Marcus Carroll, 36
VP Sales & Marketing, Lifestyle Home Products, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Canada
A former professional hockey player with the Utah Grizzlies, Carroll joined his family’s home improvement company after being permanently sidelined by an injury. He incorporates a lot of the coaching and training techniques he experienced as a professional athlete into his leadership style—a strategy that plays out very well in the world of window replacement, bathroom remodeling, and sunroom installation.
Team Approach: “You’re only as good as your weakest player,” Carroll says. So, he developed a training program, called LHP University, that “can take someone with zero industry experience and have them selling profitable jobs within two weeks,” he says. Additionally, Carroll hosts a daily morning call with sales reps who share their wins and their challenges, and it becomes a learning event for everyone. “In a sales environment, people can feel like a lone wolf when on the road by themselves all day,” he says. “I wanted to change that.” Daily ‘huddles’ between sales managers and reps also provide crucial feedback. Since incorporating this team philosophy, Carroll says closing ratios remain above 35% and the retention of sales reps has greatly increased.
Outside of Work: Coaches both of his daughter’s hockey teams. In the summer he’s on the golf course..
Podcast Recommendation: The Home Service Expert