At Least My Invitation Included Breakfast.

I was the Field Service Specialist in Kansas City when my boss, who was the Field Service Manager, left Abbott. This gave me the opportunity to be the Acting Service Manager. 

Shortly after my new position, Abbott put in place a new rule that you had to have a college degree to become a Manager. Time to change the plan, so I started night school to earn a degree in Business  Administration .

Within the first few months of starting my degree, Abbott announced a big realignment for both the Field Sales and Service Teams. I now had a new Regional Service Manager (RSM). At the National Meeting, she invited me to breakfast. A peer Acting Service Manager in Denver was also invited to breakfast to meet with her first. As I was walking into the restaurant, the Denver Acting Manager was walking out. From his face, I could tell he hadn't eaten and the news wasn’t good. She told both of us that she was going to fill our positions with regular Managers, and we could interview if we wished. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.  The silver lining was that she allowed me to stay and have breakfast with her. Actually, it was a little tense.

At about the same time, I was promoting an idea to reduce the cost of new instrument installs. The large diagnostic equipment had to have a pre-site visit before it would be shipped. Either I or a Field Service Rep would have to travel to the hospital to walk the halls and make sure the doors and hallways were wide enough. We also would check the water and power supplies to ensure they met the proper criteria. Because it wasn’t technically challenging work, I thought we could get the Sales Reps, who were in the accounts almost weekly, to do it. This would save the extra travel expense and free Service up to take care of down equipment. We would need to train the Sales Reps on all aspects of the pre-site. Even how to test the power outlet, requiring them to stick a probe into the socket, which most of them absolutely didn’t want any part of. 

The bigger problem was getting the Sales Teams to get on board. They didn’t see this type of work as something they should get involved with. They were Sales and this had always been a Service activity.

The new Regional Service and Sales Managers were the sponsors, which meant they would be involved in the kickoff meeting that was held in the Omaha District. Fortunately for me, in my preparation to earn my degree, I just took a class on presentation skills. Up to that point, I had never given a formal presentation with that much on the line. In class it was for a grade; for Abbott it was a promotion. The presentation class had prepared me well. During the presentation in Omaha, I could sense it was going very well. 

The competition was strong for the Field Service Manager jobs. My interview with the RSM seemed to go okay. I was surprised when she called to offer me the job. Then she told me, "I had no idea you could move people the way you did back in Omaha.” She went on to say, “You have the leadership ability to move people in a direction they initially don’t want to go.” 

I’ve been given many opportunities to improve my presentation/speaking skills over the years. I think the reason for my success is that I connect with people at every level from the C suite to the front lines.

These same skills gave me the ability to close the largest deal in Runzheimer history. Speaking is another area where my passion met my purpose, as demonstrated in the results I’m able to get from a team or moving prospects through the buying process.

You could say it was luck that landed my first leadership position. Seneca would agree, as he said “luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” The fact that I was spending nights and weekends in preparation to earn my degree as the opportunity of having the hiring manager in the audience when I presented was luck.