Articles
22 February 2012

The SAMY Awards

Utah’s Top Sales and Marketers of the Year

by Dianne Lewis and Heather Stewart

22 February 2012—

Sales and marketing professionals are often referred to as the lifeblood of a company’s success. In our inaugural SAMY awards program, we celebrate the sales and marketing gurus who have had a direct, measurable impact on their company’s bottom line. From the sales pros who masterfully close the deal to the marketing experts who strategically develop and manage a company’s image, these professionals are the key bridge between a business and its current—and potential—customers. Join Utah Business as we applaud the sales and marketing professionals who make business happen.

 

David Janke

Vice President of Sales and Marketing | Barco, Inc.

When David Janke joined Belgium-based Barco, Inc. in 2003, he found himself at the helm of a brand-new manufacturing division with no business in the pipeline. More than 100 employees sat idle in the Logan, Utah factory, waiting for work to come in. Janke focused his efforts on restructuring and retraining sales force and, within three years, the business had grown to $45 million in annual revenue.

            Now, Janke serves as Barco’s vice president of sales and marketing, where he is challenged to grow a business focused on military flight simulation and heavily dependent on U.S. defense spending. Key customers, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and L3 Communications, are facing “draconian” defense budget cuts.

            “In 2010 and 2011, we introduced new products and grew total sales by 20 percent despite losing about 50 percent of our former business that was based on old technology,” says Janke. “We are now positioned well for further double-digit growth in 2012, even in the current economic slowdown.”

 

 

Matthew Bowman

Director of Demand Generation | Allegiance, Inc.

A self-described “number junky,” Matthew Bowman picks apart hard data to drive up leads for Allegiance, Inc. Bowman instituted a lead nurturing program with an algorithm that uses 15 data points to score, qualify and rank leads. Through his efforts, the company’s quarterly lead count grew from 1,200 to more than 8,000 in 2009—and the cost per lead fell 44 percent.

            In 2010, Bowman originated 81 percent of new client revenues and 69 percent of all revenues for Allegiance, and the average lead-to-conversion ratio improved from 1.4 percent to 3.8 percent.

            “The best and highest-compensated sales professionals in most industries don’t rely on gimmicks or high pressure tactics,” he says. “The best sales executives take the time to thoroughly understand the customer’s needs and how to solve them, [are] persistent enough to learn the political power play between the different decision makers, and…develop the ability to break the solution down into simple, easy-to-understand terms.”

 

 

Justin Atkin

Senior SEM Strategist | OrangeSoda

Justin Atkin is proof that not every salesperson is born. Though he started his career in customer service, Atkin quickly caught the attention of managers because of his high retention rates and happy clients. Though hesitant to move to sales, his managers persuaded him to take the leap—and he’s never looked back. 

            Today Atkin works at OrangeSoda, where he helps clients, mostly small business owners, with strategies to increase their online presence. Atkin says his main goals are simply to be the top sales consultant and to always do his best. The key to success, he says, is to lay everything on the line and always be honest.

            “Don’t be intimidated. I was intimidated myself. But [sales] is just dealing with people one on one. If you like talking with people, it’s honestly the best job,” Atkin says. A little competitive spirit also doesn’t hurt, he adds. A good salesperson has a strong drive to always do better.

 

 

Ken Burnett

VP and Director of Training and Business Development | Bank of American Fork

Ken Burnett heads a sales team that develops new business for Bank of American Fork. In 2010, due to the tumultuous banking environment, he was tasked with shifting the team’s focus from gaining new depositors to gathering loans from new and existing business customers.

            Through realigning the department’s compensation plan, marketing approach and sales strategy, Burnett helped his team achieve 193 percent growth in business loans through the third quarter of 2011, compared with all of 2010. The team increased new customers by 65 percent, and it created a new loan product that, after only three months, accounts for 10 percent of the bank’s total production.

            Strong customer relationships are the biggest reward for Burnett, who says, “it doesn’t become about sales for those customers; it instead is about a real partnership between two community-based businesses helping each other become successful…the business development team and the loan officers we work with actually take pleasure in knowing that we are helping our communities grow.”

 

 

Brett M. Bradshaw

SVP Sales | Spring Mobile

Brett Bradshaw heads up all sales, merchandising and training for Spring Mobile, the largest indirect AT&T retailer in the West. The world of mobile phone retailing is extremely competitive, but Bradshaw has made it possible for Spring Mobile to continue growing, despite tough economic conditions.

            “To do well in the profession of sales, you have to be willing to adapt to change and be creative enough to overcome obstacles while remaining optimistic and realistic,” he says.

