Sales Partnerships, Inc. - Sales Manager of the Year

Company: Sales Partnerships, Inc., Broomfield, CO
Company Description: Sales Partnerships, Inc. is the premier direct sales outsourcing company in the world, offering branded representation that delivers rapid revenue lift for the most influential B2B firms in the world. Whether it's brand activation, customer acquisition, or retention, SPI is the leader in providing scalable and proven solutions to the Fortune 500.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Manager of the Year

Nomination Title: Accomplishing the Unexpected in a Pandemic: SPI’s Regional Sale Manager Nikki Thomas Creates Top Performing Field Sales Team That Doesn’t Just Meet but Exceeds Pre-COVID Targets in 2020

Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):

Based in Dallas, Texas, Nikki Thomas is Regional Sales Manager at Sales Partnerships, Inc., which provides field-based turn-key sales outsourcing, contract sales, and brand engagement services for Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies throughout North America.

Nikki has been a manager at SPI since 2016 and currently manages a team of 14 sales reps across multiple cities in Texas.

Nikki has a long track record of high performance -- her team is consistently number 1 across the organization -- and is well known for her collaborative, inclusive management style.

Nikki’s ability to quickly adapt and her effective leadership style was on full display in 2020, as COVID-19 restrictions reshaped her team, her territory, and field operations in general. She handled each challenge with ease, guiding her team through a complex COVID-19 environment so successfully that they not only met but exceeded their yearly quota, which, by the way, was an unadjusted pre-COVID target.

Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2019 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):

2020 had a significant impact on Nikki’s team and territories she manages as we had to reshape territories across Texas and the surrounding regions due to COVID-19. As a result, Nikki’s territory grew significantly in 2020 as she also took on several additional reps, managing a team of more than 15 (which includes our highest performing sales rep of 2020 and annual Top Gun winner, Jamila Smith).

Because of her leadership, Nikki’s team produces consistently at an average of 120% over quota, and she outperforms our national regional managers by more than 10%. Her own performance reflects her exceptional ability to successfully navigate a COVID-19 field environment. For multiple months in 2020, Nikki was #1 out of hundreds of field sales agents for both visits and sales, despite being hamstrung by COVID-19 restrictions.

Also, the speed and efficiency Nikki displayed in her ability to adapt throughout 2020 had a huge impact on her team and the organization as a whole. Because of constantly shifting field conditions particularly after the initial field shutdowns in early 2020, SPI had to hire a large volume of reps faster than normal in order to make up for lost ground. Nikki was able to grow her team in record time, hiring high performers in 3 days or less, compared to the typical 10-14 day window. This helped her team get into the field faster, and achieve some of the highest performance levels for a field sales team operating in 2020.

Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):

Attached you’ll find our 2020 Field Sales Case Study outlining our field activity for 2020, of which Nikki Thomas and her team played a very important role.

Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):

2020 was an unprecedented year for field sales managers and their reps, who were tasked with making historic changes to their approach to field sales and customer acquisition and relationship management. Territories were in a near constant state of change as restrictions tightened or eased due to COVID-19 numbers; complete shutdowns of regions or territories were the norm; and restrictions on how to safely interact with customers created the need for a new approach to face-to-face engagement.

Nikki led her team through these challenges with competence, caring, and determination. She led by example by taking on significantly more responsibility -- conducting more ride-alongs, offering more support to her reps, and being even more active in the field herself.

On a personal level, Nikki is well known for her collaborative, inclusive management style that promotes diversity of thought and values different perspectives and personalities; she encourages her team members to engage in critical thinking and to share their ideas so she can promote a culture of continuous improvement and growth.