 

Rick, Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your article this month.  It was concise and got directly to the heart of the matter.  I am a lifelong sales student and enjoyed your article.  I will check out your website.

Bob Chaisson - Director, Sales and Marketing at Wholesale Millwork

 

 

Rick, I just read your article, Making Good Your Promissory Notes in the September issue of ProSales, and I wanted to say you are right on the mark. Managing our outside sales force (we use the term account managers) to understand the global impact that over commitment can cause, is ongoing training that needs to revised regularly. I have discovered that account mangers, very seasoned ones or rookies, revert back to bad habits over promising deliveries, and special products that often times leaves a trail of chaos within the organization. You offered some insightful suggests on how a account manager might better deal with a situation where he or she is faced with a unusual or special request. I particularly liked asking the question, is this a real request, or a mere hope?  Account mangers I have found, do not fully weight (or understand) the risk reward of getting a special order product for a customer. He or she usually overvalues the upside of getting a special order.

Jeff Bennett at A.H. Bennett Company

 

Rick - I want to thank you for an outstanding, truly inspiring day here in Nashville today. You are clearly a rare and unique individual. You inspire me and give me hope. You present yourself with a combination of integrity, passion, intelligence, competence, and heart... to a degree I rarely witness all in one human being. After reading a great book, attending a high quality seminar, or whenever I am inspired, I often come to a moment of true clarity and realization: That is what I want to do with my life. In the past I've heard people speak who I've wanted to see as role models... Often they will say something or show an ugly side of themselves, leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth. (e.g. Oh, no. Why did he have to go and say THAT.) :) But you stand a cut above. You show your vulnerability, yet your integrity shines through. And all without a single hint of "cheesiness". AND you come from the BUILDING INDUSTRY?!?! Wow. Your inspiration couldn't have hit me any harder. Thank you. You have put together a brilliant life from scratch. My hat goes off to you.

Seth Holdren - Marketing Consultant of DragItHome.com (Construction Marketing)

 

 

"Rick brings the heat! We have sent all of our sales managers to the program and it is the foundation of our sales system. Our vision is to help our customers and the ability to measure performance is what we took from the program. It is great stuff!"

Nate Bond, Director of Sales at Parr Lumber

 

 

I wanted to personally thank everyone involved in helping to make our very first Camp Fypon a huge success. Rick was awesome and everyone left us pretty pumped up and excited. As Rick Davis said it's a lot about planting seeds and we definitely planted a lot of seeds over the last two days. Rick you truly were awesome and very inspiring. The customers that participated are grateful and appreciative for the opportunity to learn new things. We all came away with new ideas, a new focus and a desire to all become “Leaders”. Now we have to take to heart what we have learned and put it to good use, we must go out and be “Prospecting Warriors”, “Plant Seeds”, “Change our Beliefs and Behaviors”, “Get Results”, ask ourselves “What can we learn from our experiences”, and most importantly that we “Shake the hand of every opportunity that comes your way”.

"Papajoe" Joe Morin - Sales Manager at El & El Wood Products Corp.

"Today I became a salesman. I have to change everything I do and next week we're going to sit down and make a plan. I am going to stop driving by potential customers and I called 'Charlie' today and told him that we are golfing on the weekends."

Carl Thompson - Sales Representative at El & El Wood Products

 

"The Sales Measurement methods helped most and we'll continue sending new managers we hire to the program."

Philip Flanders - VP Sales at VNS Corporation

 

 

 

"Sales Measurement is so important and something I'll pay attention to when helping my salespeople achieve goals."  

Josh Finkbeiner at Hayward Lumber Company

 

 

 

 

"This program provided the entire framework for our sales plan."

David DeWulf - VP Sales and Marketing at Pactiv Building Materials

 

Rick, I wanted to send you a little feedback, not really on a Camp Fypon, but more about how you've improved someone's life. I met with Joe Morin, Sales Manager of El & El in Chino, CA yesterday. We discussed the Camp Fypon (which was very well received). I asked what his salespeople are doing differently or how they've applied the subject matter that you delivered. I'm always interested in that--you do a great job of shedding light on fundamental truths about our behaviors, but what happens next? Does a rep have the discipline to implement the the lesson learned & make the behavior change? Or does he lapse back into the same old pattern within a few days? Joe mentioned an El & El salesman named Carl Thompson & how after attending the Camp Fypon Carl has "really changed how he does business". I love it. I've never met Carl, but wanted to let you know that you touched someone & made a difference in their life & career. I appreciate you. Talk to you soon.

Rob Barnes - Vice President of Sales at Fypon, LTD

 

Each Rick Davis event I attend I learn something new and exciting that ultimately helps me advance my sales goals, enhance my career security and provide direct personal growth.

