A metaphysical sit down with VP of Sales for Canada, Tony Laprocina
“The only constant in life is change.” You’ve probably heard this saying before. Did you know it originated with the philosopher, Heraclitus? In our industry, it’s just as true today as it was in 500 BC.
Vice President of Sales, Tony Laprocina, knows this at his core. He’s worked in the office products industry in Canada for over 20 years. For Highlands, he oversees the field sales team across all of Canada.
What is the major landscape of the Canadian market? “Things are changing,” says Tony. That includes: where product is available in the marketplace, how customers make purchasing decisions, and everything in between. There is a lot of dynamic change.
Staying on top of these changes is critical to his team’s success. “If we do the same things we’ve done in the past and hope that we generate new business, it won’t happen. If we keep evolving, then we succeed.”
Back to Heraclitus. The philosopher, in so many words, hypothesizes:
Tony encourages his team to be fearless in their approach by staying away from “traditional” sales tactics. He is a lead-by-example kind of guy. He shares best practices with his team from his perspective and insights from his vast experience. He’s a good listener and he subscribes to an open door policy.
Tony brings his listening skills to his accounts. Building relationships with them and engaging in conversations regularly means that he hears where they’re struggling and actively listens for opportunities to be a solution provider.
“We don’t just set up trainings with free doughnuts and coffee and then forget the follow up. We generate actual business results.”
Highlands helps clients crack the Canadian marketplace by pioneering for them.
They act as a true partner by providing national coverage and communication across Canada, through one voice, with the right assets, at the right time.
One more philosophic reference:
Tony says accounts can have 30K+ SKUs and can’t possibly understand the intricacies of each product. The Highlands field sales team are subject matter experts and offer solutions for specific verticals or customer bases. This means the accounts can easily see how the products apply in each environment for their customers.
While Canada is not immune to the changing markets, with people like Tony leading the Canadian sales team, Highlands helps clients by successfully navigating through this dynamic environment.
Read more about our thinking on vertical market positioning here.
