Episode #3 Justin Rowland and TJ Scribner
Meet
Justin Roland
With over 12 years of sales experience at 3M and a 7-year background as a landscape business owner, I’m passionate about helping manufacturers optimize their operations—from raw material to finished product. I thrive on sharing 3M technologies, collaborating across all levels, and continuously learning about leadership, manufacturing best practices, and driving team and customer success.
Our Mission Is To Change The Negative Perception Of Sales People
Meet
TJ Scribner
With over 12 years of experience at 3M, TJ Scribner currently serves as the Field Training Manager for the Abrasive Systems Division, leading the development of 3M’s sales professionals. Drawing on a background in communication and a deep knowledge of industrial markets, TJ is passionate about empowering teams, advancing technical expertise, and helping customers unlock the full value of 3M solutions.
Our Vision Is A World Where Selling Is A Profession To Be Proud Of
This week, we’re centering the show around the pivotal role of thorough preparation and strategic planning in achieving sales success. Join our discussion with Justin Roland, Abrasive Solution Specialist at 3M, and TJ Scribner, Training Manager for the 3M Abrasives Systems Division, as they share the secrets behind how to prepare for sales calls to ensure you get results. Learn why knowing your portfolio and applications is key and how sending calendar invites with value-based objectives can set the tone for successful meetings. With practical tips on using tools like Salesforce and Power BI, coupled with insights into crafting engaging questions, this episode offers a comprehensive guide to enhancing your sales approach.
Justin and TJ also share some real-life examples where persistence and preparation made all the difference, proving that any sales challenge can be overcome with the right mindset and tools.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:00] Best practices from 3M specialists on how to prepare for successful sales calls.
- [4:00] Key areas salespeople should focus on when they are researching an account before a call.
- [6:15] Prioritize interactions based on roles: purchaser focuses on cost, production on efficiency, and operator on usability. Tailor your calls accordingly.
- [10:49] The sales call prompt that covers discovery, qualification, need analysis, and closing questions.
- [14:56] Your CRM is a crucial tool for sales success, improving organizational memory and account insights.
- [18:06] Persistent effort and problem-solving in sales can build relationships and differentiate you from competitors.
- [20:11] Sales reps should define a successful call, which may include gathering information or contact details rather than expecting immediate sales.
- [23:39] Be prepared, be punctual, and always follow up.
The Art of Sales Call Preparation
Sales success hinges on thorough preparation and strategic planning. It is pivotal in sales call success, setting the tone and potentially dictating the outcome of every meeting. Justin emphasizes that being well-prepared exudes professionalism and enhances your ability to engage meaningfully with clients.
Beyond simple measures like reading up on product literature, preparation involves equipping oneself with the knowledge needed to tailor interactions. Resources such as a company’s social channels, conversations with fellow sales reps, and insights from application engineers can all contribute to a well-rounded pre-call strategy.
Avoiding Common Account Research Pitfalls
A substantial portion of preparation involves researching an account before making a call. TJ highlights the importance of utilizing tools like Salesforce.com and Power BI to glean historical data and purchasing trends. Such platforms allow sales reps to understand a customer’s purchasing behavior, enabling them to approach meetings with informed strategies.
Leveraging internal AI tools like 3M Navigator can provide comprehensive insights about a target company. However, sales reps should approach distributor-provided information with caution, as it can sometimes be skewed by rival agendas. Trust but verify—always double-check your data sources to ensure credibility and accuracy.
Tailoring Your Approach
An important aspect of making sales calls successful is tailoring your approach to the individual at the other end. Justin explains why it’s important to understand the specific role of each contact, be they a purchaser concerned with cost or an operator prioritizing usability. By identifying who they are and what they likely value, sales professionals can adjust their pitches accordingly.
Resources like LinkedIn provide tangible insights into a contact’s personality and priorities. Justin also highlights the importance of reading an individual’s communication style during meetings, allowing sales reps to build a relationship based on mutual understanding.
He also tells a story about how he built a lasting relationship with a challenging client and why it’s important to be persistent and maintain professionalism, even when immediate results aren’t apparent. Over time, dedication to helping clients and consistent follow-through can transform adverse or indifferent perceptions into trusted partnerships.
High-Impact Questions for Valuable Engagement
Engaging clients effectively also requires asking the right questions. TJ outlines a structured approach using TEDI questions within the 3M sales process, designed to unlock insights and foster meaningful conversations. By asking questions that invite clients to share their challenges, needs, and objectives, sales reps can better align their solutions with client needs. This deep dive into understanding builds trust and distinguishes sales professionals as genuinely invested in solving clients’ problems rather than simply pitching products.
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Learn More about TJ Scribner and Justin Rowland
Game-Changer Moment: Can you share a moment in your sales career when preparation and research completely changed the outcome of a deal?
