New Challenge - New Decade

As I rise before the sun on this the first day of 2020 I am asking God for His direction. There are a few things I plan to complete this year if it fits within the plan God has for my life.

One is to keep up this Blog on a weekly basis. I started this goal in 2013 with the intentions of keeping it on a schedule. The schedule was not every 6 years....... I want my friends, family, and work family to be able to reflect on these post. Exposing my heart and soul to the world is not easy but I feel necessary as I desire to be known as a good and faithful man.

Number one on the list is a weekly blog post as a reflection of each week of events and lessons learned.

Number two is to have a daily prayer journal. This is not my first attempt at this either, however I feel the world needs more prayer and I need to be thankful to God for the blessings in my life. It is also very important to me that I pray for my wife and be thankful for the partner I have been given.

Number three is to study every morning. I have been an early riser for years. I feel it is an advantage in life to get a jump start on each day. My studies will be biblical as well as continuing to develop as the leader God has called me to be.

My hope is that if I can get healthy spiritually it will become visible and everything else will be in harmony as it always is when are priorities are in the proper order.

Manager Vs. Leader

I have been extremely blessed over the last 20 years to contribute to some fantastic organizations. I have had great managers along with a few examples of what I never want to become, that have helped to mold me into an extremely passionate Sales Leader. I prefer the label of "Sales Leader" over Sales Manager or even a Directors title. Becoming a Sales Leader holds me accountable to "lead" in everything we do for the sales team and the company that trades us income for our results.

Fun and focus can work in an office environment.......

Several years ago I noticed my sales team having trouble out of the gate every Monday morning. Coffee surrounded by consistent tardiness created no less than a 3 hour lag in production. Equally as troubling was the casual dress Friday's that only represented casually working on the most critical day of the week. Still with the obvious solution before them, the team complained about having to occasionally work on the weekend to stay caught up with the demands of the job.

My solution? First I scheduled a weekly sales meeting at 8:00am (sharp) every Monday morning. We called this "Starting Line Monday". The idea was to create a fast start to the week with a highly energized, fast paced, and extremely productive sales meeting. The meeting was to be no longer than 30 minutes but packed with tons of information and training. This allowed the team to get right to work following the meeting. We had small break out meetings and a lot of communication throughout the rest of the week, but this stood as the only sales meeting as an entire team.

Casual Friday was a bit more of a dilemma. I challenged my team and I called it "Finish Line Friday." This was a total team effort to finish everything we possibly could by close of business Friday. This almost eliminated weekend wrap ups for the team allowing them time to re-charge their batteries. They returned energized and ready for "Starting line Monday" with passion and a sense of purpose.

Within 60 days of this new routine we grew sales 16% (year/year-same months) and our company moral was at an all time high. The work pace increased and that year we finished 47% above sales plan with the same head count. Fun and focus can work in an office environment when controlled and focused.

Accountability as a Sales Leader

I sincerely believe it is my obligation as the Sales Leader to be the first one to act and react in any circumstance. I also feel that the overall success of the sales team is solely my responsibility. If a performance issue should arise I must first examine my efforts before addressing the concern with the teammate. True Sales Leaders takes full responsibility for any negative result and credits the team for all victories.

What they are saying…………..

“In over 10 years of experience in working with teams on projects, I can confidently say Jeff the best marketing director I have worked with. His ability to both guide and listen helps me focus my projects to exceed our client's expectations. I am proud to put packaging and marketing pieces in my portfolio that Jeff and I have worked on. He is fantastic at what he does and I endorse him 100%.”  Carolyn Day – Graphic Design Director SFA Companies, Inc

"Jeff’s contribution to the work place should not just be measured by his definitive sales role, but also by how he improves those around him. As a salesman Jeff’s ambition is discerned by his aggressive goal setting and is realized due to his focus on thorough preparation and methodical execution. His competitive nature and demand for excellence continues to be his motivation to grow as a salesman, and as a human being. Jeff’s value as a manager is exemplified by the depth of his leadership qualities and his ability to inspire his co-workers. The importance he places on mentoring and developing team members on a daily basis I have seen firsthand and admire immensely. He demonstrates his dedication to his team by his ever ready counsel, genuine respect and tireless effort to support them in any fashion professionally and personally. Under his direction Jeff creates a work force determined to succeed at the same level as he does, and to grow and improve each day.” Austin Stretz – Marketing Coordinator SFA Companies, Inc

 “Jeff has taken the role of my manager and (like everything else he sets out to do) has gone above and beyond. His personal and professional dedication to the success of our team has directly resulted in surpassing company expectations of him, his team, and sales numbers. I consider Jeff a mentor and I can't imagine anyone that wouldn't somehow benefit from his guidance, experience, and skill. Jeff's leadership and coaching ability has been an invaluable asset to positively improving my own skills and career. I can't express accurately in words Jeff's perfected ability to work outstandingly well with all types of people, personalities, and positions. This skill has shown to directly result in sales and project success. In my entire career I haven't worked with anyone else that I would rather emulate or learn from.” Seth Derstine – Sales Manager SFA Companies, Inc

“Our organization has worked with Jeff for over a year now. When we look back at what he and his team have accomplished in that short time (new products, packaging, branding, programs and more), and where we are now in terms of getting placement (major retail and online), it is amazing. Jeff understands marketing, and the demands of sales, and is able to bring it all together to develop a winning program. Jeff's experience and expertise gets things done and get results. I recommend him highly.”Chris Cimaglio – President of Total Marketing

“Jeff Noland is one of the hardest working individuals that I have the pleasure of calling my friend. He leads his team as a leader should with honor and respect giving each of them the coaching and room they need to grow. While under his supervision the DIY sales department has more than tripled in sales since he took command with the likely hood of quadrupling in the year to come. I would highly recommend Jeff to anyone who is interested in growing their business and gaining a valuable employee.” Ryan Jorgenson – Project Leader/Mechanical Engineer SFA Companies, Inc

“Jeff is a detail-oriented manager who watches the balance sheet like a hawk without losing sight of the strategic objective. Jeff takes a very objective look at business and thinks outside the box when it comes to solving the problem. Jeff takes a no-nonsense approach to business and never loses sight of the bottom line or of the customer.” Clint Weikel – Service Director Auto Plus

“Jeff is an extremely reliable and hardworking professional. He will do what it takes to get the job done and see it through to the end.”Glen Guile – E-Services Director CARQUEST Auto Parts

“Jeff understands the industry and our company. He is passionate about the company's goals and works diligently to achieve them. He has a creative approach to the tasks assigned to him and is always willing to lend an ear or a hand.” Denise Rawls – Merchant Manager/Buyer CARQUEST Auto Parts

“Jeff has been very helpful in making my job easier and assisting in resolutions to any problems that may arise.”Carolyn Foster – Professional Services CARQUEST Auto Parts

“Jeff is a people person. He gets the positive results all companies want. I have known Jeff since I hired him at a previous company 15 years ago.” Rod Morris – National Sales Manager PTE Tool Company

“Jeff is an expert in implementing procedures that get results. He is self-motivated and determined when attacking a project. I have also seen Jeff find opportunities to help those in need which greatly raised the stature of his company in the community. I have never seen Jeff shy away from a challenge and I would recommend him for any position where leadership and results are needed.” Kyle Bridgman – Minister of Education FBC Maysville