Episode #5 Bradley Dunn and Nick Devito
Meet
Brad Dunn
Brad Dunn, based in Central North Carolina, is an Abrasives Account Executive with 3M’s Southeast Region. Celebrating eight years at 3M, Brad spent six of those years as an Industrial Customer Specialist before stepping into his current specialist role. With prior experience at R.S. Hughes, Brad combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for helping customers succeed. #SouthernGrit
Our Mission Is To Change The Negative Perception Of Sales People
Meet
Nick DeVito
Based in Central Ohio, Nick DeVito is in his second year as National Business Development Manager for Castings & Forgings within 3M’s Abrasive Systems Division. With 19 years at 3M, Nick brings a wealth of experience from previous roles including Territory Sales Specialist, Key Account Manager, and Regional Product Specialist. He’s passionate about delivering value to industrial customers nationwide.
Our Vision Is A World Where Selling Is A Profession To Be Proud Of
We’re diving deep into the art and science of prospecting and lead generation with two experienced 3M sales professionals: Nick DeVito, National Business Development Manager for Castings and Forgings, and Bradley Dunn, Abrasives Account Executive.
Our conversation unpacks why consistent prospecting is crucial for building and sustaining long-term business, not just closing deals. Brad and Nick share their best strategies for uncovering new opportunities within existing accounts and in brand-new territories. They discuss the power of research, data-driven account intelligence, and practical tools like Salesforce and Power BI, and how preparation and professionalism lay the groundwork for trust and credibility.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:00] Guests Nick DeVito and Bradley Dunn share best practices in sales
- [6:30] Strategies to engage customers that address larger business needs
- [8:56] Research the customer through their website, Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Factiva to prepare for initial meetings
- [10:58] Tools for account planning and understanding the distribution landscape
- [15:01] Refining your account credibility strategy
- [20:38] Admit when you don’t know, ask questions, and learn from customers to build rapport
- [21:25] Do extra work in prospecting to build credibility and tailor a meaningful sales message
The Crucial Role of Consistent Prospecting
Bradley Dunn emphasizes that prospecting is so much more than a preliminary step; it’s the lifeblood of ongoing business success. “The biggest why is truly rooted in our go-to-market strategy here at 3M. The success of our products isn’t just about price, it’s about delivering sustained value, year over year,” he notes. This approach requires sales representatives to build and cultivate relationships that go beyond initial transactions, ensuring customers understand and experience the value delivered.
Consistent prospecting is necessary for two primary reasons:
- It ensures that the pipeline remains healthy, reducing reliance on a few large deals.
- It allows for the expansion of relationships within existing accounts, uncovering new stakeholders and opportunities.
Building Within vs. Breaking In
Prospecting strategies differ greatly depending on whether you’re seeking incremental business within existing accounts or breaking into brand-new targets. Dunn explains, “With existing accounts, you build on established credibility and may even have internal advocates. New accounts, however, can present unknowns and sometimes even skepticism toward your brand.”
Key challenges in new account prospecting often include overcoming negative past experiences, lack of brand familiarity, and resistance to change. Conversely, existing accounts pose the challenge of finding untapped opportunities beyond what has already been discussed or sold.
Tools and Tactics to Uncover Opportunity
Both Nick and Bradley stress the value of using all the resources and technologies at your disposal. For 3M, tools like Salesforce.com allow reps to see account history, ongoing projects, and even confidentiality agreements. Power BI helps break down sales performance across parent companies and distributors, and platforms like LinkedIn or Factiva provide up-to-date news and stakeholder insights.
But technology is just the start. Site surveys, plant walkthroughs, and quarterly business reviews are “boots-on-the-ground” methods for uncovering unmet needs. “By getting a broader overview of a customer’s operations, you see firsthand where competitors’ products are in play, and where your solutions could fit,” says Dunn.
Preparation and Professionalism
First impressions last in sales. Nick advocates for thorough research and preparation before any client meeting. Whether using financial reports, news searches, or even buying a share of a client’s company to join shareholder meetings, he demonstrates the importance of understanding a client’s goals and priorities.
