Friends of Rockhurst

While the Chiefs were making news yesterday about their coaching situation, coincidentally a former Chief came to speak to our Executive Fellows class. A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of being introduced to Dennis Watley, former Executive Vice President of the Chiefs. Mr. Watley not only agreed to come in a talk to our class, but is interested in sharing his experience and expertise with our undergraduate students as well.

Anyway, Watley told our group how he worked his way from a bookkeeping job to an executive job with his first employer, National Steel. Among his stories, were these gems:

• Watley learned the business through sales--and he learned by the seat of his pants. In telling us about his most important mentors, he shared a story about one of them, Bob Marlow. One of Watley's sale prospects, a steel user, had refused to buy steel after several visits and in the final visit had basically kicked Dennis out of his office telling him not to come back. Several weeks later Marlow, Watley's boss, joined him on his sales route. When Watley did not stop at the shop where he had been unwelcome, Marlow asked why. "He's a jerk and has told me he won't do business with me." Marlow insisted they go anyway. The client was suddenly nice and became one of Watley's best clients. Turns out that client was simply testing Watley to see if he was serious about selling -- seeing if he would persist . . . those are the people he wanted have buying relationships with.
• Watley told us about the different between buyers and shoppers. In his business of steel, he had to appeal to buyers -- who tend to know what they want. Early on, Watley would try to sell and actually lost some orders when after a buyer made an order the young salesman tried to sell more stuff.
• Finally, he talked about hiring and to be hopeful that if you hire a stupid person they don't have a lot of energy. Of course he knows to look for a Rockhurst graduates to avoid this problem.

Didn't have time to talk a lot about his work with the Chiefs -- but he did remind us that if we think things look bad right now for the team, they were even bleaker in 1988 when he came on board to be V.P. of Sales and marketing . . . when he started they had a season ticket base of only 23,000. I am thankful for the many friends of Rockhurst who like Dennis who are willing to come in and share their experiences and wisdom.