John Evans - District Sales Manager at Fypon, Inc.

 

"Most beneficial to me was Sales Measurement to manage results before they occur."

Matt McMurroguh - Branch Manager at Shelter Distribution

 

"Some things you need to be reminded of such as Delivering Praise and Recognition and other things you learn such as the Psychology of Leadership. You're never too old to learn and this program helped me immediately."  

Reg Myers - Sales Manager at Mid-Am Building Supply

 

"I needed coaching guidance. This program helped me be humbled in some of my record keeping and approaches to leadership."

(Name withheld out of respect for the individual's candor)

"Thought provoking discussion and the visuals were excellent."

Adam Williams - Regional Manager at Bradco Supply

 

 

Rick Davis gets to the heart of the process for construction materials sales, which is developing relationships. He presents the issues clearly, and provides strategies for growth --not only on the professional level, but also on the personal level. For me, one of the best takeaways from Rick's book is the reminder that “…nobody can make us feel bad without our permission…” Rick's insights were insightful and led me to a better place while I read his book.

Renee Rewiski – Editor at Remodeling News

 

Rick Davis' book will help newcomers to building product sales understand the complicated web of relationships involved in the construction field and spare them many of the frustrations that veterans have spent years learning to avoid.  He also offers valuable insights that will no doubt benefit even those who have spent years making calls on builders, remodelers, dealers and others who buy or influence purchase decisions.   

John Swanson - Editor/Associate Publisher at Window & Door Magazine

 

Rick, I really wanted to thank you again for the insights and reflections that you and Tom provided at our sales meeting last week.  I recognized that I subconsciously practiced a consultative selling style but not with complete competency nor with the focus that you highlighted.  I realized that I too was becoming more of an information dump because our Soft-Lite products are so richly laden with features and options that spanks our competition that I find I can hardly wait to get my mouth running about the product. So today I had my first opportunity since the sales meeting to really, I mean really, employ the approach you presented.  Last night I prepared a client profile form with open ended questions covering Marketing/Sales, Operations, Business Strategy and Personal.  I went into a prospect that I have maybe visited 5 times and realized that all we really ever talked about was product and features which is always his focus.  Before we started down this path today I took the time to apologize for not seeking the depth of understanding about his company that I should have already accomplished so that I can deliver more to the value proposition in terms of profit and success for his company than just providing best in class products.  I covered many of the areas that Soft-Lite and myself can enhance his business experience and he said “Oh, a partnership.  That is what we need.”  I commented that it may not be a partnership though it has to be good for both of us and that it was just simply my passion to make sure we benefited by helping him benefit first. 12 months ago I could never get into see him and seldom talked with him.  6 months ago I was lucky to get his ear every six weeks for 30 minutes.  Last time we met we spent an hour together.  Today, with asking most of my opened ended questions ( I am saving a few for my next visit), discussing the product features that he thinks means the most to his business success and what our competition has that he needs and we don't have so we know what else to do, we spent four hours together in a productive manner.  During lunch I learned about his family, hobbies and interests all the while asking the probing open ended questions we discussed last week. I may still not sell this account because he is extremely loyal and doesn't openly admit that there is a reason to change vendors but he did say that I have done such a thorough job of demonstrating the sincerity of trying to help his business and that he has taken so much of my time that he feels guilty if he doesn't buy. Fear and guilt are motivators so I guess that may be alright if it works.  If he can not overcome his loyalty factor I know I will be the future successor at that time of change.  It is not a matter of if this occurs but when. Thanks for all of your help in getting the train back on track.

Randy LaMotte - Regional Sales Manager at Soft-Lite L.L.C.

 

Thank You for your presentation today @ the Embassy Suites.  You remind me of a coach; but instead off a sport coach, you are a business coach feeding positive ways to better your self in the business world.  Hope to meet up with you some time in the future.

Richard Karam at Rich Door & Window

 

I have seen several of your presentations, and I have always come away energized with good take-always.  Today, the good stimulating conversation after the meeting was an exclamation point to another great presentation.  I look forward to the possibility of masterminding with you guys.  It's not often that you find people in this industry interested in the philosophy aspects of the sales profession.  In fact, it is not often that you find people who are interested in growing spiritually or emotionally.  Let's stay in touch and throw ideas around.  Thank you for your time, diligence, and professionalism.

Miles L. McMillan – Sales Manager at Norandex Building Materials

 

Enjoyed, learned, motivated and yes you can teach an old dog new tricks.  Implement, Implement, Implement I say. As much as my career has taken to many of the same places as you Rick Davis I can thourghly say that what set's you two a-part from all others is; ' it's on a personal level and you care'.

Ken Bastemeyer – Sales Representative at OHC Supply Sales