Change is a delicate thing to implement, especially when you’re a
Chicago executive arriving to manage a company in Canton, Ohio.
Seven years ago, John Fisher joined Combi
Packaging Systems LLC as its president and
CEO, and became the company’s 40th
employee. The manufacturer of end-of-line
packaging equipment had recently become a
joint venture between 3M Packaging
Systems Division and The M.J. Maillis Group,
and it was Fisher’s job to lead the company
forward and make a name for it.
“Combi was definitely a local company. People didn’t know us even in this
area,” he says. “We were kind of like a
little-known secret over here in Plain
Township.”
Fisher has since grown the company
to 95 employees, and he expects 2007
revenue to reach more than $21 million.
Smart Business spoke with Fisher
about how he carefully built a great
team and why when sales are down,
you should be adding salespeople,
not cutting them.
Q: How do you grow a company?
You need to make the required
investment that’s needed for growth.
In the area of personnel and talent, we
have doubled our sales force in the
time that I’ve been here.
We had four sales managers here
in Canton, and we ended up hiring
four new people in regional territories. It’s like an octopus spreading
its arms: We’ve put people closer to
where the customer base is.
Q: How has that benefited your company?
We’ve gone from a regional company to
more of a national company. Before, I had
salespeople who were responsible for 12 to
14 states, and they would visit each state
once a year. That isn’t going to get it done
when you’ve got competitors that are possibly running up and down the street. By
focusing more, we’ve got more sales with a
greater focus.
Consultants have told me this story over
the years: You either use the shotgun
approach or the rifle approach. The shotgun approach tries to hit anything, broadside of a barn. Instead, we used a rifle and targeted our approach.
Q: How would you respond to executives
who say they can’t afford to hire more
salespeople?
That’s the interesting thing. When I first
got a degree and worked for other people
many years ago, when sales started going
down, they started cutting salespeople.
With Combi, when we don’t have sales, I’m
adding salespeople.
Why cut salespeople? You’re going to
keep cutting off your arm and your leg, and
pretty soon, there’s nothing left.
If you have the right sales model, and it’s
worked for you, cutting salespeople is not the
answer. A lot of executives cut salespeople
because they see it’s a variable expense. But
in the end, that’s not the answer because then
you don’t have the right coverage.
Q: How do you implement change at a
company?
You need to recognize the speed of change that you can create in an organization. I’ve
gone into companies where I felt that I personally wanted to put my mark on the company. So it was like turning the company
upside down, shaking it all out, setting it
back up, and there’s the new company.
When I came in here to Combi, I knew
that I wasn’t going to hand-pick everybody
in management, so I just went in there and
made sure I assessed the ability for this
company to change and the speed of how
they can change.
We did training and development. I
brought in consultants and educators
from local colleges and universities and
outside people I knew to train our managers and employees and educate them
on new ways to do things. I saw which
employees would shine in that environment, and then I brought in some outside
people and new talent in key positions.
Q: What happens if you don’t recognize
how fast you can implement change at a
company?
You create instability and a lot of insecure people. There’s an old saying: Self-preservation is the greatest motivation
in life.
You want to see scared people? Start
bringing a bunch of outsiders into a small
company, and the employees begin thinking about how long they’re going to be
around. You have to be really careful there.
Q: How do you assuage the fear that
bringing in outsiders can stir up?
These people realized that, whoever was
in place, I was going to give them an opportunity to see if they could work with me.
Let’s face it: In a lot of companies, the new
guy brings in everybody he’s worked with
in the past.
You have to recognize that, at first, people
can be challenged. Give them the opportunity to see if they can respond, and if they
can’t, are there other positions in the company for them?
We had a good 15-year employee who was
struggling. We recognized his talents and fit
him into a different spot. He’s doing a great
job, and he’s happier than he’s ever been.
HOW TO REACH: Combi Packaging Systems LLC, (800) 521-9072 or www.combi.com