45 YEARS IN SALES & MANAGEMENT

E D M O N D H. L E G U M

45 YEARS IN SALES & MANAGEMENT

Edmond H. Legum | 45 Years in Sales & Management 2 of 15

INTRODUCTIONWhat works and what doesn’t in retail and B2B sales, management, hiring, training, inventory manage-ment, advertising, store design, and operations? Since 1967 I’ve done my best to answer that question.

In short, I have spent 45 years of my life working with businesses to help them increase the productivity of their five key resources: (1) people: how to transform customer service, salespeople, and managers into top producers, (2) product: how to find a competitive edge through pricing, packaging, and management of de-vices, accessories, and services, (3) place: how to improve what custom-ers see and experience when they visit stores, (4) promotion: how to drive new customers for your prod-

ucts and service, and (5) processes: how to give your people the systems they need to get the job done.

This is the story of my life at work. I have helped hundreds of business-es create new customers and improve their productivity.

Will my ideas work for your business? It makes for a good conversation; I’d love to talk with you about it.

To see where I’m coming from,

click to the next slide. D


1958

I PLAY IN A STOREEvery day after school, I walk to ‘Ida’s’, my mother’s dress store. I watch her and her French sales-person, Arlette, help customers find just the right dress with all of the right accessories.

But most of the time I play in the stockroom with the display window props and mannequins.


1967I AM A CLERK

It’s the summer of love in Annapolis, Maryland. My Uncle Elerk gives me a job in his Pawn Shop. At the end of my first day he fires me.


1970

I AM A STOCK BOYI stock shelves at Leader Drugs. At the same time I create hand-let-tered promotional signs with Amer-ican stars and stripes. The manager loves them. I cannot believe he pays me to spend all day doing this.

4th of july SALE!33% off 3-packsPalmolive soap


1971 to 1974

I AM A DEPARTMENT MANAGERI work for Arlan’s Department Stores. Arlan’s chain of 54 big box stores sails in and out of business back in the heady 1970s.

I am chosen to manage their prototype Sight & Sound Center, which replaces their major applianc-es with TVs, audio systems and cre-denzas, cameras, LPs, 8-tracks, and a newcomer: cassette tapes.

I fall in love with electronics.

Packard Bell audio credenza ca 1971. I sold these at Arlan’s.


1974

I AM A MANAGER TRAINEEI walk into a Radio Shack in Atlanta’s new Cumberland Mall and ask to speak to the manager— The guy said, ‘You’re lookin’ at ‘em.’I said, ‘I’m looking for a job in Management Training.’He said, ‘What’s your background?’I tell him my Arlan’s story.He says, ‘Can you start Tuesday?’

In the back of the store are 2000 parts on the walls, including: capaci-tors, resistors, plugs, jacks, adapters, and circuit boards. I know nothing about these things.

But in the front of the store are audio components systems. I take the job.


1974, continued

I GAIN KNOWLEDGE & SKILLSIn my second month at Radio Shack I become the number one sales-man in Atlanta.

I am recruited by HiFi Corner, a high-end audio store. I leave Radio Shack and take the job. They teach me how to sell the best audio on the planet: Marantz, Sony, TEAC, Dual, and the original line of JBL audio-phile speakers.

The JBL D44000 Paragon is a one-piece stereo loudspeaker. It is almost nine feet long.

To build one demands over a hundred man hours of hand-finishing. With only about

1,000 units ever made, it is highly sought after. In 1974 HiFi Corner sells this extraordi-

nary piece for $5000. Today you may find one on eBay for $19,000.


1974 to 1984

I AM A STORE MANAGERIn my second month at HiFi Corner I sell the biggest system they ever sold.

Radio Shack calls. They want me back. If I return they will make me the manager of a store in Smyrna, Georgia. I accept their offer.

In my second year at this store I increase sales by 25% and drive a P&L that yields a 15% net profit for the year. For this achievement I earn Radio Shack’s highest award, the Leader’s Club diamond ring.


1974 to 1984, continued

I AM A DISTRICT MANAGER I run four successful Radio Shack stores. In 1976 they promote me to District Manager of 20 stores in Baltimore.

In my second year, I surpass all of the other 255 districts in old store sales gains and become the Number 1 District Manager in the United States.


1974 to 1984, continued

I AM A PRODUCT MANAGERIn 1979 Executive Management brings me to the home office in Fort Worth, Texas to become their Audio Product Manager. For the next five years I am responsible for the devel-opment, marketing, and inventory control of 457 major end-products and accessories.

My lines produce 20 percent of Radio Shack’s annual sales of $3 Billion.

This is page 16 of Radio Shack’s

1981 catalog. I’m the guy

with the mustache.


1984 to 1986

I AM A VICE PRESIDENTI return to Atlanta and enter the field of telecommunications, to become Vice President of American Phone Centers. I am responsible for all advertising, merchandising, and sales training.

I create an integrated selling strat-egy that blends retail marketing through our showrooms with B2B sales methodology. We become the fastest growing interconnect in America, selling 3,000 business phone systems in 18 months.


1986 to TODAY

I AM A CONSULTANTI launch my own business – The Edmond-Howard Network – in 1986. I specialize in retail consulting, sales training, management training, and marketing support services for the telecom and consumer electronics industries.

