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Wheels Of Fortune
By: Tama Swan, Associate Editor
Issue: 2009jul
Multi-line rep Bob Black, co-owner and CEO of The Identity Group Inc., travels to sales calls in an RV.
Bob Black and his business partner, Rick Tabone, aren’t your typical multi-line reps, and the two say there isn’t such a thing as a typical day in their business. Each makes sales calls in a self-described luxurious mobile showroom, also known as an RV. “Our travel days don’t consist of hotel rooms and dragging bags,” says Black, who has 14 years of rep experience. “However, traveling three weeks a month is still difficult no matter how you do it.” See how one half of this road-worthy duo from The Identity Group, Inc. (UPIC: IDG1) gets his job done and still makes time for a little recreation.
5:37 am It’s a strange time, but this is when the brain kicks in nearly every morning and I get some of my best ideas. However, I’m not quite ready to make the move out of bed.
6:15 am No sense in fighting it, it’s time to get up. Make the coffee, plug in the computer and start the process.
7 am I happen to love the morning and am able to take care of business much more effectively early. This is the perfect time to answer e-mails and follow through on previous calls.
8:15 am Start the bus—it’s time to roll. I’m working in Oklahoma today, so I’m a ways away from home. After plugging the address into my GPS I’m headed toward my first call of the day. Most appointments start at 9:00 but I need about 20 minutes to set up, so I’m giving myself some time in case the parking lot isn’t RV friendly.
9 am First call of the day. Our distributor has about five salespeople, all of whom find themselves a comfortable spot in my mobile showroom and kick back with a cup of coffee. Most of them know us, so the introductions are short and the ideas begin to flow. We have seven great lines, and the key is making sure we highlight the best each supplier has to offer. Having the mobile showroom makes our job much easier as we have a display area for each supplier and everyone gets to see what we have to offer instead of just hearing about it.
After discussing current projects and how we can help, samples are ordered, virtuals are requested and everyone is happy and on their way. Most people don’t realize that, while multi-line reps sell product, they don’t actually write the order—that is done directly by the supplier.
10:45 am I pack up and move to the next appointment.
11 am Presentation No. 2: a smaller-sized distributor working from home. Parking a 40-foot RV on a residential street offers its share of challenges, including tree branches, mailboxes and other vehicles; however, this is all part of the experience. After a quick set-up, two people come aboard. This is a first-time visit, so there’s a lot of “Oh wow!” and “I had no idea” comments.
Generally speaking, we spend more time on Post-it® Notes than I expected, but they ask some great questions and showed a lot of interest—what more can I ask for? [In addition to 3M, The Identity Group also represents Cap America, Izod, Eighth Floor awards and Astor Chocolate.—Ed.]
After about 45 minutes, I realize I need to wrap it up and head for my next appointment, which is across town. Most appointments last well over an hour, and we try to schedule accordingly to leave time for closing up and travel. Today I’m running a little behind, which means no lunch and a hasty drive through traffic.
12:50 pm I’m running late and, wouldn’t you know it, the parking lot is not good for parking—my choices are low branches, a steep drive, a fire lane or blocking a delivery dock. I pick the loading dock and run in to ask the distributor if I’m okay. “No problem” is the response, so I ask for about 10 minutes and quickly set up.
For those not familiar with RVs, setting up means leveling the vehicle, pushing out the slide-outs and pulling some items that don’t travel well out of cupboards. Basically, it’s all automatic—push a few buttons, watch a gauge or two and be sure you have room outside for the sides to expand. It’s a pretty cool thing to watch, and it makes the interior about the size of a standard conference room.
Thankfully the distributor is running late too, and everybody has time to finish what they’re doing. We have seven people on board at this meeting, and it goes great! There are tons of questions, projects galore, plenty of opportunities and some wonderful people—my definition of a perfect call. Plus, no one was in a hurry, which gave us the chance to share stories about our kids and just relax.
But my day is far from over.
3:30 pm Time to move on, again. It’s the same process in reverse—put things away, bring in the slides and pull up the jacks. Okay, putting things away takes a few minutes, but really the rest is pushing buttons. We’re ready to roll.
4 pm After a short drive, I pull into the final stop of the day, which is an open, level parking lot with plenty of room to maneuver. My appointment isn’t until 4:30, so I have plenty of time to set up, make some calls and catch up with a few e-mails. I’ve seen several messages on my BlackBerry that aren’t easily answered without my laptop, so I take the opportunity to get some very quick responses in before my meeting.
4:40 pm This particular sales call was specifically scheduled last in the day as a happy hour, so those attending are expecting a full refrigerator and cold beverages. I do not disappoint. As you can imagine this is a very relaxed atmosphere and the afternoon rapidly turns to evening. Who says you can’t enjoy your work? However, I still need to get to the nearest Wal-Mart parking lot for the night and my guests are requesting another round.
7 pm After convincing this distributor that parking for the night is a necessity, I pack up and head a mile down the road to the parking lot. There are few towns without a Wal-Mart, and most of our clients are close to one. I’ve been in this one numerous times and know exactly where to park. The distributors are now waiting for me to lock up and join them for dinner.
10 pm We have a great dinner and lots of laughs. It’s fun to get together with these folks beyond the business world. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish after getting to know someone away from the pressure of work. We encourage this kind of relationship building and are always available to hang out after hours. It’s especially nice to have company for dinner and learn more about the individuals.
After a call home to get the family scoop, I learn my daughter earned a place in the National Honor Society and inductions are next week. Needless to say, I’ll be home for that ceremony. My wife’s fine, the dogs are alive and no one stole my pick-up, so it’s time to call it a night.
11:15 pm I watch part of Jay Leno, then I hit the remote and settle in for another short night.
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