CEO’s from the region convened at the Pacific Workspace Federal Conference boardroom across from the federal building in downtown Oakland. The session was hosted by Lou Parrague, Founder and CEO of SalesMuscle consultancy. The meeting coincided with SalesMuscle’s 10th anniversary.
The participating CEO’s are all members of the Alliance of CEO’s www.allianceofceos.com. topics ranged from company updates for 2024, as well as evolving trends and uses for AI in the workplace.
In the wake of what may be the most economically trying time of this century, companies are looking ahead to see how they might survive the future. SalesMuscle, a Bay-Area based sales specialist, is seeing companies double down on their people, relationships and ability to stay viable. Businesses “aren’t holding back,” says SalesMuscle founder Lou Parrague. “We’re seeing a lot of investment in infrastructure, likely due to shifting demographics.” SalesMuscle, established in 2015, spends time helping companies restructure, assess employees, support growth and build revenue. Parrague feels that this increase in movement is a reason for optimism for the economy at large despite the fearfulness many are feeling after 2020.
The past year and the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic forced many young Americans to pause and take a look at their lives. The result of this forced pause has relocated many young working professionals. Parrague and his team have recently expanded to serving companies in Europe, Singapore and the Southern States of the lower 48. With an ever-growing list of open positions that need filling, SalesMuscle shows America that there are still jobs to be had. There is a lot of work to be done, what our economy needs now more than ever is cash flow, grit and optimism. As long as businesses continue to prioritize their sales and relationships, there will be hope for that continued circulation. In a time where so many businesses and individuals are in contraction and retreat, this story of expansion keeps our eyes toward the horizon.
Story by L. Mello, January 2021
VP Sales & Engineering at Poly-Tek
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It’s been a crazy summer with a global pandemic, historical forest fires, and closed borders. I can’t remember when I’ve been away from my Canadian family for so long. Despite these events, I’ve found time to get healthier, grow even closer to my wife and kids, and shift my career in another direction.
It was not an easy decision – my education, formative years, experience are all centered around a 22+ year career starting from the Kelowna days at Western Star Trucks to the Vocational Engineering Team at Daimler Trucks North America. Despite having a long lead time to adjust, it still doesn’t feel real to me. To all the hard-working folks at DTNA, it has been a privilege to work with you and I am honored to have been part of the Daimler family for so long. I only wish the very best for all of you and I am really going to miss you.
I thank you for all the well wishes and continued support. All of which has really shown me how big this family really is and has helped me through this difficult change. Venturing out is a huge risk and change is ultimately difficult but as someone far smarter than me recently wrote to me “any attempt for positive change is a noble venture, be proud that you have started that adventure. Remember healthy and positive experiences encourage positive development.”
My new path is with a company based out of the bay area called Poly-Tek. The Tools have taken a risk on me and I am excited to face the challenges that come with learning the technology and the responsibility of being their representative. For me, the best part is that I am still going to be heavily involved in trucking – trucks are in my DNA and am incredibly fortunate continue on with it in my career. (Besides I’ll always be a WST/DTNA guy!)
I look forward to a long future with Polymeric Technology, Inc. aka Poly-Tek.
#daimlerfamily #WSTFamily #poly-tek www.poly-tek.com
Lou Parrague joins self storage startup as advisor
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Jun 25, 2020, 12:00 ET
SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stash-It, the San Francisco-based startup that is redefining the self storage experience to be more convenient, more cost effective, and better for the environment, today announced that Lou Parrague, founder and CEO of SalesMuscle has come on as an advisor.
"Lou has more than 30 years of experience in helping organizations optimize and execute revenue strategies," said Co-Founder and President, Jeremy Hass "Two months after our official launch, Lou's guidance will be critical as we move from small local startup to household name."
