Business mogul Richard Branson says that, “business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.”
Are you ready for the next opportunity that comes your way?
We at EDGE 360 want to make sure you are. We want your sales teams at the ready with an EDGE on their competitors. Additionally, it is a top priority for Comstor to develop a strong partnership with our solution providers to ensure that they have the tools needed to address each new and exciting opportunity coming down the pike.
That mission is one that is followed by everyone here, particularly those on the front lines – the sales team. My team is made up of some of the smartest, hardest working and most fun folks you will ever meet.
More importantly, they have a great deal of experience to share with you to give you the EDGE in selling required to truly reach your customers. In Tales from the EDGE, our sales team will share best practices, tips and advice that you can use to foster a successful sales team within your own business. And, we want to hear from you, too. What are the challenges that you’ve faced, mottos that you live by, lessons that you’ve learned? Share them with us on Tales from the EDGE.
What is your sales motto? See what our sales team has to say and then leave your own in the comments:
Lee Agerton, Business Development Manager, Southeastern US
Sales Motto: “You don’t close a sale, you open a relationship…” – Patricia Fripp
Experience: Lee has over twenty years in distribution and since joining Comstor, he has enjoyed the opportunities brought on by working with some of the nation’s top integrators and resellers.
Sean Downs, Business Development Manager, Northern California- Pacific Northwest
Sales Motto: “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” -Zig Ziglar
Experience: Sean Downs brings over twenty years of sales experience in the Service Provider, Telecommunications, Global and Enterprise market space. His strategic and consultative approach with customers helps them solve business problems and issues while aiming to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.
Dan Forbes (That’s me), Director of Business Development, Comstor US Division
Sales Motto: “Be seen and you’ll be selling…”
Experience: Dan has been in distribution for almost twenty years with the first half of his career being spent in broad-line distribution. Since joining the Comstor US team in 2013, he has made following through with Comstor’s value statement his creed.
Ed Johnson, Business Development Manager, Northeast Territory
Sales Motto: “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” -Colin Powell
Experience: Ed joined the Comstor team in December of 2013 Before joining the Comstor team , Ed spent twelve years at Cisco. His partner enablement and strategic planning experience includes working with various regional and national partners.
Bill Keating, Business Development Manager, the Great Lakes Region
Sales Motto: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
Experience: Bill has over twenty years experience in the industry and brings a unique perspective to Comstor partners. Before joining Comstor, Bill was Vice President of a large Gold Cisco partner.
Izabela Keller, Business Development Manager, Central US
Sales Motto: “Selling something only to steal it back to sell again is not only dishonest, but highly profitable.” ― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale
Experience: Izabela has over nine years experience in sales. She has worked in Cisco asset management since 2006 and spent almost five years working on Smartnet renewals, Cisco assets tracking, and interacting with Cisco channel and field reps, resellers and end customers.
Steve Rodgers, Business Development, Western US
Sales Motto: “If you are not selling, you are being sold!”
Experience: Steve has been with Comstor for nearly fifteen years. Starting on the sales floor as a Senior Account Manager, he has been given opportunities to lead sales teams, build an outside sales force, as well as launch Comstor’s Canadian operations.
Danielle Turcot, Business Development Manager, Federal Government
Sales Motto: “Show up, Listen, Be responsive and Execute on your commitments. And remember, nothing good happens after midnight.”
Experience: Danielle has over twelve years of experience working with the Federal Government in numerous capacities. She is responsible for improving Comstor’s market position and achieving financial growth within the Public Sector/Federal Market.
Kyle van Hoften, Business Development Manager, Southern California and Hawaii
Sales Motto: “When shooting for your target, don’t aim for the goal line, aim for the back of the net!”
Experience: Working with Cisco is one thing, but with Kyle having worked for Cisco, he brings to solution providers an even more specific understanding of how to grow their Cisco business and manage Cisco processes.
Dayna Walden, Business Development Manager, Texas and Southwestern US
Sales Motto: “Good leaders believe in themselves, GREAT leaders get others to believe in themselves.”
Experience: Dayna has been working in channels for the past twelve years in both regional and national roles. Comstor is her first direct experience in a distribution role; however, while at VMware Distribution, she gained a new view from the partner as well as the vendor side of things, making her a well-rounded Business Development Manager.
