Executive Highlight

Jeffrey Leach

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Head of Sales, Vendasta
Business Founded: 2008
Phone: (904) 521-6010
Email: [email protected]

Address:
410 – 22nd Street East (15th Floor) Vendasta Square Saskatoon, SK, S7K 5T6 Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 5T6

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How long have you been in your industry?17 years
Why did you choose your industry?I graduated as an Electrical Engineer and quickly learned that I hated sitting at a desk with minimal interaction with others. I had sales execs calling on me and they all seemed happy. I quickly moved into a Field Sales role and then started my own company a few years later. Owning multiple businesses, I realized that successful companies typically had a good product or service and a great marketing strategy. When I started in Marketing roughly 17 years ago, I never looked back.
Who are your typical clients?We sell to a handful of industries including: Marketing Agencies, Broadcast Media companies, Franchises, Independent Software Vendors, and IT companies. Most of them white label our products and services and sell them as their own.
What do you like best about being in this industry?I love building meaningful and authentic relationships with my prospects and partners.
What are common problems you see?There are some good and bad marketing agencies out there. I hear almost daily how a prospect paid this agency a ton of money and received no more traffic or revenue from their efforts. Usually it's around an expensive SEO strategy and the prospect had no visibility into reporting to see what was really happening.
What advice/tips do you have for clients?Jump on the AI bandwagon. The winners are not those that will replace their employees with AI, but those hiring employees to use AI. AI is enabling companies to become much more efficient and grow their business. Vendasta is upskilling our employees to become experts in AI, and we're hiring employees to help with automations and integrations to create a seamless user experience for our partners.
When is your busy season?January through December
What keeps you up at night?As the hair keeps disappearing and the years keep going up, I worry that I can't keep up with the daily innovations. The "Moore's Law for AI agents" is seeing a roughly doubling of performance every 7 months. If I can't keep up, I'll be out.
How do you market yourself to grow/expand your business?I'm still pretty old school when it comes to selling. I subscribe to the "people buy from people" mentality. I pride myself on developing authentic relationships and those relationships typically become the best referrals. I've lived in the franchise space for many years. Everyone knows everyone in that space, so it's critical to be respected by my peers.
How involved are you in the community?I've been very active in the Down syndrome community and a firm believer in Inclusion. I've advocated for over 20 years for Inclusion for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. This includes speaking at local School Board Meetings as well as with our Congressional leaders in Washington DC. We are all better off when our places of learning and faith include people with disabilities.
What is your favorite not for profit or charity?Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville. I was Board President for many years and active for over 17 years. They serve over 1,000 individuals with Down syndrome and their families, including my daughter.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of getting into this business?I've always hired people based on their skillset and cultural fit rather than their resume. A great salesperson is typically someone who has been challenged in their life and has the perseverance to get through it. I love hiring people that were in the Military at some point. So, if you're thinking of getting into sales, learn to sell yourself first.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?I love fishing and golfing. Anything that gets me out of the house and off the phone really. I'm so thankful that my kids enjoy the same hobbies.

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