We’re All in This Together

In class we have been discussing how sales positions have been increasing in the last few years. We also talked about the term elasticity in class. Which means stretching employees beyond their specified work niches, and using them in the sales process. I was fortunate to find an article about a man that is doing exactly this with his own company.

Harvey Mackay, the founder of MackayMitchell Envelope Company, uses this take on sales as the base philosophy for his entire workforce. Mackay explains that being in the envelope business is already hard enough when your product has already been around for hundreds of years. But he says that the importance of sales people in his company is what makes his company unique compared to the other envelope businesses. Mackay’s envelope company may have advantages in competitive pricing and the quality of their envelopes, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Mackay believes that no matter what someone’s job title is they are involved in sales one way or another. Even though not every employee deals with customers face to face they must work to their full potential at all times. Mackay points out how important this is because he believes that every employee represents the company and has interest in seeing the company succeed. Mackay even encourages his employees to come up with new ideas on how to gain more business or maybe a new innovative spin on some of their products. He also advises his employees the importance of being able to deliver an elevator pitch at any moment.  Mackay’s business is a prime example of what we have been talking about in class. It shows that he values each and every employee as an important component in the sales of the company.

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