MAR 4400
Sales Career Research Project
Name: Sergio Alejandro Martinez Macareno
Panther ID: 6055203
Page 1
Sales Job #1: B2B Position
Contact Information of
Person You Interviewed:
Francisco-Inken Herretes
luisinkenherretes@gmail.com
surge365.com
(954) 383-1309
Official Job Title:
Director
Company/Employer:
Surge 365
Industry:
Travel
How long has the person been in sales and why did they get into sales?
Our company Surge365 started into the travel business in 2001, representing 17 years in the business.
Because of our business goal is to educate people on how travelling in a smarter way, we offer people multiple
ways on saving money when travelling. The product our company sells is the ability to provide others with the
benefit of creating their own business.
What was the person’s first sales job? Describe the day to day. Was it what you thought going into sales would
look like?
The first sales job happened back from 2002-2007, when previously worked in an old company named
“Valley Appliances” located in Fresno, CA which goal was based on the idea of refurbishing worn kitchen
appliances so they could be maintained in conditions “like new”, and be resell for future use. I participated on the
job for about seven years. Some constrains were encountered as the operating cost increased and because of not
having sufficient sales accomplished which otherwise would had led to an increase in operating income; therefore,
significant reductions had to be done to reduce the operating expenses.
No, it was not what I thought I would had been to start in a sales career, because I thought that after
starting selling, our company would have gained “market recognition”, but contrary to that belief, other
competitors made it difficult to meet the market numbers after the Sears company put so much excess appliances
in the market before going bankrupted.
What was the greatest challenge for you at the beginning of your sales career?
The challenge was to find an audience to sell the merchandise in a market inflated with competition which
made the cheaper prices difficult to compete enough as to match any profits. Because it was more difficult to go
to retail stores (of refurbished goods) to offer a competitive “wholesale” price for a good quality appliance
through Valley’s Appliances selling cost.
MAR 4400
Sales Career Research Project
Name: Sergio Alejandro Martinez Macareno
Panther ID: 6055203
Page 2
Are you in a lead sales position? If so, how long did it take you to get there? If not, what is the estimated career
trajectory?
I am in a lead sales position right now, it took me about 10 years to accomplish that level at the company.
In my company, I enjoy of “leverage” because the more business that associate with our company to enjoy of
reduced price cost in travelling, enjoy of a competitive advantage representing a lower spending in a specific
operating cost, which in this case is the cost associated with travel corporate travel expenses. Just by Quoting Dale
Carnegie: “I prefer one percent of one hundred people, then one hundred percent of myself” this effect is
reflected in the way that I have other businesses working with my company to achieve reduced price in travel.
Who are the salesperson’s customers?
Everybody in the world is a potential customer, every business who seeks to travel at a reduce cost or
whose businesses requires any way of travelling arranging from hotel accommodations, airline ticket booking,
activities, tours, rental cars, cruises, at an affordable wholesale price. The key is “having the willingness to save on
the dollar amount when it comes to traveling”.
What daily, weekly, and monthly activities are performed in this job?
My daily, weekly and monthly activities do not really differ among one another as a common task, which is
to constantly be in the search and education of businesses to partner with, that are willing to put in the effort and
interest of learning to choose wisely on the alternatives to decrease any operating expenses pertaining to sort of
travel.
What are the top three skills needed to be successful in this job?
– Education: It is important to deliver information to the business I partner with on how creating a business
relationship with my company will bring value to their business (and ours) in a win-win basis.
– Identify customer’s needs by being aware of what their desires are, and how the globalization of their business
will make them incur in company-related travel.
– Identify the motions of the business, by being able to listen their current trends in traveling; and ensuring a way
of developing rapport with them by offering with a remedy with efficient solutions to their needs.
What are the benefits of being a salesperson in this job? What are the downsides of a sales person in this job?
Benefits:
Helping businesses to save in operating expenses cost which could turn to them in a tax benefit as well.
MAR 4400
Sales Career Research Project
Name: Sergio Alejandro Martinez Macareno
Panther ID: 6055203
Page 3
Downsides:
People don’t like being sold products, they want to be in charge and control of the selling which makes them resist
the message and depriving that customer education process.
How is technology used by the salesperson on the job?
Latest technology is utilized in the form of our Vortex site, a proprietary algorithm which uses the cheaper
price in the internet save on the dollar amount of travel at any given point and generating customer rewards
which can be translated into cheaper – and even free – future travel. Simply because our IT search engine is
matching the best price from a wholesale standpoint.
What do you wish someone would have told you or what would you tell the younger you before entering a
sales career?
I would tell the young Francisco not to venturing into the business of selling; but instead into
educating people so they can sell themselves. Because no one will do – or acquire – something, unless they are
convinced (educated) about what they’re looking for.
To what extent does theory (as learned in this course) relate to the information provided by these salespeople?
Explain.
There are quite lot consistencies with how the relationships of B2B seemed to be applicable in the
implementation of that concept with my case of Francisco in Surge 365. One of the aspects that seems to be
consistent is that B2B sales tends to be a more complex process in comparison to a B2C sale as it requires larger
budgets and cost analysis for an overall larger budget and expenses consideration matrix than how it would be
selling a product B2C.
Attachments B2B
MAR 4400
Sales Career Research Project
