MATTWAGNER

Salesman by day and cowboy by night, Matt Wagner lives a double life with a single goal: inspiring the customer. By John Corrigan / Photo: Graddy Photography

SUPPLIERSALES REPOF THE YEAR

FIELDS MANUFACTURING

Strumming his guitar in front of toe-tap-ping congregations, Matt Wagner is a modern day miracle man. Under his alter ego, James Warren, the former percussion teacher performed 70

shows throughout the Midwest last year, traveling to bars, churches and festivals to play his new country album, Honest Man. Every summer, he organizes the Holy Cross Country Music Festival in Maple Lake, MN, gathering local tal-ent and arranging song selections in between writing and rehearsing. It’s a passion project that demands creativity, efficiency and people skills – three vir-tues that have led Wagner to be named SGR’s Supplier Sales Rep of the Year.

“A musician is always working to build a fan base,” Wagner says. “In our industry, we’re always working to build a customer base.”

As the director of sales development at Fields Manufacturing, Wagner handles all the top national accounts including those for the recently acquired American Greenwood. Since joining the St. Cloud, MN-based supplier five years ago as the art and order entry manager, he has rap-idly ascended the company ladder and is now responsible for 25% of Fields’ annual revenue – about $5 million in sales.

“Matt is extremely passionate about Fields’ customers and finding solutions for their clients,” says Matt Bertram, president of Fields Manufacturing. “He has impeccable follow up and is extremely thoughtful, creative, quick-thinking and sincere.”

Specializing in “creative problem-solving,” Wagner remains motivated by the unpredictable demands of a custom-ized industry and the adrenaline rush of making people’s wishes come true. “We’re always on our toes,” Wagner says. “Every single order is a custom order, so we get to be very creative from an artis-tic standpoint. We have to figure out how an order needs to be delivered and pack-aged, and how we’re going to meet the event date.”

Like Charlie Daniels on the fiddle, Wagner’s breakneck pace of turnaround orders and requests is legendary. “Several times, Matt has gone above and beyond for me to get rush orders done in time, or rush proofs or rush virtuals,” says Julie James of Promos by Julie/HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000). “Samples are sent ASAP right after I order; plus, he’ll keep me posted on specials. He is top-notch and always professional.”

That’s his rhythm, says Sage Joiner, senior account manager at Amplifii (asi/338337). “I not only use him exclu-sively for the catalog of items he offers, but I push many custom ideas his way because I know he will take care of me in the way of communication and speedy service. Just like many of my customers buy from me and not necessarily from my company, I buy from him.”

With experience in each part of the process from production to decoration to marketing to making the sale, Wag-ner has become an educational resource for distributors, offering knowledge and assistance in helping their business grow.

“Matt has been the epitome of con-stant support,” says Jonathan Lee, mar-

keting director for Creative Promotional Products (asi/170669) in Skokie, IL. “He’s very proactive in his approach and in sending ideas. But the best thing about Matt is his responsiveness. You can tell this isn’t just a sale for Matt, but that he’s truly building a strong relationship.”

Whether it’s in the music business or the promotional products industry, Wagner says you have to be prepared to face rejection. Not every song will be a hit, and not every pitch will be a sale. “In order to be successful, you have to fail. You’re going to have a hundred bad ideas before you have a good one.”

But there’s another similarity between his two passions: collaboration. Whether he’s on stage with a band or on a conference call with coworkers, Wagner relies upon his peers to get the job done. “Nothing happens through just one person – it takes an entire team. I’m constantly going to our production and art teams and demanding and demanding and demanding things on behalf of my clients. I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I have without the help of everyone in the Fields family.”John Corrigan is a staff writer for SGR, and its sister publi-cations, Counselor, Advantages & Wearables.

“Matt has been the epitome of constant support. But the best thing about him is his responsiveness. You can tell this isn’t just a sale for Matt, but that he’s truly building a strong relationship.”JONATHAN LEE, CREATIVE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

SUPPLIERSALES REPOF THE YEAR

SUPPLIER REP OF THE YEAR

When Loren Richardson married his wife Jennifer 16 years ago, he assured her that he’d always pull in a steady, consis-

tent income because he had no desire to be in sales, what with its notorious, one-year-up, one-year-down volatility.