I work extensively within the wire-less industry, developing and deliv-ering customized training and con-sulting programs for over 60 wireless companies including US Cellular, Bell Mobility (Canada), Rogers (Canada), AT&T, T-Mobile, Iusacell (Mexico) and Verizon Wireless.

Edmond Legum 3

U S A C L I E N T S

RETAIL INDIRECT B2B NOTES

Aerial Communications ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of T-Mobile

AT&T ∏ ∏ ∏

AirTouch ∏ Now part of Verizon

Alltel Mobile ∏ ∏ Now part of Verizon

Ameritech ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

BellSouth Mobility ∏ Now part of AT&T

CarolinaWest Wireless ∏

CellCom ∏

Cellular One ∏ ∏ ∏

Century Cable ∏

CeturyTel ∏ Now part of Verizon

Charter Communications ∏

Cingular Wireless ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

CommNet ∏

Cox Communications ∏

Dobson ∏

Ericsson ∏

Express Wireless ∏

Frontier ∏

Fuego Wireless ∏

GTE Wireless ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of Verizon

Gulf Coast Wireless ∏

LA Cellular Now part of AT&T

MetroPCS ∏ ∏ Now part of T-Mobile

Nextel ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of Sprint

nTelos ∏ ∏ ∏

Pacific Bell Wireless ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

PrimeCo ∏ Now part of AT&T

SBC Wireless ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

SNET ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

SOL Communications ∏ Now part of T-Mobile

Southwestern Bell ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

Sprint PCS ∏ ∏

T-Mobile ∏ ∏ ∏

Telecorp/Tritel/Triton ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of AT&T

Thumb Cellular ∏

U.S. Cellular ∏ ∏ ∏

United Wireless ∏

Verizon Wireless ∏ ∏

Western Wireless ∏ ∏ ∏ Now part of Verizon

Edmond Legum 4

I N T E R NAT I O NA L C L I E N T S

RETAIL INDIRECT B2B NOTES

BTC: Bahamas Telecommunications Company

∏ Bahamas

Bell Mobility ∏ ∏ Canada

MTS Mobility ∏ ∏ Canada

Rogers ∏ ∏ Canada

Sasktel ∏ Canada

Tricom ∏ Dominican Republic

Elektra ∏ Mexico

Iusacell ∏ ∏ Mexico

Nokia ∏ Mexico

RadioShack de México ∏ Mexico

SK Telecom ∏ South Korea

DIAX ∏ Switzerland

GTE Movilnet ∏ ∏ ∏ Venezuela

Organizations

I’ve been engaged by leading industry trade organizations to develop and present program tracks as well as to provide direct marketing and sales consulting services. My clients include:

CES : Consumer Electronics Show

CTIA : Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association

NCTA : National Cable & Telecommunications Association

PCIA : Personal Communications Industry Association

RCA : Rural Cellular Association; now CCA (Competitive Cellular Association)


1986 to TODAY, continued

I AM AN AUTHOR

People & Profits in Electronics Retailing, an in-depth guide to finding, hiring, and keeping top producers

New Profits in Wireless Retailing, the most highly respected study of how to drive sales, margins, traffic, and merchandising in the industry

Wireless Ways III, the wireless industry’s bible for growing distribu-tion channels

The New Directions in Wireless series of training programs for retail, indirect, and B2B sales and management

The Design of Workbooks style guide for instructional professionals

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Edmond H. Legum50 ways to grow your business

with channel analyses for Retail,

Indirect, and B2B distribution

third edition

WIRELESS WAYS IIIWIRELESS WAYS III

ireless Ways is the kind of book you need

to have a highlighter in hand when you read

it, because you’re going to want to come back

and find ideas again and again. If readers can’t find

dozens of things to put to work tomorrow making

them more money then they’re not trying.

tom brooksherFirst publisher of Wireless Week

praise for legum’s New Profits in Wireless RetailingEd Legum knows wireless retailing better than anyone I’ve seen. I recommend it heartily.

jim cathcartAuthor of Relationship Selling

Legum’s book is a must read. To put it another way: If you don’t read it and your competitors do you are toast!

andrew m. seybold

about the author Ed Legum is the founder and president of The Edmond-Howard Network. Since 1991, Legum has worked extensively within the wireless industry, developing and delivering customized training and consulting programs for over 50 wireless companies, including Verizon Wireless, Alltel, U.S. Cellular, Bell Mobility, T-Mobile and Cingular Wireless. ¶ Legum is also the author of New Profits in Wireless Retailing and the New Directions in Wireless series of training programs that include Retail Sales, Retail Sales Management, Indirect Channel Management, and B2B Sales & Management.

The Edmond-Howard Networkwww.hownet.com

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Selling Wireless Data Solutions

The Wireless Experience

1Exploring the Wireless Data Environment



2Discovering Wireless Data Needs in the Enterprise



3Pursuing Wireless DataReturn on Investment



4Handling Wireless Data Objections & Closing



5Managing Wireless Data Sales Activity


I AM EASY TO FIND

[email protected]

770-715-3337 cell

www.linkedin.com/in/edlegum/