Fred Schmidt
Senior Account Manager
“I don’t go into a proposal focusing only on my customers current needs; I go into it asking how I can help improve their business from all aspects as a whole”, says our Senior Account Manager and top salesman, Fred Schmidt.
Fred Schmidt has been in the transportation solutions and truck leasing industry for 26 years and has been bringing success to our business for 22 of those. Not only has his sales success made Fred our top salesman here at McMahon Truck Leasing(MTL), but it has also earned him many years of recognition in the NationaLease Masters Club. NationaLease is one of the largest full-service truck leasing organizations in North America. It is comprised of more than 140 independent businesses with more than 900 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. As experts in transportation, about 19 years ago the owners of NationaLease created the Sales Master Club, a program which recognizes and awards the top salesman in North America every year. The club is based off a point system that requires each salesman to earn a minimum of 350 points to qualify; and out of the 500 reps fighting for a spot, only 20-30 make the club each year. Benefits of qualifying for the Masters Club include trips abroad, substantial recognition from leaders in the industry, and the ability to network with other successful professionals.
Only 23 salespeople qualified for this prestigious and highly competitive club in 2019, and our very own Fred Schmidt has held his spot in there for the past fifteen years. Going on his sixteenth year in the club, Fred has won honors such as the Gene Scoggins “Top Salesman in North America” award in 2015 and has been recognized numerous times for his extraordinary sales achievements. He is also among one of only six salesman who hold a spot in the NationaLease Masters Club Hall of Fame, a spot you can only earn by qualifying for the club ten consecutive years in a row. NationaLease and MTL are so proud of Fred for bringing success to this industry and fulfillment to his customers for over two decades.
With his long history of achievements, it goes without saying that Fred is an expert in the field of truck sales and customer service. Being one of only six in the NationaLease Hall of Fame, Fred is clearly doing something that differentiates himself from regular salesman and contributes to his success. We got the opportunity to sit down with Fred and talk a little bit about his sales philosophy and what he does to maintain his superiority. Although making the Masters Club contributes to his success by motivating him to qualify again each following year, one of the biggest tools he uses for success is networking. Fred networks with different companies from several different industries around the country. This way that when during a proposal, if a customer brings up an issue that is unrelated to their current situation, he can show them his networking team and is still able to help his customer with that particular aspect of their business. A previous client said, “Fred exemplifies the level of customer service expected in today’s marketplace. He is always willing to help his consumers and is extremely proactive with his accounts and honors his commitments. He understands my needs and works diligently to help my business run efficiently and seamlessly”, he explained when asked about his experience working with Fred and MTL.
It is not always about an instantaneous solution and focusing strictly on the client’s needs right here right now. It is more about the long run says Fred. Too many people do not go that extra mile and really listen to the customer. Something that Fred takes pride in and his customers appreciate is that he will tell his clients if he does not think their solution is a good idea for them at the moment. Although it might make the client walk away from a sale, they will remember and appreciate him for that because it will be better off for their business in the long run. Using honesty and experience to guide his clients in the right direction is another key tool to Fred’s success. “I’m not just here to lease you a truck”, he says, “I’m here to help improve your business and your experience in any way that I can”. Whether that be helping them with his networking group connections with a forklift for their business or something as simple as someone to call for a mock DOT audit, Fred goes that extra mile for all his customers and reaps the benefits for it every time.
All in all, there are many factors that play into the success of a salesman. In the terms of one who has proven their success for many years, it takes a little bit of extra work each and every time. If you go that extra mile for one customer, do it again for your next one and the rest of them. Go that extra mile, use your resources, network with people, train yourself. Becoming a successful salesman will not happen overnight but if you really listen to your customers and focus on their needs in the long run, you will notice great improvements in your sales and your business altogether.
