The Farewell Tour

As you can tell by the title of this column, this is my farewell Sales Minute. However, it’s kind of like The Who’s farewell tour that began in 1989, which means I am really not going away.

By the time you read this, I will be entrenched in a new, exciting opportunity with Access Information Management as the vice president of sales for the eastern region.

I am extremely excited about this opportunity with Access. Rob Alston and Nate Campbell have assembled quite a dream team of RIM (records and information management) industry professionals. (Yes, me included!)

It has been a career highlight of mine to be able to write this column for SDB magazine for the past six years, and I want to thank everyone at SDB for this opportunity (especially Editor DeAnne Toto) and all of the readers I hope have received useful information to help their businesses.

It also has been a pleasure to be able to connect with so many business owners and sales professionals through this publication. Between NAID News and SDB magazine, you can really stay in tune with our great industry if you just make the time to “sharpen the ax” once a month and learn something new about the business.

I have a sign on my wall that says, “You’re either getting better or you are getting worse.” If you are staying the same, you are getting worse. The most effective business owners and sales professionals in any industry are the ones who are constantly learning and are committed to improving.

How committed to improving are you?

You can get better by:

• Reading NAID News, SDB as well as PRISM International publications;
• Reading the SDB e-newsletter and NAID Direct;
• Attending NAID and PRISM events;
• Volunteering for a committee within NAID or PRISM;
• Becoming a CSDS (certified secure destruction specialist);
• Attending a sales training/business growth workshop at least once per year (You owe it to your business!);
• Reading a business or sales book once per quarter; and
• Networking and maintaining contact with your peers across the country and sharing ideas.

Thanks again for reading my Sales Minute column during the past six years. A common theme has been “Get better every day!” Remember this and put it into action by following my advice above.

Ray Barry was vice president of Total Product Destruction and president of Total Training Services, which operates The Shred School in Spartanburg, S.C.