DISTRIBUTORSHarry Ein Perfection Promo, affiliate of iPROMOTEu (asi/232119)Jennifer Sander Capital Ideas Inc. (asi/157004)Graham Robbins Boundless Network (asi/143717)Jane Beth McCarty Grapevine Designs (asi/212829)Gay Waye BrandAlliance (asi/170480)Brian Waligora Pure Marketing Group (asi/302553)Greg Greemon sales, Activate! Promotions & Marketing (asi/141964)Sam Minster Jack Nadel Inc. (asi/279600)Holli May Goldner Associates (asi/209800)Julie Russell account director, Imperial Marketing (asi/230430)

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We cast a wide net for nominations of distributor reps and ranked our 10 top-

selling nominees by sales volume. As always, we named our number-one Sales Reps of the Year; but really, each person spotlighted here gets rave reviews and bragging rights. Use their insights and advice as inspiration and motivation.

#1DISTRIBUTOR SALES REP OF THE YEARHarry Ein Owner, Perfection Promo, an affiliate of iPROMOTEu (asi/232119)Harry Ein was always destined for a block-buster sales career. A tale from his senior year of high school illustrates the truth of that statement.

During the holiday season, his parents went on vacation, but Ein stayed home because he had a swim meet in which to compete. His folks left him with food and money to hold him over while they were gone. With money in hand, however, Ein sensed opportunity – opportunity in the form of Tickle Me Elmo. That Christmas, the Elmo toy was the most sought-after

item. Retailers everywhere couldn’t keep Elmo on their shelves. But looking through newspaper classifieds, Ein found three people willing to sell their Elmos. He used the money his parents had left him to buy each Elmo for $50 to $70 each. Then, just before Christmas Eve, he walked around malls and shopping centers holding the toys, looking to sell them. With stores depleted of Elmos, people desperate to buy stopped Ein and offered him fast cash for the Sesame Street character. The sales were a cinch. “I profited $250, which was some solid money as an 18-year-old kid,” says Ein. “It was the start of my sales career.”

And what a lucrative career it has been. Forward-thinking and full of hustle, Ein has earned success in ad specialty sales by working with an array of clients, from San Francisco area technology com-panies to buyers in the sports industry. In recent years, he’s adapted to changing marketplace dynamics and built a strong online presence that’s helped him attract younger-generation clients. Still, he’s a sales traditionalist, too, forging firm rela-tionships with clients through consulta-tive in-person meetings that generate awesome solutions and massive ROI. Such results frequently lead to referrals, which lead to more sales and more referrals – and so on. Nonetheless, he doesn’t solely rely on word-of-mouth and online business to keep the revenue rising; he’s a savvy net-worker who knows how to capitalize on

opportunity, like when he recently won a new client during a chat at a wedding.

“I love having the chance to share ideas,” says Ein, who notes that patience, persistence and partnering with excellent suppliers and decorators are essential for success. So is the willingness to work hard and having a sincere passion for the promo-tional products business. “I honestly love what I do,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever woken up and thought ‘I’m not enjoying this.’ People I know who are successful in this industry all feel that way.”

Going forward, Ein forecasts contin-ued success for Perfection Promo – and for ad specialties as a whole. “More people are learning about promotional products and how well they work,” he says. “I don’t see why we can’t have 3% to 5% growth as an industry each year.”

#2Jennifer Sander National Account Executive, Capital Ideas Inc. (asi/157004)There’s big money in the pharmaceuti-cal industry, and competition for clients in this sector is fierce. But that’s fine by Jennifer Sander. Tenacious, intelligent and unfailingly reliable, this proud UGA Bulldog has carved a lucrative niche serv-ing large companies in the pharmaceutical space. “I’ve spent a lot of time educating myself on the industry, and they come to

Our annual best distributor reps search once again uncovered some of the industry’s best and brightest sales talent. Here’s a look at what keeps these go-getters on their game, and why you should add them to your contact list now.By Christopher Ruvo

DISTRIBUTOR REPSOF THE YEAR

82 www.sgr-asi.com March/April 2015

HARRY EIN PERFECTION PROMO

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me because they know I’m an expert they can trust,” says Sander.

