I was raised in a construction household and brought into the flooring industry in the early 80s at the age of six. So, I thought my career as a tile underlayment rep would be a cake walk. I was comfortable on job sites, could easily handle tools and could lay tile with the best of them. I quickly realized how wrong I was on my first day walking into what would become my biggest account.
I was met with open hostility due to what my customer base thought were damaging flaws. I am a woman—women don’t know the industry. I was a rep—what can some fresh-faced college kid teach anyone? I was new to the city of Chicago—we don’t like outsiders. Oh, and did I mention I’m a woman?
Selling to this group wasn’t going to be a typical process. I had to gain their trust, respect and, ultimately, be seen as more than “just another rep.” I had to learn what was important to them and work with it. I had to become a consultant; someone they could call on for more than just tile underlayment needs.
Thankfully, this key account was always swarming with reps so I watched them carefully, noting how they interacted with potential customers and how the customers responded. I noticed contractors always took the giveaways offered but didn’t give their time in return. I watched other reps pouncing, trying to get the quick sell with no long-term value or commitment. I understood why there was so much irritation when yet another rep came into the store.
I asked genuine and probing questions to learn the market, why certain brands were overwhelmingly used, what challenges they faced when working with their clients, the pros and cons of the products they used. I started studying the other brands, learning better ways to work with those products, learning the warranties, finding out what field support really looked like. In doing this I was able to start fostering relationships and became the rep they wanted to chat with, even if it was just for a few minutes.
That dedication is what earned me the reputation as the go-to woman for everything tile related. Contractors would call me to help train their crews, to help them write better bids, even for questions not related to tile. I became a trusted business advisor, and my sales grew faster than any rep previously in my market. Competitive reps would walk out when they saw me in a store and tile and grout reps wanted to be on my list of recommended products. Success is achieved through authenticity and by focusing on the bigger picture.
Denee Bruce started her career in the flooring industry at her father’s knee in the early ’80s. She was a coveted and knowledge flooring rep for many years and continues to be an active member of the industry working with flooring accessory products.