            Just in the past year, Bradshaw’s efforts increased company revenues by more than $20 million and increased accessory sales by 25 percent. He also developed and launched Spring University, an online training tool that provides Spring Mobile employees with 110 hours of training within the first 90 days of employment.

            Bradshaw recognizes that employees are key to the company’s success, and his top goal, he says, “is to drive the maximum amount of revenue possible with the most educated and friendly staff that deliver extraordinary experiences.”

 

 

Adam J. Casto

EVP Business Development and Sales | MediConnect Global, Inc.

Adam Casto learned hard work from a young age: as a teenager, he was involved in every facet of family-owned startups. After graduation, he worked for many years at Richter7 in marketing and communications before joining MediConnect Global seven years ago as part of the company’s chief executive team. In his role, Casto helped the company become one of the nation’s largest Health Information Exchange (HIE) solutions and grew the company’s revenues more than 1,100 percent.

            Casto says that he is rewarded with the relationships he has developed over the years. “I personally get an immense amount of self gratification knowing that all the sales effort that my team and I make not only helps impact the positive growth of our company, but also the success of our clients,” he says.

            Casto says his recipe for success is based around the three P’s: preparation before a sales call, perception during the call and persistence after. ”My advice to someone who doesn’t think they have the skills to be a salesperson is to take the shot.  And when you do, jump in with both feet and give it everything you have.”

 

 

Tom Fleenor

Director of Sales and Marketing | International Armoring Corporation

From driving a truck for a family-owned welding company to having dinner with foreign politicians, Tom Fleenor says he has had an interesting and fun career. Fleenor got his start in sales while working for a welding company, where he quickly found that working in sales posed a unique opportunity to build relationships with individuals—the aspect he enjoys most about the sales profession.

            At International Armoring Corporation (IAC), Fleenor is able to build relationships with clientele from all over the world—including dignitaries, celebrities and high-ranking politicians. “It’s not just a product that you go sell a product and you walk away. You’re building relationships with these people,” he says.

            “During Tom’s tenure, IAC has shown tremendous growth in existing markets as well as new markets,” says Mark Burton, CEO of IAC. “During the past five years, IAC has entered 22 new markets, mainly through Tom’s efforts working directly with embassies and consulates and an aggressive internet campaign.”

 

 

Harvey Bussell

Vice President of Sales | Les Olson Company

When Harvey Bussell was growing up, he knew a “no” from his father was the final answer. But he also knew that a “no” from his mother meant ask again and again and again until she finally said “yes.” It was this discovery as a child, along with the realization that he enjoyed being around people, that led Bussell into a successful career in sales.

            Bussell joined Les Olson Company in 1989, working his way up from sales rep to his current position as vice president of sales. His secret to good results is being “pleasantly persistent…If you connect with your customers and continue to resolve their concerns, eventually there are no more concerns and they can’t help but say yes,” Bussell says.

            Under Bussell’s leadership, his sales team has increased sales by more than 12 percent above last year. In addition, half of his 12-person team rank among the top 10 salespeople company-wide. Those results come from Bussell’s belief that anyone can be a great salesperson with enough dedication.

 

 

Derek M. Smith

Vice President of Sales and Marketing | ZAGG, Inc.

Derek Smith never thought he would find himself in sales, but after 14 years of service in the military, that was exactly where he ended up. “My start in sales came when I took a marketing position with a white goods retailer in Australia and wanted to get a solid understanding of the business. So I negotiated for my first three months with the company to be spent selling at one of the retail stores to learn that side of the business.  I ended up staying in sales and haven’t looked back,” he says.

            Smith joined ZAGG in 2007, where he was tasked with global sales, marketing and e-commerce. Under his direction, the company has experienced more than 100 percent revenue growth. 

            The basics of sales are not difficult, Smith says. It is all about understanding a need and finding a solution. “If the person I’m talking to will be direct enough to tell me ‘no,’ you can bet they are more than willing to explain why. Once you know the why, it’s easy to identify the solution and start working back to ‘yes’.”

 

 

Langford Lloyd

Enterprise Account Management | Utah Broadband

Understanding the root cause of any “no” is how Langford Lloyd has managed to turn so many of those objections into sales. Lloyd says it’s all about understanding the customer and breaking down every objection until there is no choice but to buy. That’s how he made one of the biggest sales of his career. 

            While he was working for AT&T several years ago, the state legislature wanted BlackBerry phones to keep up with email. The company, however, was using a Novell email platform that was, at the time, incompatible with BlackBerry. With hard work, Lloyd and others got the BlackBerry and Novell platforms to work together, and Lloyd made a huge sale. It’s that kind of dedication to working to meet client needs that makes a top salesperson.

