Strategy January 15, 2016
Distributor Salesperson of the Year Finalist - Gentry Harrington
Q&A with Gentry Harrington, Activate! Promotions + Marketing (asi/141964).
Q: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
A: I’m a competitive, enthusiastic manager and a dedicated husband and father.
Q: What’s the most creative promotion you’ve done recently?
A: We designed a multi-tiered sales promotion including my customer and three major consumer brands – Apple, Omaha Steaks and Best Buy. We created a personalized card carrier and fulfilled over 7,300 orders. It was profitable for us and, more importantly, the customer.
Q: How do you find new customers?
A: I ask my current customers for referrals. Especially after we’ve done a great job.
Q: What’s the greatest challenge you face in your job today?
A: Working with a new generation of buyers – millennials. They’re used to and comfortable with buying everything online. Communicating with this new group of buyers creates a whole new set of challenges.
Q: What’s a top market to sell to in 2016?
A: A trend we see is an increase in the implementation of online employee appreciation, motivation and recognition programs. Offering these programs does require specific expertise, so we recently purchased a company that specializes in this service.
Q: What’s the best sales advice you’ve ever gotten?
A: Never compete on price. Compete on quality, service, knowledge and the resources you bring to the table.