Then a graphic designer at Junior Davis & Asso-ciates (asi/176197), Richardson anticipated a fulfilling career of branding T-shirts and other promotional products. As the Pelham, AL-based distributor grew, so did Richardson’s job titles: network administrator, operations manager and, finally, sales manager.

Fast-forward a few years to Richardson leading 15 sales rep-resentatives to great success. He was then offered a position as outside sales executive at Top 40 supplier alphabroder, where he’s spent the last two years covering the $14 million Alabama terri-tory and reaching more than 10% growth.

But he still hasn’t come to terms with the “salesman” moniker. “I don’t try to sell someone a shirt or jacket. I try to help them

make more money from what they may or may not be selling,” Richardson says. “I’ll do the research. I’ll lay out the marketing board. I’m more of a solution provider than a sales rep.”

Heir ApparentMaking deals is in his blood – his father was a salesman in the auto

industry and for a brief time, owned a small screen-printing shop in Muscle Shoals, AL. At a young age, Richardson understood the sacrifices that come with being a successful salesperson and the importance of pleasing the customer. It’s fueled his proactive nature and heightened attention to detail while maintaining supportive relationships with his 140 clients.

“Loren is a top-five performer on our team,” says David Clifton, chief marketing officer at alphabroder. “He’s a true leader of his peers and is looked at as a resource of knowledge. The management team views Loren as a strong player on our team and his feedback

is heavily considered as we consider the voice of the customer.”Maggie Mason, marketing and merchandising specialist at

City Paper Company (asi/162267), shared the perfect example of Richardson going above and beyond for his clients.

“I mentioned to Loren that I was in the process of creating apparel sample kits for our reps to take to meetings,” Mason says. “Loren could have stopped after he made recommendations of what good, better and best apparel options I should include in each kit for each category, but that wasn’t enough for Loren. He kindly offered to have the samples decorated and grommeted, and he passed very little cost along to us. The running joke in our office is that he’s our cable guy – that’s how often he’s here offer-ing his time, suggestions and ongoing support.” – JC

LOREN RICHARDSON, ALPHABRODERFIRST

RUNNER-UP

PATTY CERANSKI, GEMLINE

In this day and age of blink-and-you-miss-it order inqui-ries and I-needed-it-yes-terday shipping rates, the promotional industry is lucky to have Patty Ceranski.

“Make clients’ lives eas-ier,” says the strategic account represen-tative in Gemline’s inside sales depart-ment to her fellow suppliers. “I always try to find a solution to an opportunity. If a distributor asks for pricing, I also ask for an art file so I can provide a vir-tual. It can seal the deal for both of us.”

Ceranski should know; she’s been serving promotional clients since 1989, when she started as an inside sales representative for Parker Pen, remaining with them for 20 years. As it transitioned to Gillette and then San-ford Business-to-Business, Ceranski gained experience in both inside and outside sales.

After leaving the industry for a year and a half, the promo bug bit again and she accepted her current job with Gemline. She works with Lands’ End Business Outfitters, as well as about 200 active accounts at AIA and 300 at HALO Branded Solutions.

“Patty always thinks about her cus-tomers,” says Jonathan Isaacson, owner of Top 40 supplier Gemline. “It shows in her work ethic, attention to detail and passion for what she does. She’s a team player who does a wonderful job representing the company and always takes great pride in exceeding customer expectations.”

While Ceranski’s daily email count significantly surpasses the number of calls she fields, “it’s not by personal choice,” she says. “For a quick and easy question, like on pricing or inventory, email is fine. But if it’s turning into an idea-generation

discussion or it looks like a large oppor-tunity, I pick up the phone.”

Voice-to-voice discussions also give her the opportunity to discuss alterna-tives if necessary and upsell when pos-sible. This happened recently, when one of her clients came to her with a request from a loyal, long-time customer for 1,500 totes with one of Gemline’s stock designs. But a color revision meant that

it became an overseas order, which wouldn’t be shipped in time for the event date. It was a situation that would throw any account representative for a loop, but Ceranski wasn’t ruffled.