Such expertise is critical in turn-ing prospect courtships into firm client relationships, she says. So are two other traits: reliability and responsiveness. “When people know they can rely on you, they’ll continue coming back and they’ll refer you,” says Sander. “I know that pro-motional products are one of a hundred things my clients are probably working on, so it’s my goal to make their lives as easy as possible. They know they can make one phone call to me and get every-thing they need, fast. If you make them shine, they’ll remain loyal.”

The drive to deliver big for clients and score personal success is naturally a pow-erful motivator for Sander. But equally paramount among her priorities is the desire to help her colleagues at Capital Ideas reach their maximum potential. “With a positive attitude, Jennifer regu-larly goes the extra mile for our company, extending her time and professionalism

to mentor other sales reps here,” says Capital Ideas VP Gina Sealey.

When she’s not working, chances are you’ll find Sander engaged in a boot camp-style workout or spending time with her daughter. That or obsessively monitoring meteorology reports. Sander admits that she’s a “weather nut. I can tell you what the weather will be all over the country.” While she jokes that she should have been a meteorologist, her clients – and Capital Ideas – are sure glad she’s sticking to ad specialties.

#3 Graham RobbinsSales Consultant, Boundless Network (asi/143717)Graham Robbins is a man of faith. That faith led him to work with Young Life, an evangelical Christian ministry, when he initially graduated from college. The core of the job centered on building positive relationships with youth – something that

would come in handy years later when Robbins started in promotional prod-uct sales. “The training I received with Young Life placed the utmost impor-tance on relationships,” says Robbins. “That really set me up for success with ad specialties, which is a very relation-ship-based type of selling.”

Robbins, a former college soccer player, builds those lucrative relation-ships by providing business-building cre-ative ideas and top-notch service backed by cutting-edge technology. “Products are how we make money,” he says, “but solu-tions are how we obtain – and maintain – business. A great product attached to a great experience is what earns loyalty.”

Any strong relationship is solidified by honesty and accountability. Robbins never loses sight of that, especially when mistakes occur. “We own our mistakes,” he says. “When things go wrong, we make it right. Our clients know we will take care of them. Success comes from how you treat people.”

JENNIFER SANDER CAPITAL IDEAS INC.

GRAHAM ROBBINS BOUNDLESS NETWORK

GAY-LOUISE WAYE BRANDALLIANCE

JANE BETH MCCARTY GRAPEVINE DESIGNS

Jennifer Sander’s astrological sign is Leo. She says that’s quite appropriate. “I definitely have some of the lioness in me.”

Harry Ein is a former competi-tive swimmer; he still loves to engage in competition – includ-ing the virtual kind. “I’m big into my fantasy football league,” he says. “It’s fun to compete amongst your friends.”

In high school, Graham Robbins played football and soccer – and was also a cheerleader. “It’s where the pretty girls were,” he says.

Jane Beth McCarty is a Cardinals fan – two times over. “I’m from Kentucky and I love the Louisville Cardinals,” she says. “And living in St. Louis, I’m a fan of the baseball team.”

Gay-Louise Waye loves karaoke: “I do a mean Janis Joplin.”

✻ Distributor Fun Facts

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Brian Waligora can solve a Rubik’s cube in two minutes.

The song that best describes Greg Greemon is “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. “My dad used to say, ‘You got to make chicken soup out of chicken poop.’ I live by that.”

Sam Minster is a massive hockey fan. So imagine his thrill when, through a friend con-nected to the Los Angeles Kings, he got to hold the Stanley Cup – and have his picture taken with it. The experience was made sweeter because the Kings – his favorite team – had just won hockey’s most coveted trophy.

