What I’ve Learned: John Daly, Sr.
Posted 9/22/2014Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Advance Transformer; Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Robertson Worldwide; Vice President/General Manager, LG Lighting Division
I was raised to be honest and work hard.
Get to know as much about your product line as possible – learn while listening.
I spent my entire career in lighting. When I first began, I was given this advice by the Vice President: ‘Do not lie to a customer. If caught in a lie, all credibility with them will be lost.
The three most important things? Dedication, hard work and honesty.
When you pick your friends, pick effectively – because they do reflect on you.
Get to know your customers and try to establish a strong working relationship with each one of them.
Know who your competition is their strengths and weaknesses.
Try not to become a micro-manager.
I always taught our kids we would trust them… as long as they didn’t give us a reason not to.
Hire highly qualified people who are familiar with the industry. Customers prefer to deal with decision makers without them having to contact someone else for the answer.
You need to have time to relax… and do things you want to do…not just business. You have to have an outlet.
Take good care of your parents when they’re old [laughs].