Additionally, sending thoughtful meeting agendas with value-based objectives and following up promptly after conversations sets you apart from the competition. Set the bar for professionalism—be thorough, be responsive, and always follow through.
Golden Rules for Effective Prospecting:
Do:
– Prepare extensively and tailor your approach.
– Leverage data and technology for insights.
– Follow up consistently and professionally.
Don’t:
– Get drawn into internal client politics.
– Bash the competition—it damages both your credibility and the client’s intelligence.
– Dwell on past negative experiences or failures.
When done well, prospecting is far from a numbers game. It’s a nuanced process rooted in relationships, insights, and professionalism.
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Learn More About Brad and Nick
NICK | Game-Changer Moment: Can you share a specific instance where prospecting within an existing or new account led to a breakthrough opportunity?
My role as a BDM is to utilize sales resources and National Business Agreements to encourage collaboration and spur growth. Last week, we had a first meeting with a new to me account, Chromalloy where we have lost share over the course of several years. Why should Chromalloy work closer with 3M was my message? I used CRM, sales analytics and industry research to establish a current business state and model a business projection for 2025 with 3M. In addition to a recent cost savings project at their NY location, Industry organic growth and targeted application conversions created a very robust and attainable partnership story with 3M. The result of this meeting was an invitation to perform application testing against $250k in competitive belt business, and a referral to work with their corporate applications and process improvement team. Collaboration earned!
BRAD | Best Practices for Account Expansion: What are your top three strategies for growing incremental business within existing accounts?
Leverage Your Resources – Bringing in subject matter experts (whether it be marketing, application, product, or business development focused growth) establishes credibility and resourcefulness. It shows the customer we have more to bring to the table than our competition and as a team, 3M’s goal is to provide the best overall solution which can often include more than one option to choose from. Additionally, having had those resources from St. Paul in your accounts helps lower the translation barrier down-the-road when having conversations around Marketing Needs, Special Pricing Agreements, Business Development Programs, and Application Engineering Requests.
Document Value Analyses / Deliver Cost-Savings – The best way to earn more of a customer’s business is by helping them save money. If you can help them do it once, you will certainly improve the chances they open new doors for you to save money in other areas. Documenting these savings can also serve as a potential safeguard later should your business be at risk for any reason.
Be Present / Be Responsive – Being present at your top accounts, even if it is a brief drop-in visit with no pre-planned agenda, will bolster your relationship. Being responsive and timely with emails/phone calls/etc., can help build your customer’s unconscious trust and reliability that YOU are always going to respond to their question – that YOU are always going to pick up the phone – or that YOU will typically respond to an email quicker than the <insert competitor’s company> rep. Building a key decision maker’s trust in you to the point THEY call YOU before they call anyone else is an invaluable achievement.
BRAD | Breaking Barriers in New Accounts: What’s the most effective way to get a foot in the door with a brand-new prospect who has no prior relationship with you?
Ultimately, be yourself. Be yourself – while still being mindful that this new prospect may hold biases that otherwise might present obstacles you will have to overcome (i.e. He dislikes 3M based on an interaction he had 20 years ago. Or he thinks all salespeople are the same. Or he complains that he doesn’t have time to evaluate your new product.) Be yourself — while also speaking to the value that 3M can offer. Be yourself – while also being patient in knowing that sometimes, all it takes is one little victory to turn someone’s favor in your direction. Being yourself sounds simple, but in my opinion, it is the only way to make real connections and express that your intentions are genuine. Being disingenuous is something I believe every human being can pick-up on almost immediately.
NICK | Future Trends in Prospecting: With AI, automation, and digital selling evolving, how do you see prospecting strategies changing in the next five years?
In addition to continuous relationship building and development of a strong distributor army, social platforms are an efficient way to reach new prospects. Customers and suppliers alike are tasked with doing more in a shorter amount of time, so succinctness is important. Case studies and process improvement videos outline a compelling story and have a tendency to grow legs across social media platforms.
Nick Devito LinkedIn URL – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-devito-6aabab8a/
Bradley Dunn LinkedIn URL – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-dunn-37a12948/
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