Incentive - February 2008 - (Page 98)

Mike Landry, director of special markets, Tumi OFF THE CUFF BY JENNIFER JUERGENS Q : W h a t w a s yo u r f i r s t j o b ? One of my first jobs was a waiter at a busy restaurant in Boston. It taught me some great life lessons about selling, service and people’s expectations. A large family would be grabbing a quick bite before a movie, seated right next to a couple enjoying a romantic dinner, perhaps their only night out for quite a while. That’s two radically different sets of needs and expectations, and you had to work hard to tailor your service to the experience that particular customer wanted. The challenge was to make both parties feel special, and it was a lesson I have never forgotten. Q : Wh o w a s t h e g r e a t e s t i n f l u e n c e o n yo u r c a r e e r ? I was raised by parents who instilled in me a set of core values that has never failed me. Q : W h a t h a v e yo u l e a r n e d f r o m t h e i n c e n t iv e i n d u s t r y ? We have such a collective wealth of experience and information in our business that anybody can tap into just by picking up the phone. One of the things that has always amazed me about our channel is the openness and camaraderie of the people in it. Reps, customers, consultants, sales managers, association people—you name it. Everyone and anyone is more than happy to share scuttlebutt about a customer or a best practice that has worked for them. It’s collaborative to an extreme degree, and it amazes me even to this day. I am all the richer in friendships for having been in this business for so long. Q : H o w m a n y d a y s d o yo u t r a v e l e a c h ye a r ? It seems like I am on the road constantly. My typical week is a couple of days in my home office in Massachusetts, a few days in Tumi’s headquarters in New Jersey and 98 | Incentive several days on the road. I am working on inventing the nineday week. Q : B i g f a m i ly ? I have two great kids and a wonderful wife. We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. She is a nurse, and she keeps me honest. My son currently attends Holy Cross and my daughter just started her career as an elementary school teacher. Both my wife and I are the oldest of eight children. Q : D o yo u m i n d t r a v e l i n g ? Does the Pope mind saying Mass? It comes with the territory. As long as I can enjoy a nice glass of shiraz or merlot at the end of the day, somehow it all works. Q : Wh a t a r e s o m e o f y o u r h o bb i e s ? My interests have to do with family time, sailing, the occasional do-it-yourself project around the house and anything even remotely having to do with the Boston sports scene. Q : W h a t w o u l d yo u d o i f y o u e v e r re t i re ? Retirement? I put two kids through two of the best private colleges in America and I have a sailing habit to support. I’ll be making sales calls with my walker. What are the essentials you have to pack? As long as I have my laptop and a wireless connection, I feel like I can handle anything. I typically bring all of the back issues of Sports Illustrated that I don’t seem to get to at home. Q : Wh a t h i s t o r i c a l f i g u r e ( d e a d o r a l i v e ) w o u l d yo u l i ke t o h a v e d i n n e r w i t h ? Benjamin Franklin. He fascinates me. He was a founding father of the greatest country in history—a master architect of democracy. Q : W h i c h b a g d o yo u u s e w h e n t ra ve l i n g ? Somebody else makes bags besides Tumi? Q : Wh at ’s t h e b i gg e s t i s s u e a f f e c t i n g t h e m e rc h a n d i s e s eg m e n t o f t h e i n c e n t i v e bu s i n e s s ? I think that we have to strive to always demonstrate our value proposition to our customers and prospective customers, no matter what segment they are in. I think that our collective mission must be to raise our awareness in Corporate America. Our own research indicates that over half of U.S. companies does not even know we exist, and we must change that. That’s one reason why I am involved in our trade associations. Q : H a v e yo u t a u g h t a ny t h i n g t o a n ew b i e ab o u t t h e i n c e n t i v e i n d u s t r y t h ey d i d n’ t k n ow ? Not to do interviews with trade magazines. FEBRUARY 2008, VOL. 182, NO. 02—INCENTIVE® (ISSN 0019-3364; USPS 799-880) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA. CORPORATE AND EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS: 770 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10003-9595. SUBSCRIPTIONS: US—$59, CANADA—$75, FOREIGN SURFACE—$95, FOREIGN AIRMAIL—$195, SINGLE COPIES—$10. COPYRIGHT 2008 BY NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO INCENTIVE, PO BOX 1255, SKOKIE, IL 60076. PERIODICALS MAIL PAID AT NEW YORK, NY, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. | February 2008 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - February 2008

Incentive Magazine - February 2008 Editor’s Note: Archie and the Boys In The News Cover Story: On The Ball Incentives Incentive Primer: How to Use Sporting Events Incentive Interview: Jim Avery on Doing the Right Thing Employee Empowerment Motivates and Pays Dividends Hospitals, Nurses Win With Flexible Scheduling Legal Ease: Safety Programs and Unions Case Study: The Weitz Company Retains Its Boomers Potentials: Here and Now Star Power in the Kitchen Awards: Gift Card Trends for the New Year Travel News The Manhattanization of Las Vegas Classics Renewed: Monaco and France Advertiser Index Off The Cuff: Tumi’s Mike Landry

Incentive - February 2008

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