Trudi Charest, Co-Founder at Marketing 4ECPs.
Ladies, meet Trudi.
When 2020 hit, it changed the landscape of business. It evolved how business was conducted and expanded the world of digital. Microsoft TEAMs and Zoom became household names. During this time, you had to evolve and adapt your current business approach or run the risk of losing everything. Trudi was in the same boat; she had built a multi million dollar company that relied on sales, speaking engagements and events. She needed to adapt her approach, like everyone else, and created an inspiring digital system that led to greater success than the traditional cold calling ways. She put it into words and was able to create her first book, The Digital Sales Rep, in a matter of months.
Not only that, speaking as a Regional Sales Manager, what I love about this book is that it teaches you how to market yourself in sales. Something that is often missed. Too often sales reps rely on corporate marketing and brands but fail to create their own marketing systems as sales reps that will help them cold call and create stronger business connections. This teaches you how to market yourself in sales.
Read on to find out more about Trudi, the background of launching The Digital Sales Rep, the best outcome since launching her book and her thoughts on what women can do to help support each other in business.
You have quite the career path - from corporate to entrepreneur, to key-note speaker to best selling author. Can you share with us more about your journey and how you ended up where you are today?
I have been fortunate to have many career experiences over the years and have learnt so much from each one. It really started with my father. He was an Optician who owned an optical store and talked his 16 year old daughter to working part time for him. I took my Optician's course right out of high school and worked for the first 12 years for a large retail optical chain and would be become their Corporate Trainer and Recruiter for 170 optical stores across Canada. When that company was acquired I took a new role in outside sales with Bausch & Lomb which made me realize my love for sales and business development. I made a short move to Optos as a Clinical Consultant which allowed me to see the medical and clinical side of the business but decided after a year to start my own training and consulting company that landed me a huge opportunity to work with an Optometry buying group as the VP of Training and Marketing. It was here that I would learn all about the world of marketing and that led me to start Marketing4ECPs in 2015, a digital marketing agency focused in the eye care industry.
Congrats on your book! How did the idea come about? How long did it take from the original idea to the final product?
I love sales. Since the day I started my company, Marketing4ECPs, I have been the main salesperson and the lead of business development. We have grown from zero to 4.5 million dollar company with the power of sales and great quality products and service. But it was a pandemic that would change sales and how I sold forever.
Once the world shut down I had to figure out how to protect my company and continue to sell without being able to leave my house and hence the 10 + 10 sales system was born.
It was a system I created to organize and track my digital outreach every day so I could see what was working and who I was contacting every day. It worked so well we will never go back to traditional sales (cold calling, tradeshows, knocking on doors) and we tripled our sales and revenue in a year. And yes, in 2020 when every other business was losing revenue and sales. I knew I was onto something and I decided to try to put it into words and started to write "The Digital Sales Rep" in January 2021. I hired a publishing company and with their help and coaching I wrote the book in 7 months and they took it from there and the finished book published in Feb 2022.
What has been the best outcome since launching The Digital Sales Rep?
It's still fairly new as it has only been a few months but to date the best outcome it the response it has received. We published it on Amazon in Feb 2022. It became a best seller in multiple categories and 8 countries within weeks of launching. The other outcome is the response from people who are reading it. I am getting such great feedback and kudos. When you're writing you have almost imposter syndrome, "is this any good, who am I to write a book, can I really teach anyone anything special" and when it launches you just really hope it doesn't flop. So it's pretty exciting when "everyone" who reads it tells you they love it and they really learnt something new.
Can you share with us the biggest takeaway from The Digital Sales Rep?
My biggest takeaway is you can do anything you set your mind too. Writing a book is hard and a lot of time and commitment. There were several times I felt like giving up and I didn't, so press on.
Navigating the self publishing world can be tough. How did you find the process and what has been the most surprising aspect to you about the process?
If I can give anyone advice who is thinking of writing a book, get some expert help. I am so grateful I found Best Seller Publishing who basically held my hand through the entire thing. They coached me during the writing process, took it from there and did everything from the editing, designing to getting it on Amazon which is the stuff that I don't have time to do. They made it easy.
We love how you have taken many initiatives in your career. Can you share with us how Marketing 4ECPs came to be?
I was working as the VP of Training and Marketing for an Optometry buying group helping Optometrists every day understand how to grow their practices and I saw a huge gap in the industry. There was no marketing agency in Canada for eye care and not many that were more custom focused in all of North America. I met my current business partner who had a digital agency but in a different industry and we partnered to start Marketing4ECPs in 2015. We started from nothing, the true rags to riches story of struggling for the first few years to finally crushing it in 2020 with the digital sales system and it's not stopping. We can barely keep up with the amount of work that is coming in. Good problems to have. When we started we had 5 employees. We are over 105 now in a short 7 years.
What has been a career highlight for you?
Honestly there are so many. I have loved being an Optician, loved being in sales, won some amazing awards, been recognized for many achievements, was elected to the OWA Optical Women's Association board of directors but if I had to pick just one it is definitely starting my own business.
Is there anyone that has inspired you or was a mentor to you throughout your journey?
Yes, again so many! My father was a huge inspiration, such a hard worker, dedicated family man and just overall nice guy that everyone loved. Marina Vitelli was one of my first supervisors that pushed me to be better. Barbara Mills inspired me to become a speaker. Shawn Larsen gave me the autonomy to do what I do best, sell. Ken Barbet allowed me to think big and create amazing innovation. Kevin Wilhelm, my current business partner, gave me the reigns to go and develop this business while he managed the company.
What do you think is the one thing women can do more to support each other?
When I started working it was a "man's work world still". I had to work hard, put up with non-equivalent workplaces, lower pay scales and harassment to grind my way to the top. It's maybe why I appreciate it so much more because it was not an easy road to get here. It's why I love to help other women know they can have it all. I have been told that I have helped many women become successful and that is so important to me. I have always wanted to pay it forward. So how can you support others...? Help them, push them, give them tools and resources, inspire them, be a mentor, share your experiences, expertise and advice.
Learn More About Trudi Here:
Website: digitalsalesrep.com
Book: Link to Amazon
Instagram: @digitalsalesrep
LinkedIn: Trudi Charest