Holli May identifies most with the song “Toes” by Zac Brown Band, which contains lyrics like “I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand/Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand/Life is good today. Life is good today.”

The song that perfectly describes Julie Russell is “I Will Survive.”

✻ Distributor Fun Facts

His clients come from a range of industries, but fit a similar profile. Rob-bins seeks to work with growing organi-zations that need a strategic partner who will help them manage their brand, mar-keting message, employee engagement and more. When he’s not working, you’ll find him spending time with his family, which includes a daughter and two boys. Their interests – horses, soccer, baseball and more – are his interests. “My hob-bies,” Robbins says, “are whatever gets me involved with them.”

#4 Jane Beth McCartyEVP & Director of Fulfillment Programs, Grapevine Designs (asi/212829)Jane Beth McCarty wears a lot of hats – and she’s comfortable in them all. When she’s not immersed in client work as a highly successful sales account executive, she’s overseeing Grapevine’s program business and enterprise-level client relationships. “My dad would say you have to keep your nose to the grindstone,” she says. “I try to follow that work ethic.”

And she has. An economics major in college, McCarty worked as a banker for 15 years. But there came a point when she desired a change – something less rigid. She found ad specialty sales. “I thought my background in financial services would be helpful in a sales role,” McCarty says.

She was correct. Not surprisingly, given her professional experience, McCarty serves many businesses in the banking and

financial services industry. She naturally relates to these clients because she has been in their shoes, but she also consis-tently engages in research to stay abreast of trends and concerns in the sector. “What-ever market you are working with, you have to get to know what keeps those cli-ents up at night,” she says. “What are their hot-button issues? What makes them tick? Where are their opportunities?”

Just being informed, however, is not enough, says McCarty. Reps that want to reach the next level in their sales must focus on nurturing relationships with buyers. “Have a caring personality and take a consultative approach that helps custom-ers achieve their objectives,” she says.

Furthermore, never miss the chance to discover new business. One exciting aspect of promotional products, says McCarty, is that virtually every company or organiza-tion can benefit from them in some way. “Think of your friends, family and contacts as potential buyers or referrers,” she says. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there.”

#5 Gay-Louise WayeSenior Promotional Marketing Consultant, BrandAlliance (asi/170480)Sometimes, fate opens a door to your future. So it was with Gay-Louise Waye and her immensely successful sales career.

The medical librarian gig – well, it was a job, but it left her feeling unsatisfied. So taking a leap of faith, Waye quit the posi-tion and was prepared to “knock about” for

a few months as she considered her next move.

Then the next move found her. A friend asked her to help out in a small souvenir shop. Waye sold a few orders, and some-thing clicked. Before long, she was a full-time sales pro.

That was 41 years ago. In the ensuing years, Waye’s sales stayed on an upward trajectory, rising along with the shop that blossomed into a full-service promotional products firm. After two decades, Waye joined BrandAlliance, where she has spent the last 21 years building a book of busi-ness that would be the envy of nearly any rep.

Still, Waye is quick to eschew full credit, opting to share the spotlight with her three-person supporting team. “We contribute to each other’s success,” she says. That achievement is considerable, powered in part by the firm grip Waye has on selling to public institutions (gov-ernment departments, universities) in Alberta. “You do a good job for one, and they refer you,” she says.

To Waye, tenacity and integrity are the essential traits reps need to spur sales. “See things from the customer’s point of view,” she advises before adding another tip: “Sell programs; they tie up the business.”

Within the next decade, Waye aims to retire. Once she takes the plunge into her post-career period she’ll have more time to write memories of a life that has gone from a childhood with no electricity or running water in rural Canada to one of multi-million dollar sales in the social media age. “I’ve experienced a lot of evolution.”

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#6 Brian WaligoraSenior Account Director, Pure Marketing Group (asi/302553)There was a time when Brian Waligora aspired to be the White House press secretary. But after the reality of a pub-lic relations career set in, Waligora soon realized that path wasn’t right for him. Still, he knew he wanted to sink his teeth into a particular industry; he just needed to find the right one.