Stash-It is poised to take on the $36B self storage industry. With 23 billion square feet of existing space, the industry is huge. But it is also deeply flawed in critical ways. It is too expensive; it is too inconvenient; and, above all, it is detrimental to the environment. Stash-It pairs unused residential and commercial space with individuals looking for storage space. By taking this sharing economy approach, Stash-It creates cost savings for the Stash-It User, a truly passive income stream for the Host, and a greener solution to meet the nation's growing demand for storage space.
"One of my greatest professional joys is helping turn great ideas into profitable companies," said Parrague. "With Stash-It Jeremy has created the perfect triumvirate for today's economy: a service that is good for the buyer, good for the seller, and good for the environment. I look forward to working with Jeremy and his team to bring Stash-It to every neighborhood."
Estimated income for Hosts can run several thousand dollars a year. Renting out a standard two car garage can bring in $500 a month. By capturing just 5% of the available storage space market share, Stash-It anticipates a $360M run rate.
For more information visit: www.stashitselfstorage.com.
About Stash-It:
Stash-It is the San Francisco-based startup poised to take the self storage industry into the sharing economy. With a US market size of $36B and growing, and a product offering that is both costly and inconvenient for the user, the self storage world is ripe for disruption. Learning from the architects of the sharing economy, Stash-It pairs individuals looking for storage space, with homeowners and business owners with space to let – putting more money in the pockets of everyday Americans.
San Francisco California, June 2020
Lou Parrague spends time with StashitSelfStorage CEO Jeremy Hass. During these challenging times, many folks are looking to earn extra dollars while also taking care of the planet. Stashitselfstrogae offers the opportunity to do both.
As Stashitselfstorgae continues to experience exponential growth, Lou Parrague of SalesMuscle, delves into how this innovative company has created such momentum.
Full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueg19fUaiK0
Orinda California based SalesMuscle, has expanded its offerings to include leading behavioral assessment tool , The DISC behavior inventory. According to SalesMuscle founder Lou Parrague “not only is this a proven methodology, it is easy to administer and reliable. Having used various assessment tools throughout the years, Parrague is aware of the benefits that DISC offers over many of the tools on the market. An added benefit is that DISC allows clients to make use of individual assessments without committing to costly annual licensing agreements.
When asked how clients have responded to this added component, Parrague indicates that clients appreciate the flexibility as well as the monetary advantage during these challenging economic times. As a certified DISC consultant Parrague is able to provide assessments, conduct workshops and provide advise on employee and candidate scenarios.
Contact information for SalesMuscle
www.Salesmucle.net
510-551-9666
The IntelliEvent Profitability Summit in Monterey, CA was informative, dynamic and fun! Having worked with Extreme Impact and their sales team, SalesMuscle participated in the breakout sessions and presentations while enjoying the natural beauty of the Monterey Bay Peninsula. You can learn more about IntelliEvent Lightening here.
I worked directly with Lou, in his role as a business consultant. He used the PI (Predictive Index) extensively for hiring purposes and found it to be an effective tool. Lou is a great resource and a wonderful person. It was always a pleasure to talk to Lou and his experience helped me to understand day to day interactions I had with my colleagues. The PI helped me to better understand where people are coming from so I didn’t have to feel like I was starting from scratch. Team dynamics improved, team collaboration improved and the PI was not used to eliminate candidates but to bring the best forward.
The PI is only one element of the many ways Lou has helped. He greatly improved our processes, developed a training plan for sales associates and we ended up with two new stellar sales candidates on our team.
No not really. There may have been a few initial criticisms or misjudgements about what the predictive index was all about, but all it took was to hear the information for people to understand. As soon as they understood they were on board. I’ve always been interested in psychology and this is Not like Meyers Briggs or other personality tests. There was no resistance to working with Lou.
The biggest surprise was how much everything exceeded my expectations.
Everyone can benefit from knowing a little more about themselves. Understanding what drives me has been very valuable knowledge and I think any company…and any individual for that matter… would benefit from working with SalesMuscle and participating in the Predictive Index.
