that dealers and sales professionals deal with every day. I will never ask a company or salesperson that I am training to do something that I am not willing to do or have not done myself. I will never suggest a method of creating busi- ness that I cannot personally demonstrate the effectiveness of using the very resources the company I am working with has. I believe in serving my customers. My passion and belief in this industry allows me to do this despite the manufacturer a dealer represents. Every dealership has its own challenges. It is imperative that I listen to each organi- zation I work with to make sure that the consultation program I offer is customized to their needs. My reputation and the repu- tation of Moti-Vitality LLC are dependent on the success of the companies and sales professionals I work with.
WT:
What are the biggest challenges now facing water treatment dealers in your opinion? Please share solutions as well.
KT:
For years we came to rely on the effec- tiveness of advertising. We hired excellent house lead closers. Our industry as well as other industries reliant on salespeople encouraged and con- tributed to the creation of salespeople dependent on the company to provide leads. Sales professionals became very rare. Now we face an economy where leads are more difficult to come by and advertis- ing is more expensive and less effective. Finding a sales professional that knows the art of creating their own business is time consuming and expensive as well as extremely difficult. But sales professionals are out there and many of them are looking for a home. I believe that dealers should take advan- tage of the opportunity to weed the toxici- ty out of their organizations and replace them with professionals. Many of the unscrupulous competitors that harmed our industry have closed their doors; when the economy begins to really come back, so will they. This is why dealers need to focus now on rebuilding and perfecting their reputations of serving their customers. Now is the time to refocus and recommit.
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW
Let’s take our industry back from the complacent, lazy and sometimes dishonest individuals and companies that have harmed our industry. Let’s take advantage of the opportunity to make this industry one that we can be even more proud to be part of.
WT:
What opportunities lie ahead for this indus- try and water treatment dealers in particular?
KT:
This is an exciting time to be involved in this industry. The water treatment industry is only in its infancy. The fashion statement of carrying around a plastic bottle is finally becoming a thing of the past. Customers are becoming more educated and aware of the need to treat their water and [they are] more concerned about filling our land with plastic. The race for the invention of a regenerate- free water conditioner that gives all the soft water benefits we expect is in full-swing and we are getting closer to this reality. Reverse osmosis and other water purifi- cation technologies continue to become more and more efficient and affordable. The opportunities are limitless.
WT:
What advice would you give to a novice water treatment owner and/or salesperson?
KT:
Become an expert. Learn everything you can about our industry. Read and study industry literature. Become WQA- certified and maintain that certification. Become professional. Look at profession- als in other industries and emulate their habits. Look at how much education they have. Look at their dress and the hours they commit. Look at the incomes they earn. Give more than you take. If your focus is always on how you can serve your cus- tomers, your company, your co-workers, your community and your family, success will flow your direction. Create balance in your life. Don’t neglect and sacrifice any single aspect of your life, such as your health, your relationships, your spirituality, your career, your leisure activities or your family. Allow yourself to be passionate about what you do. See beyond the single sale and look at how this industry affects our world. Become vitally motivated.
WT
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