Then he discovered ad specialties. “After a few months, I was hooked,”

says Waligora, who has been on the job at Pure Marketing Group for 6 ½ years. “Every day is something knew. Every project is unique. You never know what you’re going to work on. This industry just felt like home.”

Clearly, loving what he does has helped fuel Waligora’s success. So has being a good person. This married father of two says the secret to his seven-figure sales tally has been treating clients even better than he’d personally expect to be treated, whether those customers are huge accounts or just placing a low-vol-ume order. “There are no small sales,” he says. “When you take care of everybody, it comes back to you ten-fold.”

What other advice can Waligora offer reps? “Do what you say you are going to do,” he says, adding that empathizing with clients and taking the time to under-stand their needs is especially important. “You need to be honest and a have a posi-tive attitude.”

Those are traits Waligora has in spades, says Pure Marketing Group Part-ner Dane Van Breene. “Brian’s knowledge and his desire to help people have enabled him to reach top sales,” Van Breene says.

Waligora’s stellar on-the-job perfor-mance has empowered him to fund his true passion: Traveling with his wife and sons. “We go on all kinds of adventures,” says this family man. “Traveling with them is what I live for.”

#7 Greg GreemonAccount Executive, Activate! Promotions + Marketing (asi/141964)Every Monday evening for the better part of a year, Greg Greemon secretly took tap dance lessons. It was an unchar-acteristic venture for the sports guy who loves kickboxing, deep-sea fishing, golf and tossing around the pigskin. Still, Greemon forayed into tap for his daugh-ters. The girls are passionate about dance, and he wanted to show them that he shared and supported their passion – that he was “all in.” Somehow, he man-aged to keep the lessons secret from his girls. But on the eve of their big recital, he surprised them with a performance. “They loved it,” he says.

Greemon’s willingness to go the extra mile for his daughters is emblem-atic of why he is a success not only as a dad, but also as a sales pro. Simply put, he gives his all to produce maximum ROI for clients. “For his entire 15-year

career, he’s gone above and beyond to earn the trust and respect of every rela-tionship that has crossed his path,” says Bryan McCormick, corporate commu-nications coordinator at Activate!

Greemon’s efforts have paid off handsomely, winning him a wealth of loyal clients. Indeed, he still works with customers he gained when he began at Activate! – a career he started after working in fields as different as high-profile event management and commer-cial fishing in Alaska. The loyalty from clients is, in part, a result of Greemon following advice his mother once gave him: Shut up and listen. “People will tell you their pain points,” he says. “Then it’s up to you to offer a solution.”

Beyond being self-motivated good listeners, reps aspiring to reach higher revenue levels should continually net-work and prospect, says Greemon. As importantly, he advises, have fun on the job. “Promotional product sales are sup-posed to be creative and fun,” he says. “When you’re excited about what you do, other people will be too.”

#8 Sam MinsterVP/Partner Jack Nadel International (asi/279600)It doesn’t take long to figure out that Sam Minster enjoys a laugh.

What song best describes you, Sam? “‘Insane in the Brain’ by Cypress Hill.” What was your college major and what did you plan to do with it? “Psychology;

BRIAN WALIGORA PURE MARKETING GROUP

GREG GREEMON ACTIVATE! PROMOTIONS + MARKETING

HOLLI MAY GOLDNER ASSOCIATES

SAM MINSTER JACK NADEL INTERNATIONAL

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finally figure out what’s wrong with me.” The humor that comes naturally

to Minster makes him instantly like-able – something that has helped him build strong client relationships. It also helped sustain him through the darkest period in his 25-year promotional prod-ucts career. During the economic down-turn six years ago, Minster lost most of his business. But keeping his chin up, he started cold-calling and leveraging referrals. Before long, his sales were well into seven figures again.