“I researched alternative stock and suggested a tote that was an upgrade, but it was on sale, so it brought the price to where it needed to be,” she says. “We shipped a sample to the cli-ent to review, they loved it and placed the order, increasing the quantity from 1,500 to 2,700 pieces.”

More often than not in this new age of one-click ordering, the orders that come to Ceranski need to ship fast. To meet the exploding demand for rush orders, Gemline offers its free Fast-Track service. But Ceranski also jumps into action to expedite the process. “I always look at inventory first and make sure we have what they need,” she explains. “Rush orders happen all the time now – they’re the new reality. So we have to respond to it because it’s not going away.”

One company that’s been satis-fied with Ceranski’s service and gives her effusive praise is Top 40 distribu-tor HALO Branded Solutions. “It’s so refreshing to work with a true pro-fessional like Patty,” says Julie Harms, merchandising specialist. “Her passion is evident by the remarkable service she provides. She gives it her all when it comes to educating herself on prod-ucts, services, meetings and events to provide the most for her clients. She’s gotten to where she is because of her knowledge, top-notch service, atten-tion to detail, caring attitude and strong work ethic. The entire HALO organiza-tion respects her very much.”

Sara Lavenduski is the associate editor of SGR, and its sister publications Counselor, Advantages and Wearables.

“It’s so refreshing to work with a true professional like Patty. Her passion is evident by the remarkable service she provides.”JULIE HARMS, HALO BRANDED SOLUTIONS

By Sara Lavenduski

CUSTOMER SERVICE REP

OF THE YEAR

CUSTOMER SERVICE REP OF THE YEAR

When he first joined his current company, Bronx, NY-based Gary-line, in 1992, Rich Fatone worked

with clients in Gary Plastic Packaging, the com-pany’s packaging division. In 2000, the lifelong New Yorker moved over to the ASI division as an account manager, where customer service is the driving force of his daily responsibilities.

“He is the most valuable CSR we have,” says Rick LeDonne, national sales manager and Fatone’s supervisor. “He manages our top 15

accounts that make up about 18% of our total promotional sales.”That’s a lot on one plate, but Fatone handles it one phone call at

a time. That’s about 100 daily during the busy season. “Sometimes it’s hard when you finish a difficult call and then another comes in immediately after,” he says. “You just have to take a deep breath and start all over again.”

But after 16 years at Garyline, Fatone clearly knows how to roll with the punches. Sue Conroy, promotional products expert at Crestline, says, “He’s one person doing the job of three. And if he’s having a bad day, he hides it well!”

Every customer can expect the same great service from Fatone, which begins with his listening intently to their needs. “You gain ground that way,” he says. “I’m forthright and honest about our ability to meet expectations. The worst thing is to say yes and then

not deliver. Sometimes we just can’t do it and I have to tell them that, but I always look for a replacement.”

Recently, his ability to come up with creative alternatives came in handy when a client was in a tight spot. They needed a three-color imprint on drinkware for an end-buyer’s trade show, and quickly. But the three colors incurred additional charges, as did the fast turnaround, and they were locked in to a certain price.

“Because we offered the drinkware in all three of their logo col-ors, I suggested an assortment with a one-color imprint instead,” says Fatone. “It met expectations and they were able to keep the cost down. It’s all about honesty, reality and following up on what we say we’ll do. If they can rely on us, they come back because they develop a strong bond of trust.”

Certainly, Conroy would agree. “I’ve worked with Rich for 10 years,” she says. “He’s one of the easiest vendor reps I’ve had the pleasure to work with. He knows his products inside and out and he’ll go out of his way to make sure the customer experience is smooth. If there’s an issue, he jumps right on it. There’s no run-around with him.”

His commitment to his customers is obvious amongst his Garyline colleagues as well. Says LeDonne: “Rich goes above and beyond the call of his responsibilities daily. He’s made special deliv-eries and has driven orders to customers to make sure they receive them. You can’t train someone in these things. We truly value his hard work and dedication.” – SL

RICH FATONE, GARYLINEFIRST

RUNNER-UP