When opportunity comes knocking, what do you do? For me, it’s a tough question. I usually fight change, which is ironic since my job requires me to change folks’ habits. But I answered the knock, and here I am.
My name is Dee Spencer, and I am the newest member to the Dunbarton Sales Team.
Since 1989 I have been in this crazy industry called “Doors & Hardware.” I do not regret a single day. Thereof course, have been ups and downs, but that’s life. There is something about this industry that seems to get in your blood. Those of you that have been in for a while understand what I mean. I knew this would be a career for me the first time my wife, Courtney, came back from a restaurant bathroom to tell me what type of toilet partitions they had and asked if I sold those.
I have been fortunate to have been involved in many phases of the industry. My career started as a distributor. After about five years, I had the opportunity to move into the independent sales representative side of the business, where I really found a passion. Now, I have the pleasure of being a Regional Sales Director for Dunbarton Corporation.
I never imagined this job would be a challenging one for me, but this is a whole new role. Not leading conversations and driving the direction of a meeting but instead providing support for my talented sales group is more challenging than it sounds. Finding ways that make sense for them, even if it is different than the way I might have done it did not come naturally at first. So, I am learning to sell from the background by understanding better where and how I fit into their agency to be more effective to help them sell our product lines and support them as independent sales agencies. They work very hard to bring Dunbarton to the market on our behalf, and I feel I owe them my very best so they can succeed. I am very fortunate in that regard; I have a Great Team to work with already.
When John Klesath, President of Dunbarton, knocked on my door with this opportunity, I knew that if I would jump to this side of the business, Dunbarton is where I’d want to land. Rediframe/Slimfold, as it was called back in the day, was top on my list of companies I’d open the door for and listen. I have very fond memories of working with Gary Tew, Wendell Floyd, Michael Bush, and Steve Love while serving as their ISR for years. The camaraderie we shared, challenges we faced, wins we enjoyed, and lessons I learned from Gary made an impression on me that I’ve not forgotten to this day.
So, today I am so excited to be working with a Great Group of talented people here in Dothan. Since my start, they have welcomed me in and are always eager to help in whatever way they can. Even Ralph will very politely listen to one of my crazy ideas for a new product or a change to an existing one. Then he’ll smile at me and turn back to his computer with a chuckle. I could tell stories about just about all the folks I have the pleasure to work with, but I’ll leave those for another post. Suffice to say, I’m glad I answered John’s call, and I’m thankful he and Douglas Webb have given me this opportunity to change and grow.
So, I’ll end with this to my Dunbarton Family, THANKS for making me feel a part of your GREAT TEAM!
There’s a Knock at the Door…are you going to answer?
Cheers,
Dee Spencer
Dunbarton Regional Sales Director