            It’s also important to recognize how interconnected the big decision makers along the Wasatch Front are, says Lloyd. Sales is very dependent on relationships. “You learn early on to be careful what you say about neighboring businesses and competitors. It might very well be your prospect’s brother-in-law you are talking about!”

 

Coleen Reardon

Director of Marketing | Deer Valley Resort

Coleen Reardon took a seasonal job selling lift tickets in 1979 and never looked back. She has been with Deer Valley Resort for 17 years and is instrumental in its many successes. For instance, Deer Valley has been ranked the No. 1 ski resort in North America by readers of SKI magazine for past five years in a row.

            The resort was an official venue during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and Reardon monitored logistics and production for that event, along with several other world-class competitions through the years. She spearheaded the successful effort to bring in sponsorships for the 2011 Freestyle FIS World Ski Championships, which the resort hosted.

            Of marketing, Reardon says, “What co-workers see appears to be such fun and glamorous work. It is—but it also comes with an amazing amount of behind-the-scenes details and planning.”

            Such planning included her department’s role in helping the resort take on property management operations in 2009. This year, business on books for that division is pacing double-digit percentage increases over last year.

 

 

Rob Brough

Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications | Zions Bank

It’s no secret that the banking industry has been going through a rough time the past few years, but Rob Brough says he’s up to the challenge. He enjoys helping differentiate Zions Bank from other financial institutions. “One of the things I’m really proud of is that we’ve been able to, through our marketing and communications efforts, continue to create positive feelings about Zions Bank and to separate Zions Bank from the big Wall Street banks.”

            In his position, Brough oversees Zions’ robust retail and interactive marketing efforts that support the bank’s 133 branches throughout Utah and Idaho.  He also manages the bank’s internal communications to more than 2,500 employees, as well as external communications, financial education and community development functions.

            In the upcoming year, Brough is excited to see Zions return to growth mode. While the overall banking industry has been clouded with a negative perception, Zions was ranked second in the nation for consumer trust by American Banker’s, much due to Brough’s marketing expertise and leadership.

 

 

Sharon Cook

Senior Vice President of Marketing, PR and Web | Mountain America Credit Union

Fast-paced, challenging work is what keeps Sharon Cook excited to go to work. The last year gave Cook the opportunity to grow along with Mountain America Credit Union. She says the credit union added new products and services, while at the same time she was expanding the message to a larger audience.       

            While technology has changed the marketing profession, Cook says it has also led to more opportunities to build relationships with current and potential customers. Under Cook’s leadership, Mountain America has more Facebook fans than any other credit union. New technology has also led to more accurate analytics, which Cook says has allowed her to adjust campaigns in real time for better results.

            “To be effective in marketing in today’s environment you need to be creative, strategic and surprisingly analytical. I don’t think most people realize how much of marketing is about numbers and analytics,” she says. Cook plans to continue with strong integrated marketing and PR campaigns using new and traditional media.

 

 

Brad C. Parkin

Associate Zoo Director, Marketing Services | Utah’s Hogle Zoo

When Brad Parkin was a marketing director for a local mall, fresh from graduate school in the early 1980s, he quickly fell in love with the intricacies and nuances of his profession. Twenty-five years later and now at Hogle Zoo, Parkin is still invigorated by the ever-changing challenges of marketing.

            “I’ve enjoyed a very diverse career that has allowed me to flex my creative muscles, witness the evolution of media strategies from traditional to digital to social, work with fellow employees and manage staffs devoted to and passionate about their craft and, at the end of the day, hopefully make a difference,” he says.

            Parkin’s creativity and expertise was on display as he led Zoorasic Park to record visitor numbers, even while the zoo was undergoing construction during 2011. The exhibit brought in 65,000 more visitors than in the same period during 2010. Parkin has now set his sights on a successful launch of the zoo’s new exhibit, opening this spring.

 

 

Travis Tidball

Vice President of Marketing | DigiCert, Inc.

Travis Tidball’s career has grown alongside that of startup DigiCert—he joined the six-year-old company five years ago. His position with the brand-new company gave him the opportunity to develop aggressive marketing strategies from scratch. Those strategies helped DigiCert gain traction and grow: its revenue increased more than 500 percent in the past three years, and it now has more than 50,000 customers worldwide.

            “The biggest challenge to marketing is, in my mind, what brings the biggest rewards,” says Tidball. “There is no playbook, no single right way, and nobody to tell you how to do it. Every company, every culture, and every industry needs a different approach—what works in your situation may be a total flop in mine.”

            Tidball’s marketing department developed online videos that
led to a significant increase in conversion rates. Additionally, the company’s website has logged a four-fold increase in unique site visitors in the past two years.

