It’s that time of year when we reflect on and give thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives. In addition to family, friends, and good health, members of our Vernon sales team shared with us what they love and appreciate about working with Vernon. Here are some of their comments:
Luke Sigle, Salesperson: I appreciate the friendship and care that Vernon leadership provides me as a salesperson.
Stephanie Vernon-Critchfield, National Sales Manager: I’m thankful to be part of the Vernon family that makes you feel that everyone is glad to help you be successful.
Jill McFarland-Packard, Salesperson: I am thankful to Vernon for the ability to keep my business healthy and active which I truly feel is because of the strong financial commitment Vernon has made to its Account Executives to keep orders moving even with so much uncertainty and chaos!!
Kelli Denes, Director of Business Development: I am thankful for a company that treats its staff like family.
Maureen Helm, Salesperson: This year has certainly brought on its share of challenges, but I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work from the safety of my home. I’m thankful for the Vernon home office staff who are supportive, kind, and always available to help me navigate challenges.
Eddie Moore, Salesperson: I’m thankful to be a part of the Vernon family that has such an amazing culture, I’m happy to call everyone not only coworkers, but friends.
Dave Regan, Senior VP Sales & Marketing: I am thankful to work for a company that is financially stable enough to weather this 2020 storm.
From all of us to all of you, we hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and surround yourself with all the things that bring you joy.
Recently, Vernon created a monthly, virtual get-together for our salespeople called “Coffee Collaborations.” The inspiration came largely from Kelli Denes, our Director of New Business Development. These virtual sessions provide a great opportunity for our field team members to connect, drink coffee, share ideas, and strategically plan for their business. This informal gathering was an instant hit among the group after just a few sessions. Socialization is one of the hallmarks of a career in sales, yet it’s become one of the many casualties of 2020.
This month’s call was our best one yet. Each team member came prepared with a project or idea that they had pitched to a client recently. The exchange was fabulous. The energy was contagious, and the creative ideas were flowing.
Hats off to all for the peer reviews & support.
Collaboration, teamwork, and ingenuity…indeed, a very good week for Vernon!
As we approach Thanksgiving and the end of the calendar
year, it is important to set aside some quiet time to review your personal and
business goals to see where you stand. Today we will steer clear of your
personal goals, yet we will take time to explore the business side.
How can it be that I feel five years older now than I did in
January and February, pre-covid? Holy cow! The fact of the matter is that most
of us began the year with goals. It does not matter whether you are an
individual business owner, or you find yourself working for someone else, you
had goals.
“I want to make
$100,000” (Salesperson)
or
“I want to have my
company sell more than $3 million” (Distributor Owner)
And then what happened? The calendar flipped to March and all of us (and I mean all), lost control of our ability to reach our goals. That helpless feeling set in. We all experienced it.
I am certain that it took some time but eventually, most owners and salespeople came to the realization that goals needed to be reset. Any goal setting training will start with the premise that “goals must be realistic and attainable”.
Our company realized that we needed to furlough people to bring our costs in line with the number of orders and amount of business that we were receiving. We were early to the game of restricting travel resulting in saved expenses since every dollar was more important than ever. We canceled some national meetings and made decisions to postpone some incentive trips. We essentially had to “right-size” our company.
Our account executives found that orders were hard to come
by and since they are commissioned salespeople, they had to adjust their
personal budgets to better align with their income.
All of us took whatever support we could find, but the
reality is that even at the end of October, nine months later, things are
different. Companies and individuals that were “supported” by PPP (payroll
protection plan) and unemployment insurance and other programs are faced with a
future of surviving and moving forward without that assistance.
Now is the time to look toward the future of your own
business. I don’t believe that it is politically incorrect to reference
Thanksgiving as a time for all to appreciate what we have as owners and
salespeople that have helped us through the tough times and to identify those
people and services that have helped you steady the ship and say, “Thank You”.
Now is the perfect time to establish your 2021 goals and set the plan to
achieve them. It is also a time to consider help and support if you need it.
Unfortunately, many business owners cannot survive heading
into 2021 with 30%-40% less business. Some salespeople cannot survive if they
find themselves in situations where valuable support services or employment benefits
have been reduced or eliminated. These are the owners and salespeople that need
to look at their options.
The message here is not intended to say that everyone needs
help or doesn’t need help or that they need to make some changes. However, I do
believe that everyone does NEED to assess and evaluate their situation so that
they are NOT surprised when we turn the calendar to 2021. It is always prudent
to review your personal situation at the end of a tax year. It has never been
more important than this year due to the current situation.
P.S. If your self-analysis reveals that you should explore some options to change, we might suggest that you request our White Paper titled “Is the Grass Really Greener” which outlines important questions to ask during your due diligence process.