Who says doing something for others can’t be fun? Certainly not Lou Parrague, Founder of SalesMuscle, who has leveraged his lifelong passion for classic cars to give back to seniors in his community.
It began more than 10 years ago, when Parrague joined his friend, Chip Herman, Founder of the Orinda Classic Car Show, as a volunteer for the annual event. Since then, Parrague and his wife have both been involved with the car show, which raises money for Seniors Around Town, a local organization that provides transportation for seniors in Orinda. At times, funds from the show have also been donated to the Education Foundation of Orinda to support local schools.
According to Parrague, the event raises as much as $30,000 every year through sponsorships, entry fees, a contribution station, and a charity auction called “Dancing with the Cars.” “It’s just a great, family-based community event,” he says. “We have cars lined up and down the street in front of the country club and sometimes even on the country club fairways, which makes for a real Pebble Beach feel.”
Every year, Parrague donates his time and energy toward setting up the show and contributes to the event through his company. “It’s nice to be able to champion a great cause, and the car connection makes it fun.”
A classic car enthusiast, Parrague has also entered several vehicles in the show over the years. They included a 1981 Alfa Romeo Spyder convertible, a BMW Z4 that Parrague drove on a cross country road rally, and a 1954 seafoam green Chevrolet pickup, which he had found on a farm outside of Chico and had renovated and restored to perfection. “I've always loved cars,” Parrague says. “I’m not a mechanic, but what appeals to me is elegant design and beautiful craftsmanship.”
Parrague loves the fact that there’s no pretentiousness involved in the event. “Everybody puts down their titles and chips in,” he says. “You’ll have a CEO of a company who has more than 500 employees carrying a barrier with a 13-year-old boy scout. I do whatever is needed—from setting up banners, tables shade structures, you name it. When it’s over, there’s usually a nice little gathering of staff at the end of a long day, where we get beers at Orinda Motors, and everyone celebrates the day’s events.”
To other leaders who may be thinking of ways to give back to their communities, Parrague suggests they find something they’re passionate about and helping charities close to home. “People look at business owners as leaders,” he says, “so when you do something positive in the community, it sets a good example for others.”
https://www.pimidlantic.com/
Having made use of the Predictive Index® methodology for over three decades in building small, medium and large sales organizations the benefits have been overwhelming. Not only is one able to determine the best fit for a particular candidate or employee, one can further designate a role by whether it will require higher levels of dominance, process, or extroversion and patience. An example would be a job that requires a more technical make up, for instance an engineering product that involves an in depth, detailed description. This particular role would benefit from having someone with a higher formality (stylized as the “D Factor” in PI®). The person would possess traits that are consistent with what is needed to succeed in this role. Some of these aspects would include some of the following:
Skillful detail work, wants to do the right thing
Needs strong structure
Conscientious
Produces highly precise accurate work by the book
Straightforward, factual
By looking for someone with a “high D” (Formality) a company would be able to secure an individual who thrives on that level of detail and knowledge of a given product. This might contrast to a role selling a more general product that may require higher extroversion but not necessarily formality, for example gym memberships. When selling gym memberships, a more important trait may indeed be a “high B” (extroversion). Some of the traits that may work best in this role could be some of these shown below:
Warm friendly
Lively, extroverted
Effective with groups
Uninhibited
Uncritical
Accommodating
What is also evident is that more and more companies are recognizing the fact that on the buyer side these traits also determine how an individual will respond when buying products. These are typically called “personas”. By paying close attention to these “personas”, companies and sales and marketing teams are able to best craft both a message as well as a sales strategy. For instance, how would a high formality buyer respond to a high extroversion salesperson who explains a product broadly without going into intense detail on the description of the product or service? Refining the different “personas” that a company hopes to capture, requires not only looking for cues of what a person’s make up may be, but also historic data on how these folks respond to different styles and tactics.