TJ – I had an account that was making mufflers for a motorcycle OEM. We had a product that worked well but the competition was coming on fast. I needed to act quickly. I had our national sales manager come down to give their management more commitment nationally with this account and I also invited our 3M robotics team for a visit as I thought this account was on the cusp of robotic automation sanding. This customer had been holding 3M at arms length and did not trust 3M at first because of our relationships with other competitors nationally. Because of these 2 separate visits this customer grew and grew with 3M. they went from being $20,000 worth of sales to 3M in 2001 to $1 Million dollars in 2006 with robotic cells all through out their plants and they credit 3M with their growth in the industry. Justin – There are many moments that preparation has changed the outcome. When I go demonstrate with customers or at distributor trainings is what comes to mind first. Last year I was part of a team training the Grainger Metal Working Specialists in the Field. I brought 3 Tables, all the clamps, metal, Face Shields, Eye Protection, gloves, Hearing Protection, Leather Protective Clothing, Extension Cords that can handle 15amps in order to conduct the Cubitron 3 Right Angle Training Session. The team met up the day before and we found out that the location changed last minute and they only had 1 outlet to runs 7 grinders (a total no go). So I came up with the idea to go rent a generator from Home Depot. We quickly unloaded the van and I went to go pickup the generator. The face of the Home Depot guy when we loaded it into the van was hilarious. That generator allowed us to successfully conduct the training sessions in Right Angle and Scotchbrite.
Effective Research Techniques: What are your top three strategies for efficiently gathering and analyzing account and contact information before a meeting?
TJ – My first go to is Linked In to see who might be on the manufacturing floor or management. Then I go to Factiva internally within 3M and research the customer. From their I look at their website to see what they manufacture and to research where their plants might be nationally. Justin – 1. Contact human sources: distributor rep, fellow 3M reps, Sales Manager, 2. SalesForce, 3. PowerBi
Common Pitfalls: What are the biggest mistakes sales reps make when preparing for a sales call, and how can they avoid them?
TJ – Assuming the customer is using the best option for the operation. The customer only uses what they have been shown. They do not have access to other manufacturing plants to see best practices or best products to be used in their applications. Justin – Thinking that everything has to be perfect before progress is to be made. Prepare a reasonable amount and make the call; afterwards review how the call went, taking those learnings to prepare for the next call. Repeat.
Essential Questions: What are three must-ask questions you always prepare before a client meeting, and why?
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TJ – How many items are they making a day. Then I like to ask the customer if I could buy their product what would it cost me. Then I ask when I could get that said product. These questions help me determine how much money is flowing through that plant. Then it also tells me if they are backordered. If they are then I know someone is going to want premium products if it helps them get more parts out the door. If I can get one more combine out the door per month which might run $750,000 and the investment might be an extra $20,000 in abrasives that month I know they will say yes to the premium product. And if the customer says no then I know I am not talking to a guy who gets paid to get one extra combine out the door. Justin – What are we looking to achieve today? — Brings the focus of the meeting to benefiting more than just one party (example, production and purchasing. A lower cost product may benefit purchasing in the short term but have a larger detrimental impact on production/entire company). Also it establishes that my perspective is that “we” customer and 3M are on the same team. |
| After a demo. How did that feel? What are your thoughts? – I will usually ask the operator these questions first. As their voice resonates strong with the other customer contacts in attendance. I will often take notes stating. “Frank in Production Cell 1 said that this cut off wheel was the very best, industry leading cut off wheel, the best he has ever seen, and production wants it now”. Commonly this is expressed is a string of explicatives by production, I now find that string comical. WHY: To have the internal stakeholder be the “I want an order” instead of us, they expect that we want them to order. An internal voice helps them understand the need is real, and in turn yields speed to revenue. |
| After a demo. What kind of impact could two times the life, 30% faster and smoother feel for operators have here? WHY: It focuses the customer on the positive result and why it matters to them. It allows them to vocalize what they have seen. This vocalization helps anchor what they have seen in their minds. Resulting in us helping them faster, in turn yields speed to revenue. |
Future Trends: With AI and digital tools advancing, how do you see the role of research and preparation evolving for sales teams in the coming years?
TJ – That is hard to answer. I think we are still in the infancy stage with AI. In 1995 people could not tell us how important cell phones were going to be in 2010. We must be willing to evolve but still use human creativity and human grit to outwork the competition who will also be using AI. Justin – Ai will have an impact on the surface level intel gather process, it has already made the speed to gather the information dramatically faster. As AI advances the depth and quality of information will likely increase. The ability for reps to critically analyze the information presented by AI will be key. Actionable intel can surely be gathered by AI. Human interaction/relationships face to face & shoulder to shoulder at the account will remain vitally important to keeping, growing and finding new business.
Connect with Justin and TJ
Justin Rowland LinkedIn URL – https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-rowland-7036853b/
TJ Scribner – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjscribner/
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