View highlight video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqFT1Vh371Q

NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 9, 2022, 30 members of the group made their way to Louisiana to meet for the 2022 Sales Forum, some Po-Boys, Oysters and Jambalaya. We started off with a Welcome Reception, where members met new faces and greeted old friends.

“The best part of these meetings is connecting with other members. This specific session made me think differently as far as some things to adjust in myself to help my sales goals in the coming years,” Tom Scharlow of Air Comfort said.

The following morning began with Welcome and Introductions, and was immediately passed to the guest speaker - Les Lent, who spoke on the profession of sales, pre-call preparation, asking the right questions, and the importance of listening. The second half of the day consisted of groups and members sharing their ideas. Tracy Beatty of Mechanical Services & Systems, Inc.  spoke about his “Daily Life as a Salesperson” presentation for an hour and Kathie Zarish of Harvey W. Hottel shared “Sales and Marketing.” To end the day, the group went out to dinner at Pier 424 for some New Orleans cuisine and a great view from the restaurant’s balcony over Bourbon Street.

Day two started with “Basic Understanding of Mechanical Systems,” which was presented by Ryan O’Hara of Service Unlimited, Inc. Ken Fennel of Harvey W. Hottel, Dave Larsen of Mechanical Services & Systems, Inc., and Craig Ross of Wiegmann Associates conducted the next session on “How to Build Value for Different People.” After both presentations, the room broke into smaller groups to discuss each member’s personal struggles and how they create value for their customers. Before lunch, one of our members gave a presentation on our purchasing partner, National Compressor. The members came back to their Biggest Challenge Breakout, where each member discussed what was their current biggest challenge and other members gave feedback. Mike Devito of Air Comfort and Chad Wiegmann of Wiegmann Associates presented on “Quota Process and Goal Setting.” To end day two, Chris Reiter of A&G Services and Casey McNair of Mechanical Services & Systems, Inc. each shared a best idea – Standard Quotes and NorthBoundary. That evening, the members were then given the option to attend a French Quarter Food Tour for an opportunity to explore New Orleans and get to know each other better.

To end the forum, Paul Thurston of Cox-Powell presented on his best idea – New Service PM Estimator. Following, Mary Kay Mercer of J&J Air Conditioning, Price, and Jay Cederberg of Air Controls presented and created collaborative sessions on “Different Ways of Selling to a Property Manager Vs. Facility Manager.” All in all, many friends were able to reunite, learn, and have fun with one another. “If I didn’t attend this meeting, I would have missed connecting with peers and learning from them. I also would have missed the rejuvenation that comes with such a meeting,” Dave Larsen of MSS said.