Sales & Business Development Archives

Think Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software is only for the huge companies? Think again. Listen to today’s show to find out how CRM Software is designed to help small businesses. 02/28/2012 Show

Shelby Robert of Star-Tech, Inc., began his business career as the Data Processing Manager for a regional department store chain. The very high cost of equipment, and the long lead times to bring programs into production gave him a clear understanding of the fundamental processes that are the foundation of most businesses. He led the development of a full suite of applications to support the department store’s accounting and merchandising functions, including many leading edge innovations for the retail marketplace.

When he formed Kern Business Systems, the department store became a customer. Additional new customers included several credit unions, two major oil companies, a steel fabricator, and several agri-business firms. To support the requirements of these new customers, KBS expanded beyond its on-line computing offerings to add computer-output-microfiche to its product line. Both divisions of the company produced operating profits from their inception.

After selling KBS, Shelby accepted the position of US General Manager of a British based computer software company. The first US employee of the company, he built the sales, marketing, technical support, and administration operations, managed two of the product development teams, and served as Chief Financial Officer. As the primary American spokesman for the company, he developed and maintained strategic relationships with major global vendors. He developed and executed a sales strategy for the company that quadrupled its gross profits in a single year.

When he moved to Georgia, Shelby incorporated $uperbill Corporation, a medical billing company. The revenue model developed for the company was incentive based so that both the clients and the company would benefit from better performance. A real advantage to clients was that their costs remained fixed as a percentage of income. After four successful years in a very difficult marketplace, the company was sold.

Shelby and a partner formed Star-Tech, Inc., which was incorporated in 2005. The company markets services that run over the internet to companies of all sizes, not-for profit organizations, and churches. All of the services are sold on a subscription basis, and are hosted on the company’s own server farm. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO.

A devoted husband and father, a civic leader, an internationally published author on information process automation, a singer of barbershop harmony, and a private pilot, Shelby attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, to study Economics and Business Administration, and Fresno State University in Fresno, California to major in Electrical Engineering. He is a member of Marietta Kiwanis, the Big Chicken Chorus, Technical Association of Georgia, and serves as an elder in his church, and as a Board Member for Reconnecting Families, a local not-for-profit. He is a member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. A former school board member and school board president, and recreation district board member, he was recently selected to receive the prestigious Flourish Award from Kennesaw State University for contributions to the performing arts in the business community. Shelby Robert’s Segment

Robert (Bob) Snelling, has a long history as a pilot at Delta Airlines. He has retired and is now currently a Delta Flight instructor. Bob has served in the legislative for many years in the 1990s. He is a graduate from the Navy Academy, he is a Vietnam Veteran and sings in a barbershop quartet. Bob is currently running for the State Congressional seat in the House District 66. Bob Snelling’s Segment

Corporate Conversations

You need effective sales initiatives now more than ever. Optimize your sales efforts & personnel. (10/26/2010 Show)

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Organic growth is the only option for many businesses right now with debt financing more difficult to obtain. This is particularly important for the small to mid-sized business. Our experts talk about how to identify if you aren’t optimizing your sales efforts & personnel and how to turn that around.

Robert Brown, President Incite! Decision Technologies, LLC

Robert Brown currently serves as the President of Incite! Decision Technologies, LLC and as a founding partner of 4PL Insights, LLC. He has spent his eighteen-year career providing solutions to complex business problems for some of the world’s largest corporations in the petroleum and chemicals, energy, utilities, logistics and transportation, pharmaceuticals, electronics manufacturing and telecommunications industries. Some of his clients included Canon, Chevron, Cisco Systems, ExxonMobil, and Novartis. He employs creative thinking and advanced quantitative business and systems analysis to help clients achieve profitable growth optimal capital efficiency, and he is one of the leading teaching professionals for Analytica, an advanced decision risk analysis platform. Mr. Brown graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1992 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

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Kent Gregoire, Founder & CEO Responsibility Centered Leadership

As an entrepreneur for more than twenty years, Kent has founded and served as CEO of several fast-growth businesses representing a diverse industry mix. He guided his companies through all phases of their business cycle – start- up, growth, repositioning – and then exited his companies selling to strategic buyers, private equity funds, and individuals where he was able to maximize value. Kent’s background also includes specialized knowledge and expertise in the areas of leadership and management development, succession planning, strategic and real-time business planning, business growth strategies, private equity, franchising, and business acquisition and sale. Kent oversees a powerful proprietary program known as Responsibility Centered Management™. He delivers the training, tools, and personal development to eliminate the overwhelm, fault, guilt and blame that can drag down an organization’s performance, productivity and profitability.

Mr. Kent J. Gregoire is founder and CEO of Responsibility Centered Leadership (RCL), a specialized consulting firm that provides advisory services, training and coaching to executive level management and professional salespeople. RCL delivers a suite of services to grow, manage and fine tune your people and business. All are proven performers. Business people like you are already taking advantage of the offering. Kent is a highly accomplished CEO and has served as a sales executive with experience in turning underperforming companies and teams into winners, Kent continues to work with small to mid-market companies and Fortune 500 customers, and in a few cases leads there sales and marketing teams. He is an expert in complex consultative solution selling at the executive level and to the C-Suite. He is also experienced in sales opportunity management, demand generation, partnerships and sales training and management in the business-to-business professional service industry, and in technology solutions. Kent provides workshops and training, including high-level sales training to sales professionals at the executive level and C-Suite.

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Bruce Kopkin, Vice President Sales OmniVue Business Solutions

Prior to Omnivue, Bruce was Global Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Transoft with responsibility for the field organization for Transoft’s portfolio of software and service solutions to modernize a wide variety of legacy technologies. Before Transoft, Bruce was Vice President of Sales for the JDA Software where he led the growth of newly acquired Manugistics sales to CPG, high tech and manufacturing markets. Prior to joining JDA, he was Director of Sales for Indus International, a leader in Service Delivery Management solutions for the manufacturing and services industries. He helped return the Company to profitability and to drive significant increases in software license sales, professional services and recurring revenue. Before Indus, Bruce was President of Lorentzen & Wettre North America where his accomplishments included tripling revenues through new channels, sales positioning and developing an outsourced service business. Bruce has 30 years experience in executive, sales and marketing positions in high tech, manufacturing, healthcare and distribution industries. Bruce’s experience includes start-ups, small companies and large global enterprises and is focused on driving companies to reach their full potential by becoming more streamlined, customer focused and solution oriented.

He is presently founder and President of the Executive Sales and Marketing Association, on the Board of Advisors for the University of Georgia Terry College of Business Sales Leadership Academy and on the Board of Advisors for four companies. He holds a Bachelors of Electrical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.