Troy Willis, Vice President of Sales at Sysco Houston is our next League Leader. I had the pleasure of interviewing who has been at Sysco for the past 27 years and started out at the company as an Assistant Janitor working nights! He moved his way up the ladder from a sales trainee to a Director of Sales in just 6 years. Prior to his work experience, Troy played college football at Abilene Christian University.

Q: What has been the best sales team that you have led and what led to the group’s successes?

A: I would say when I was a district manager. The team would do anything I asked and I would always back them up. It was a big district with about 10 people. It was a very cohesive unit which meant they had each other’s back. That was probably the single best team I’ve had. When I took over as DSM, there were a lot of changes. When I took over, I brought in many new hires, so I was able to create my own team, most of which that had not worked for me before. If you hire people that have never worked for you, they tend to follow you a little quicker because they have nothing to compare you to. Half the team was new and half the team was veterans that were already working well.

Q: What sports team would you compare this team to?

A: There was a baseball team, Cleveland Indians, that they made a movie out of. Major League. I would compare us to that team because it started out rough. I didn’t even have enough people to fill positions at first. When I was promoted, I still had a lot of my own territory to cover. There was one promotion that symbolized our year. We were doing a sweet 16 tournament with double elimination. We ended up losing our first game then went on a winning streak to come in second at the end of the year. We did that on purpose. When we got to the end, we had done so much, however, the incentive for second place was more appealing. I think that really set the tone for the team. The team understood that I didn’t want to win anything at their expense and it made the team realize that I was looking out for their best interest.

Q: How do you motivate your team?

A: I lead by the front. I lead by example. If there is anything my team needs, I’m there for them.

Q: If someone was just entering the field sales industry, what advice would you give?

A: It has nothing to do with talent, and everything to do with passion. Talent will only get you so far but if you have a passion to help your customers and to make a difference then you can go a long way. If you’re only in it for the money, you won’t get as far.

Q: Which sports athlete would you compare yourself to?

A: I’m not afraid to try anything new. I would say, Steve Young. He was a brilliant passer. He could put the ball anywhere he wanted to put it. Even in the later years of his career, he was not afraid to go 35-40 yards down the field and take a big hit. He’s somebody that leads by example. He started as an 8th string quarterback. That’s something that I can follow because I started as an Assistant Janitor. Because of how we started, neither of us should be where we’re at.

NBA Championship Prediction

I think there’s only one team that’s in contention and that’s the Houston Rockets.