Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jim Spuller. Jim has 40+ years of sales, marketing, and leadership experience and now provides sales training and leadership as a Business Development Consultant for Gibson. We hope you enjoy his wisdom and perspective.
It’s funny how what you love now can retrospectively be traced to an event or two in your earlier life. In a previous post, I referenced how instrumental a neighbor kid, Art Hughes, was in teaching me golf. Ultimately golf became my profession for a time. Today golf remains a favorite pastime and it has provided a social structure throughout my life.
Another of my loves, the love for sales and service, began at Mr. Wiggs discount department store in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mr. Wiggs is no longer in existence; it has been out of business for nearly 40 years. As I recall, it was headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio which today is better known for the amusement park Cedar Point.
I began working at Mr. Wiggs as a 16 year-old kid looking to secure a more reliable income in order put gas in my car. The 25.9 - 30.9 cents per gallon was putting a severe dent in my pocketbook at the time (ah, the good old days). Getting a job at Mr. Wiggs seemed like the perfect way to augment the money that came from normal summer farm activities such as bailing hay, crop work, and other labors that do not appeal to most, or to me either for that matter. Little did I know the lessons learned, consciously or not, in that retail environment would be quite beneficial later my business ventures.
I was hired to work in the sporting goods and automotive department, which seemed very appropriate for a high school student who participated in nearly all sports and loved cars. Mr. Wiggs put me under the keen training eyes of a few individuals. From these assigned mentors I learned mostly by "forced" observation…and having my knuckles rapped and ego bruised! They taught me to ask questions and listen to what the customer needed or wanted while shopping before providing options or suggestions. More importantly, I learned that sales and service was NEVER about me, but rather it was about the prospective buyer, what they wanted, or what they were trying to accomplish during their store visit. These lessons were exceedingly helpful throughout my career.
During my last summer I worked in the warehouse, under the guidance of Carl Shoudel. Carl was a WWII Purple Heart recipient who had retired from a career in the military. Carl, through his attitude and actions, reinforced lessons from my parents on how the value of work and service plays a role in serving the customer. I cannot stress enough how important these roles were in my development - as my colleagues became not only my work family, but also friends. Because of these relationships I did not suffer some of the less than desirable experiences that my classmates did - meaning, I managed to stay out of trouble.
My job at Mr. Wiggs served me well through high school. It not only provided me gas money, but became my business and social construct. My "career” at Mr. Wiggs ended the summer preceding my sophomore year in college but the lessons learned and experiences still resonate today.
What’s The Risk?
Carl and the others I worked under at Mr. Wiggs probably didn’t realize all that I was learning from them each and every day. Even if you’re not part of a formal mentor-mentee relationship, you likely have individuals looking to you and your actions for guidance. But if you lose sight of this, you may be missing opportunities to make a difference.
Remember, customers (and kids) pay far more attention to what you do rather than what you say. Be conscious of your actions. What you do might lead someone to find their passion, as the individuals at Mr. Wiggs led me to my love of sales.
Lastly, your kids or grandkids may pay more attention to their boss or mentor than they will you. So if they are lucky enough to have a mentor to support and take interest in them, make sure you get engaged and are aware of the values are learning. And please take time to thank those mentors or bosses for helping.
This content was written and shared by guest blogger, Jim Spuller.
Jim is a former risk management executive and PGA Golf Professional with extensive experience in sales training and coaching, including leadership roles at Marsh and A&A/Aon. He brings his expertise to Gibson to provide sales leadership and training as a Business Development Consultant.
Connect with Jim on Twitter and LinkedIn, and check out his blog.
