“Inever thought I could do it.” Jeff Van Horn had never written more than three contracts in a week. Then, in a two-week sprint, he sped far beyond his comfort zone …
Jeff went to the permits department to check the sign codes for a small town. The department head, Frank, was pretty ignorant about signs, so Jeff spent some time educating him. When Frank said the town did not allow blinking or flashing signs, Jeff replied that everything in town must be illegal, since there are blinking neon signs and flashing signs all over the place. Then Frank drew a bead on his nemesis, a pawn shop with strobe lights. Jeff pumped him for information about the offensive place …and then he zoomed over there. “I just loved the expression on the prospective customer’s face when I said the magic word – FRANK.” The prospect explained that he had bent over backwards to be a good member of the community, including being active in the Chamber of Commerce, but Frank is always harassing him. “I’ll take an LED-40 for both windows.”
When that contract was closed, it was Jeff’s 14TH CONTRACT IN 14 DAYS. But Jeff didn’t stop there. He continued his drive, and in 30 days, amassed 23 contracts which qualified him for the prestigious Lance Sijan Award. His personal dollar volume for the campaign was over 62,000.
Jeff Van Horn had lots of help in achieving that goal, but probably the most important was his desire to build up a hefty bank account to help when Lila presents him with their fifth child, due in September. His first push in the right direction came when he took full advantage of the opportunity to be with the greatest salespeople in the world in Tan-Tar-A. Among those he talked with in the congenial social setting Friday night was Buddy Swisshelm, who asked him how many free signs he had won in his career with Signtronix. “None,” Jeff answered sheepishly. Boston Team Eagle member Donny Bube, who was also there, said he had earned one his first month in the business and had not earned another until he won the Lance Sijan Award in May.
That’s when Buddy told them that to him and Kaye, it’s never a matter of winning a free sign – THAT’S A GIVEN! “I just expect it,” Buddy told Jeff and Donny. “It’s part of Kaye’s and my program,” and he reiterated that concept in his talk to the assembly Saturday morning.
Jeff credited his now-good friend Donny Bube, plus his regional manager, Larry King, and two other seasoned successful dealers he talked with at Tan-Tar-A: Rafael Plazola and Bob Hollen. They encouraged him to realize that he is a winner who wasn’t coming close to his potential.
Jeff Van Horn, his wife Lila, sons Sawyer and Austin, and daughter Sophia
And there was another push along the way: Getting handed a beat-up Gulf money clip from his regional manager was a big deal for Jeff. Roger Pelton suggests to new dealers that they put cash in their boots instead of their wallets, but since Jeff doesn’t wear boots, he’s made do with the wallet … until Larry presented him with his old money clip.
Jeff showed new dealers what that clip looks like with 36 hundred bills, plus about 50 more folded in it. It’s not designed for that kind of cargo, but Jeff said it worked until he got to his bank and deposited the cash.
“I’ve never done more than 3,000 in a week, but now I’m doing it every week. I’ve never done more than three contracts in a week, but now I’m doing four or more every week.” That clip-full-of-dollars came as a result of his first three-contract day and by the end of the week, he had six contracts ready to send in. On Wednesday he set up a Showcase Location at a carpet and flooring company, then followed up a referral to a bar & grill, that didn’t work out because the owner wasn’t in. Jeff went next door to a fitness studio, where he wrote his second contract of the day, and then went back to the bar & grill to score his “hat-trick.”
Jeff had lots to say about what he had accomplished. When he started on his campaign, “Every sale was to a different kind of business … a pawn shop, a printer, a bridal shop, all different. And every one of the first14 I placed had been to a type of business I’ve never sold before.”
He added that he now feels empowered when he walks into a business, knowing that he can tell them how our signs are benefiting so many other businesses.