Hustle, hard work and delivering ROI-generating solutions powered the sales resuscitation. But there were other drivers, too. “Attention to detail is so important,” Minster says. “That, and following up with your clients as soon as possible. A client will email me about something and I’ll respond just to say I got it and that I’m working on it. When you’re responsive, it shows you care.”

A huge hockey fan (he plays too), Minster says some lessons he learned on the ice translate to the workplace. “You may not always get along the greatest with everyone, but it’s pivotal to find common ground so you can be success-ful as a team.”

When he’s not working, slapping the puck around or strumming his gui-tar, this Renaissance man enjoys imper-sonating character voices. “I do a good Elmo,” he says. “It came in handy when reading to my kids.”

Whether or not such talents will lead to a second career on the stage remains to be seen. But one thing we know for

sure is that Minster is deservedly in the spotlight when it comes to ad specialties.

#9 Holli MaySenior Account Manager, Goldner Associates, (asi/209800) Holli May has promotional products in her blood. Her mother sold ad spe-cialties as she was growing up, and the expertise was passed on. “My mom is my hero and I was so fortunate to have her as a role model in the industry,” May says.

For all that, however, her path to sales success wasn’t clear-cut. After grad-uating college with a public relations degree, May wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. As it happened, she took a job as a flight attendant. In retrospect, she says, it was a highly fortuitous move – deal-ing with grumpy passengers proved to be a master’s course in customer service. “You’re forced to learn how to work with customers in stressful situations,” she says. “It was fantastic training.”

Eventually, she left the flight atten-dant gig and worked for a short while in sales jobs outside ad specialties before deciding to try the branded-merchan-dise industry. Her mom taught her the basics and gave her the confidence to get started. “My mom sat me down with catalogs and went over the codes,” she says. “Then she told me to start cold calling.”

Over a 15-year career, May has found a sales sweet spot, specializing in busi-ness with clients in the health-care mar-ket. She recently led a group at Goldner on how to sell within the complex world of today’s hospitals. Of course, many insights she has gained through her career are applicable regardless of what market you’re targeting. “Be willing to do what the competition won’t do,” she says. “When your clients want something, make it happen.” Persistence and a strong work ethic are especially important. “If you’re willing to work the long hours,” she says, “the rewards are incredible.”

#10Julie RussellAccount Director, Imperial Marketing (asi/230430)Julie Russell always strives for more. That perpetual hunger for improvement has combined with a sharp mind and client-first attitude to put her annual sales tallies consistently among the industry’s elite.

An ad specialty veteran of 18 years (12 with Imperial), Russell primarily works with clients in the automotive industry, running a successful eStore program, ser-vicing daily “spot buy” sales and working with international accounts on large pro-grams. Through outstanding performance that leads to referrals, she has continually bolstered sales volumes. Her success is a factor of the personal attentiveness she gives customers and the proficiency with which she orchestrates orders. “You have to understand your clients, be organized and follow up in a timely manner,” she says.

A true consultant, Russell makes it her business to be well-versed in regula-tory and consumer safety laws so she can best guide clients. Her insight is also espe-cially keen when it comes to advising buy-ers about apparel – a result of her having worked in retail, sales for apparel suppliers and her thorough understanding of deco-ration techniques. “It’s so important,” says Russell, “to listen to your customers’ needs and do the necessary homework on any new opportunities with regards to audi-ence, demographics, lifestyle and budget.”

Committed to professional devel-opment, Russell is active in the broader promotional products community, serv-ing as part of the board of directors for the Michigan Promotional Professionals Association.

Still, it’s not all work for Russell. The self-described “chocoholic” is a whiz when it comes to baking. Impressively, this avid sports fan who loves to golf is also blessed with a wonderful singing voice. “I always wanted to be a singer – or a sideline sports reporter.”

Christopher Ruvo is senior writer for SGR’s sister publication, Advantages magazine.

JULIE RUSSELL IMPERIAL MARKETING