            “Build campaigns based on what you think you know, then do something completely opposite and test them against each other. You might be surprised at the results,” he advises.

 

 

Jim Olson

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing | Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment Group

Jim Olson knows that sales results drive a company’s success. And to get good sales results, Olson says having a strategic marketing process is key. “I was attracted to marketing during my education, however, my career path led to sales,” he says. “Even though my focus was on sales, I was always intrigued with how marketing drives sales [and] results. Marketing affects behavior and decisions. I love understanding what drives peoples’ emotions, actions and relationships.”

            The process of successful marketing is a lot more scientific than many people realize, he says. A lot of research and analysis must go into creating a campaign that hits the right people at the right time through the right medium for the product being sold.

            Olson’s keen understanding of sales and marketing techniques increased season ticket sales by 8.2 percent, group ticket sales by 30 percent and other ticket packages by nearly 68 percent.

 

 

Mark Walker

Vice President of Marketing and Media Relations | EnergySolutions

As head of marketing and media relations for EnergySolutions, Mark Walker’s job isn’t so much about selling the company’s products and services—it’s about educating a skeptical public about the vital role EnergySolutions plays in the global energy industry.

            “A lot of people give us a hard time and say, ‘You’re bringing waste to Utah; you’re contaminating.’ I look at it just the opposite. We’re actually cleaning up areas. We’re actually environmentalists—we’re doing something about it,” he says.

            With EnergySolutions taking a beating in the local press and losing the support of state lawmakers, Walker launched an effective campaign to educate Utahns about how the company uses cutting-edge technology to reduce, recycle and safety store nuclear waste. He even issued an invitation for the public to visit EnergySolutions’ radioactive waste disposal site in Utah’s west desert.

            The campaign encompassed print ads, billboards, extended television spots and social media. As a result, more than 12,000 people toured the facility, and favorable ratings of the company grew from below 40 percent to nearly 70 percent.

 

 

Dan Macuga

Chief Communications Officer | USANA Health Sciences

Of marketing, Dan Macuga says, “it’s great to be the person who has the pulse of the entire business and to build relationships that keep you in touch with changes as they occur—this makes it easier to see the ways to improve what you’re already doing.”

            With his finger on the pulse of USANA, Macuga has managed five separate product launches, resulting in multi-millions in sales for each product; created an innovative incentive program to win back inactive associates; and broadened the company’s Olympic marketing partnerships to include nine organizations.

            When the company’s founder, Dr. Myron Wentz, and CEO Dave Wentz co-authored The Healthy Home, Macuga developed an aggressive marketing plan and book tour to promote the book. As a result, the book received a great deal of national media exposure and rocketed to No. 2 on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

            Macuga advises marketing professionals to “realize that each day brings new challenges and new chances to try other ideas. Focusing on one and not looking for the next will dampen your drive and slow down the creative process.”

 

 

Kirk Tanner

Chief Marketing Officer | Fishbowl

As chief marketing officer, Kirk Tanner lends 26 years of marketing expertise to Fishbowl—a depth of experience that ranges from traditional methods to technical online strategies. “Don’t ignore the old school marketing ideas just because online marketing is exploding. They are based on sound strategies that can be applied even in online marketing,” he advises up-and-coming marketers.

            Due in large part to Tanner’s remarkable use of pay-per-click tactics, careful attention to SEO and innovative social media campaigns, Fishbowl achieved 176 percent sales growth from 2006 – 2010 and was on target for 86 percent growth in 2011. Additionally, the cost per lead was cut by 30 percent since the beginning of 2010.

            “Most consumers view marketing as just the slick advertising, packaging, logos and collateral they see, not realizing the amount of science behind the final execution. There is a great deal of data collection and analysis that needs to be done to understand the market and target audience,” says Tanner.

 

 

Brad Douglas

Vice President Marketing & COO | Shipley Associates

Heading into 2010, Shipley Associates was on shaky ground due to a failed acquisition. With a shoe-string marketing budget, Brad Douglas not only helped Shipley preserve its customer base, brand and reputation, he also enabled the company to actually grow and achieve record profits for the year.

            As vice president of marketing, Douglas seeks creative, out-of-the-box strategies to increase leads and build revenue. “My e-marketing know-how is completely self-taught with many hard lessons along the way,” he says. “I remain in marketing, even though I’ve been tapped to be the company COO, because of my passion to ‘grow the brand’ and apply new, creative marketing approaches.”

            For example, he increased revenue from event marketing by 500 percent since 2004. He also launched Shipley University, a virtual organization that provides training workshops to business development professionals. This channel helped grow training revenue by 15 percent in one year. An innovative blended marketing strategy has also dramatically increased sales of the company’s retail products and digital content.

 


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