Thursday, July 19, 2012

Q&A with Regional Sales Manager Dennis Meehan


Get to know Regional Sales Manager Dennis Meehan
Dennis is the latest addition to the Bishop-Wisecarver sales team, joining the company this summer with more than a decade of experience in the field of linear and rotary guided motion technologies. The Illinois resident will represent the Midwest, from the Canadian border to the north to Kansas and Montana to the south. If you're in his territory and need an expert on linear slides, guides and rotary motion systems, Dennis is your expert! Have some questions of your own? Leave him a comment, or just drop him a congratulatory note — he can be reached at dennism@bwc.com.

[ Click here to find him on LinkedIn ] then check out our company page.

Question: Tell us a about your background, your education and what you like most about being on the Bishop-Wisecarver team? 
Answer: I was raised in a small farming community in central Illinois and moved to the Chicago area upon entering high school. I attended North Central College in Naperville, IL, on an athletic grant. I have been involved in the world of linear motion for more than a decade. I started at Bishop-Wisecarver on July 16, 2012, and I think the main thing that drew me to the company was the family atmosphere, the idea that opinions and input are valued and encouraged, and that every employee here has amazing qualifications and backgrounds.

Question: What do you like about sales?
Answer: The opportunity to meet a wide variety of people from all walks of life and the chance to help them with the challenges they face in their particular environments. There is also an aspect of the “thrill of the hunt” that appeals to my competitive nature.

Question: What do you enjoy most about working with engineers?
Answer: Learning. I enjoy working with engineers  because, by and large, I think engineers are people with vision. To have the ability to take an idea or a concept that someone has and actually create something three-dimensional and operational is a gift which I envy. I put engineers in the same class as artists — people who make the world a bit more comfortable to live in. I also learn something every time I speak with an engineer, which I enjoy as well.

Question: What challenges arise from selling a product based on features and benefits?
Answer: For me, the challenge always lies in how you can separate yourself from the rest of the field using the features and benefits of the product you are selling.

Question: What makes for a good selling relationship with a customer?
Answer: Many things … relating to the person you are talking to, no matter what position they hold, ability to not only hear but truly listen, identifying needs and determining whether you are able to meet them or not, and above all honesty and integrity in all of your interactions. Trust is the key to any good relationship.

Question: If sales were a team sport, what would it be and why?
Answer: I think I would have to go with football. Many different components, each with their own skill set, but to be successful each must work cohesively, and again, trust each other to do what they do best for the common goal … whether it’s touchdowns or purchase orders!

Question: Speaking of sports, what’s your favorite team or teams?
Answer: Easiest question on the list — Chicago Bears.

Question: What do you like to do outside work?
Answer: Anything with my wife and two kids … I coach many youth sports teams and am involved in community and school affairs … anything with sand that is surrounded by sea or ocean is a good thing.

Question: What’s your favorite coffee beverage? Cream, no cream, sugar, no sugar?
Answer: I don’t drink coffee.

Question: Favorite quote?
Answer: "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them." — W. Clement Stone