In this exhibit below, one can see how some personas may behave when making a decision on a given product or service. From a behavioral assessment perspective, one can see elements of all the traits that are uncovered with the use of the Predictive Index program. If we look at Shirley, we can recognize the fact that she is most certainly not only may be “high D” (Formality) but may also be “high A” (Dominance). This would be a description of someone who has an analytical profile and style. So, if a company is looking to persuade Shirley, it would be best to make ample use of fact-based examples that provide higher levels of detail and data. By taking this approach the company would be providing that “persona” with what they need to make a decision.
The overarching message is that when companies look at both their sales organization as well as their client base, they must determine the behavioral components of these groups. On the sales side, an assessment can be conducted on both candidates as well as current employees. Unfortunately, on the customer side it’s not really possible to conduct an assessment, but what is possible is to train sales and marketing teams to identify behaviors that correspond with certain behavioral patterns. This requires both observation as well as a deeper knowledge of the Predictive Index methodology. The end result is an appropriate sales team that is built to promote a particular product to a well-articulated set of “Personas”.
On April 10th Lou Parrague will attend his first board meeting for Arborwell Corporation of San Leandro, California. This meeting is to be held at the Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose California. Lou was invited to join the board after serving as an advisor and consultant over the past three years. Arborwell's CEO, Peter Sortwell , along with Mr. Parrague has also been a member of the East Bay CEO Alliance where the two first met.
Parrague commented that "Arborwell is a well run , dynamic organization that is focused on customers and employees". He further shared that "companies like Arborwell are the cream of the crop among the regions privately held companies". Arborwell has experienced unprecedented growth and most recently posted robust gains over the prior year.
In addition to Arborwell, Mr. Parrague also sits on the board of the directors of Bishop Wisecarver Corporation of Pittsburg, California. BWC is a woman owned manufacturing company that focuses on linear rail and wheel assemblies that are used in a multitude of manufacturing applications.
SalesMuscle founder Lou Parrague recently celebrated his 14th year as a member of the San Francisco Bay Area CEO Alliance (allianceofCEOs.com). Not only have SalesMuscle revenues doubled over the prior year, but Parrague attributes much of his company's success to the dynamic culture and network of the Alliance. SalesMuscle has recently signed agreements with a large fortune 500 company in the fitness industry with $1.5 Billion in revenues, and also a large regional professional services brand.
SalesMuscle's focus throughout 2017 will include further deployment of the Predictive Index methodology (predictiveindex.com) as well as a build out of its already robust recruiting and selection engine.
SalesMuscle's largest client has experienced revenue growth going from $12M to $600M over a 24 month period. SalesMuscle recruiting services was able to place over 30 sales employees over that period of time.
During the week of April 18th SalesMuscle Founder Lou Parrague joined other Predictive Index Certified Partners and Associates at The Predictive Index's new headquarters in Dedham , a suburb of Boston. The Predictive Index assessment methodology is actively used by over 7000 companies worldwide. In attendance were representatives from across the US as well as Romania, Canada and Dubai. The group actively engaged in group exercises, case studies and strategy sessions with other successful Predictive Index Partners.
When asked about the new headquarters Parrague compared them to the offices of Google or Facebook. "Very progressive with collaborative spaces throughout". Overall the visit was enlightening and productive.
On April 1st, SalesMuscle™ CEO and Founder, Lou Parrague, joined a room full of of Seniors at The California Arts Academy to talk about Sales. The audience was composed of a spectrum of students pursuing majors in Furniture design, Fashion, Industrial Design, Animation, and Illustration among others.
To the average soon-to-be graduate, there may seem like no obvious relationship between the pursuit in arts and sales, but Lou's objective was not only to disprove this commonly held misconception, but to equip those students with the tools to be successful entrepreneurs or master salespeople of their craft.
The interactive lecture encompassed the process of selling, how to launch a product or service, how to story-tell personal successes and failures, and how strong sales can make bad products financially successful but bad sales can destroy a good product.
For more information regarding SalesMuscle™ speaking engagement opportunities, please submit your information HERE.